CONCERNING KNIGHT BACHELOR

Dominion, Volume 22, Issue 135, 4 March 1929, Page 13

CONCERNING KNIGHT BACHELOR

Sir,—-The publication of the Honours List, accompanied by the constantly repeated error in denoting Knights Bachelor by the affix “K. 8. prompts me to offer a little interesting information relative to a subject about which, from queries put to me on different occasions, seems to be very imperfectly understood in this country. Knights Bachelor do not, strictly speaking, constitute an “Order” of Knight- . hood, although admittedly, the phrase “the Order of Knighthood” is frequently used in a general sense to include all Knights whatsoever. In medieval times, when the present classification was non-existent, all Knight were known simply as “Knights,” or, technically, as “Equites Aurati.” Far below these were the “Milites Bachilarii,” a species of “Companions” of the Knights themselves. These “Milites Bachilarii,” or “Bachelors,’.’ were at first not Knights at all, but, by degrees, especially after the institution of the, Most Honourable Order of the Bath, the ranks of the “Equites Aurati” and the "Milites Bachilarii” became 1 merged under the modern designation of “Knights Bachelor.” It is commonly accepted that the word “Bachelor,” in this connection, is a corruption of the two words, “bas chevalier,” implying a “lower”, rank of Knights than those who received the honour under the Royal Banner, although the real interpretation of “bas chevalier" is believed to be “lower than the Knights pro'per.” James I sold this class of Knighthood on a huge scale for £lOOO apiece, and we read that a satirical placard was affixed to the door of St. Paul’s Cathedral offering to teach a new art of memory to enable people to bear in mind the names of the newly-created title-bearers. Indeed, the King himself became so humiliated by his own doings that, upon one occasion, when a new Knight showed embarrassment at his own lack of prestige, James exclaimed, “Hold up your head, man, and spare your blushes; I have more cause to be ashamed than you have.”

The designation of a Knight Bachelor is the simple prefix “Sir”; it is permissible to add “Knight” or “Kt.,” but this is not usual exeunt in formal style, and, in any case, “K. 8. should not be used, those letters being the old style for “Knights of the B.ath.” There is no decoration attached, and no- limit to the numbers; neither are there any “Officers,” as the Knights Bachelor do not constitute an “Order” of Knighthood. , . In 1908 a voluntary association was formed under the title of the Society of Knights Bachelor, which, by Royal permission, was changed in 1912 to that of the “Imperial Society of Knights Bachelor,” its primary object being to obtain the uniform registration of every created Knight Bachelor. In conclusion, I may add that a Knight Bachelor ranks next below a Knight Compander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, who is entitled to affix the letters “K.8.E.” to his name. I trust that this information will prove interesting to some, at least, of your numerous readers.—l am, etc., PERCIVAL R. WADDY. Wellington, March 2.