The Knight Marshal is a former office in the British Royal Household established by Henry III in 1236. The position later became a Deputy to the Earl Marshal from the reign of Henry VIII until the office was abolished in 1846.p.288Money Barnes, Major R. The Soldiers of London Seeley, Service & Co 1963

The Knight Marshal and his men were responsible for maintaining order within the King's Court (Court of Marshalsea or Palace Court) which was abolished in 1849.

According to The Present State of the British Court, published in 1720,

The Knight Marshal was appointed by the Crown for life by letters patent under the great seal frequently in the form of grants in reversion. Board wages were fixed at £21 5s 10d in 1662. In 1685, a salary of £26 was provided. This was raised to £500 in 1790 but reduced to £271 in 1816.

The separate office of Knight Marischal exists in the Royal Household of Scotland, but has not been filled since 1863.

List of knights marshal temp Henry IV : Sir Robert Whitney, killed at the Battle of Pilleth in 1402 temp Richard III : William Brandon temp Edward IV : Sir Ralph Assheton temp Henry VII : Sir John Digby temp Henry VIII : Sir William Pickering 1542 26 August – 1556 : Sir Ralph Hopton (died 1571)R. Virgoe, 'Hopton, Sir Ralph (1509/10-71), of Witham, Som.', in S.T. Bindoff (ed.), The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1509-1558 (from Boydell and Brewer 1982), History of Parliament Online . 1555 : Sir Anthony Kingston (died 1556) 1556 May – 1558 : Sir Thomas Holcroft 1558 Mar – 1558 : Sir Thomas Hervey 1558 21 Dec – 1571 : Sir Ralph Hopton and Robert Hopton (jointly)N.M. Fuidge, 'Hopton, Robert (d.1590), of Yoxford, Suff. of St. Mary Mounthaw, London', in P.W. Hasler (ed.), The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1558-1603 (from Boydell and Brewer, 1981), History of Parliament Online . 1571 - 1577: Robert Hopton (alone) 1578: Sir George Carey 1597 May : Sir Thomas Gerard (created Baron Gerard, 1603)History of Parliament Online: Members 1558-1603 - GERARD, Thomas I (c.1564-1618) - Author: N.M.S. 1604 – 1618 :Sir Thomas Vavasour 1618 – 1626 : Sir Edward Zouch 1626 – 1642 : Sir Edmund Verney c.1642 : Sir Edward Sydenham ?1651 : Sir Robert Throckmorton, 1st Baronet 1649 – 1660 : Interregnum 1660 11 July : Sir William Throckmorton 1667 22 April : Sir Edmund Wyndham 1681 3 March – ?1689 : Sir Edward Villiers 1689 4 July : Sir Edward Villiers (died 1711) 1700 11 July – 1757 : Sir Philip Meadows 1757 5 December – 1792 : Sir Sydney Meadows 1792 15 November – 1795 : Hugh Boscawen 1795 10 November – 1824 : Sir James Lamb, 1st Baronet 1824 11 October – 1846 : Sir Charles Lamb, 2nd Baronet 1846 Post abolished

H.M.'s Marshalmen

A token number of Marshalmen continued to be appointed even after the demise of the Marshalsea Court; they became honorary appointments within the Royal Household and were in attendance on the Sovereign on ceremonial occasions. Six King's Marshalmen took part in the 1937 Coronation procession of King George VI;http://www.dnw.co.uk/medals/auctionarchive/searchcataloguearchive/itemdetail.lasso?itemid=67324 Information from private papers of one of the last Marshalmen, Charles Bland, who died in 1945 since when appointments to this office have ceased. The Marshalmen wore a distinctive uniform, consisting of a scarlet coat, blue trousers and a shako (a tall, cylindrical cap with a visor), and carried a baton engraved with the Royal Arms at one end, and at the other the coat of arms of the City of Westminster.Dress worn at Court https://archive.org/stream/dressinsigniawor00greauoft#page/164/mode/1up

See also Dublin City Marshal, maintained the Dublin Marshalsea

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References

External links Photograph of Marshalmen on duty at the State Opening of Parliament in 1909 (National Portrait Gallery)