KNIGHTS AND DAMES INTRODUCTION
Last updated 22 Dec 2025
This page is dedicated to my all-time favourite knight, Sir Thomas Tom of Appledore.
Eligibility for inclusion
The aim of these pages is to list all men and women who have been made a Knight or a Dame in any country which is a member of the British Commonwealth of Nations since the accession of Queen Victoria to the throne of the United Kingdom in 1837. These nations include the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Barbados, Antigua and Barbuda, and St. Lucia, each of which retains orders of knighthood under various names. Therefore, any person who is entitled to the appellation "Sir" or "Dame" under any of these orders is eligible for inclusion in these pages.
Sources and acknowledgments
The primary source for knights prior to the end of 1904 is The Knights of England compiled by William Arthur Shaw, published in 1906. Since that time, I have relied on a number of sources, the most important of which are the various Gazettes (i.e. the London, Edinburgh, Dublin (until 1921) and the Belfast (after 1921) Gazettes), which are the official journals of record of the British Government. Other primary sources include the various editions of Who's Who and Who Was Who, together with correspondence with various official government departments in other Commonwealth countries. For Knights Bachelor, I have relied heavily upon my collection of the various editions of the listings published by the Imperial Society of Knights Bachelor.
Neither the Gazettes or Who's Who/Who Was Who, when taken in isolation, will provide complete listings. For example, I have come across many names of knights or dames in Who's Who/Who Was Who whose appointment as knights or dames I have been unable to find in the Gazettes. Conversely, some knights or dames have never appeared in Who's Who, generally because they are members of orders of knighthood of Commonwealth countries other than the United Kingdom and are not therefore noticed by Who's Who, or are due simply to a desire for anonymity.
I also gratefully acknowledge the assistance of my friend James Lockwood in filling in many gaps in dates of birth and death.
The various Orders of Knighthood
The United Kingdom
The following orders of knighthood are shown in order of descending precedence:-
The Most Noble Order of the Garter The Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle The Most Illustrious Order of St Patrick
Members of these orders are already listed on my pages under "Orders of Chivalry" and are therefore generally not included in the pages devoted to knights and dames. However, if a person received various knighthoods prior to being appointed to the Garter or to the Thistle, his or her appointment to these orders is included for the sake of completeness. See, for example, Sir Anthony Acland. Conversely, if a person's only appointment as a knight or dame is to one of these orders (for example Sir John Major), they will not be included in these listings.
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath was founded by George I on 18 May 1725. From that date until 2 January 1815, the Order consisted of a single class - Knight Companion of the Bath (KB) - which no longer exists. Since 1815 the Order has consisted of three classes of members, being Knights or Dames Grand Cross (GCB), Knights or Dames Commander (KCB/DCB) and Companions (CB). The Order is divided into two divisions, Military and Civil. Recipients of the Military division are now usually senior military officers, while recipients of the Civil division are usually senior civil servants. The Order was opened to women in 1971 with the first female member - Dame Mildred Riddelsdell - appointed on 1 January 1972.
This Order was instituted by Queen Victoria by Letters Patent dated 23 February 1861, which were gazetted on 25 June 1861. The gazette notice reads in part "The Queen, being desirous of affording to the Princes, Chiefs and People of the Indian Empire, a public and signal testimony of Her regard, by the Institution of an Order of knighthood, whereby Her resolution to take upon herself the Government of the Territories of India may be commemorated, and by which Her Majesty may be enabled to reward conspicuous merit and loyalty, has been graciously pleased, by Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, to institute, erect, constitute, and create, an Order of Knighthood, to be known by, and have for ever hereafter, the name, style, and designation, of the "Most Exalted Order of the Star of India."
The original Order had only one class - Knights of the Order of the Star of India (KSI). However, the Order was completely remodelled by Letters Patent dated 28 March 1866 (gazetted 25 May 1866). In its new form, the Order consisted of three classes - Knights Grand Commander (GCSI), Knights Commander (KCSI) and Companions (CSI). At the same time, all existing Knights of the Order became Knights Grand Commander of the remodelled Order. The word "Commander" was chosen instead of the more normal "Knight Grand Cross" so as to not offend non-Christian recipients.
It is interesting to note that one of the original knights was a female, the Begum of Bhopal, and that two of her successors were also knighted under the same Order. Women, apart from princely rulers, were ineligible for appointment to the Order, but the Begum was appointed as a princely ruler. In 1911, the Order's statutes were amended to allow the appointment of Queen Mary as a Knight Grand Commander.
The last appointments to the Order were made in the 1948 New Year's Honours. There are currently no living members - the last member, the Maharaja of Alwar, died in 2009. Since the Order has never been officially abolished, it is now considered as being
The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George
This Order was established on 28 Apr 1818 by the Prince Regent, later King George IV. It was originally established to reward "natives of the Ionian Islands and of the island of Malta and its dependencies, and for such other subjects as His Majesty as may hold high and confidential situations in the Mediterranean." In 1864, following the ceding of the Ionian Islands to Greece, it became necessary to remodel the Order, so as to expand its scope to the British colonies in general. As a result, appointments to the Order are now generally made up of colonial governors and politicians, together with senior diplomats and members of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
The Order comprises three classes - Knight or Dame Grand Cross (GCMG), Knight or Dame Commander (KCMG/DCMG) and Commander (CMG).
The Most Eminent Order of the Indian Empire
Queen Victoria established this Order on 1 January 1878 to reward services rendered to the Indian Empire by British and native officials serving in India. Initially, it consisted of one class only - Companions, who were not Knights. On 15 Feb 1887, the Order was divided into two classes - Knights Commanders and Companions. Shortly thereafter, in June 1887, the Order was again amended so as to consist of three classes - Knights Grand Commander (GCIE), Knights Commander (KCIE) and Companions (CIE).
Appointments to the Order ceased after Indian independence, and, although never formally abolished, following the death of the last member, the Maharaja of Dhrangadhra in August 2010, this Order is now considered to be dormant.
The Royal Victorian Order
Toward the close of the 19th century, most honours within the British Empire were granted by the sovereign on the advice of his or her ministers, including dominions and colonies. On 21 April 1896 Queen Victoria established the Royal Victorian Order, with its statutes providing that the members were to be "such persons, being subjects of our Crown, as may have rendered or shall hereafter render extraordinary or important or personal services to Us, our heirs and successors, who have merited or may hereafter merit our royal favour, or any persons who may hereafter be appointed officers of this Royal Order."
The Order originally consisted of five classes - Knights and Dames Grand Cross (GCVO), Knights and Dames Commander (KCVO/DCVO), Commanders (CVO), and Members of the 4th and 5th classes (MVO). In 1984, Members of the 4th class became Lieutenants with the post-nominal letters of LVO.
The Royal Victorian Order remains entirely within the King's personal gift. It has been open to foreigners since inception, and honorary awards are frequently made during state visits by the sovereign to overseas countries, or during visits by overseas leaders to the United Kingdom.
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire
The Order of the British Empire was established on 4 June 1917 by King George V, who recognised the need for a new award which could be more widely awarded, in recognition of the large numbers of people in the United Kingdom and other parts of the British Empire who had contributed to the war effort in non-combatant roles.
The Order consists of five classes - Knights and Dames Grand Cross (GBE), Knights and Dames Commander (KBE/DBE), Commander (CBE), Officer (OBE) and Member (MBE).
When first established, the Order consisted of only one division. However, on 27  December 1918, the Order was divided into Military and Civil Divisions.
Knight Bachelor
Knights Bachelor are the oldest but lowest rank of knights in the British honours system. A Knight Bachelor is not a member of an Order of Chivalry, unlike members of each of the other orders of knighthood outlined above.
There is no female equivalent of a Knight Bachelor. The lowest honour that can be bestowed upon a woman is a Dame Commander of the British Empire (DBE) which technically is one rank higher than a Knight Bachelor. In addition, a foreigner can be appointed as an Honorary knight in any of the existing Orders of Chivalry (Garter, Thistle, Bath, St. Michael and St. George, Royal Victorian Order and British Empire) but cannot be appointed as an honorary Knight Bachelor.
By tradition, members of the clergy receiving a knighthood are not dubbed as knights, as the use of a sword in the dubbing ceremony is thought to be innappropriate to their calling. As a result, they are not able to use the title "Sir."
Honorary knights and dames
As noted above, each of the Orders of Chivalry (but not Knights Bachelor) have had reasonably large numbers of Honorary Knights and Dames appointed to these respective Orders. These awards are generally made to citizens of countries that are not part of the British Commonwealth. Recipients of such honorary awards cannot use the pre-nominal syle of "Sir" or "Dame." If an award was made to a person at the time when his country of citizenship was a member of the Commonwealth, then the subsequent departure of that country from the Commonwealth does not affect that person's right to the title. Conversely, when a person awarded an honorary knighthood later becomes a citizen of the Commonwealth then the honorary award usually becomes substantive - for example, Sir Terry Wogan who was made an honorary KBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours in 2005. This award was made substantive later that year when he became a dual British-Irish citizen.
Honours systems in other Commonwealth countries
Canada
Prior to Confederation in 1867, British Imperial honours were awarded by the Crown on the advice of the British Prime Minister, or on the recommendation of the colonial governors of what was then British North America. After Confederation, the Prime Minister of Canada submitted, via the Governor General, a list of names for consideration. However, the Governor General also continued to recommend individuals for honours without the knowledge or approval of the Prime Minister, a practice which sometimes led to conflict between the Governor General and the Prime Minister.
Public opinion gradually turned against the continued awarding of Imperial honours. The awarding of a knighthood to Samuel Hughes in 1915 caused great controversy, culminating in 1917 when Sir Hugh Graham, a newspaper publisher, was created Baron Atholstan. The granting of this peerage was made against the advice of both the Governor General and the Canadian Prime Minister, and was viewed by the Canadian public as seemingly without merit, particularly as it came at a time when rumours regarding Lloyd George's sales of honours were starting to circulate.
In 1917 William Folger Nickle, a Conservative MP in the Canadian House of Commons, successfully moved a resolution calling for an address to be made to King George V requesting that he no longer grant hereditary peerages to Canadians. The resolution was never sent to the Canadian Senate, and thus no address to the King was made. Following the establishment of the Order of the British Empire, Nickle put a further resolution to the House, and it was decided that the King should be asked to cease conferring "any title of honour or titular distinction." Again, the resolution was not forwarded to the Senate and therefore never became legally binding. However, it established a policy precedent.
This precedent was overturned for a brief period between 1933 and 1935 during the government of Richard Bennett, when a number of Canadians were granted knighthoods. After William Lyon Mackenzie King returned as Prime Minister in 1935, the precedent set by Bennett's government was ignored and the former policy of no titles was resumed and has been in effect ever since.
As is usually the case, there have, however, been some anomalies. Sir James Hamet Dunn was created a baronet in 1921; Sir William Stephenson was knighted in 1945 and Vincent Massey (Governor General of Canada 1952‑1959) was made a Companion of Honour in in 1946 and received the Royal Victorian Chain in 1960, although neither of these awards carried with it the appellation of "Sir." Similarly, Pierre Trudeau was made a Companion of Honour in 1984.
Dual citizenship of Canada and Britain was been allowed since 1977. Since that time, a number of dual citizens (for example the MP Sir Bryant Godman Irvine and Sir Conrad Swan) received knighthoods. On the other hand, in order to receive a life peerage, Conrad Black was forced to relinquish his Canadian citizenship in 2001.
Australia
The Australian Commonwealth and each of its constituent states originally used the Imperial Honours system. In 1975, the ruling Australian Labor Party created the Order of Australia, which has now entirely replaced the Imperial system. Commonwealth-recommended awards continued under the Fraser Liberal government until 1983, but these ceased with the election of the Hawke Labor government in that year. Two States (Queensland and Tasmania) continued to make Imperial recommendations until 1989 but the defeat of both of those states' governments in that year marked the end of Australian recommendations for Imperial awards.
The Order of Australia was established by Letters Patent on 14 February 1975. It originally consisted of three grades - Companion (AC), Officer (AO) and Member (AM), and two divisions - Civil and Military. The Order was re-modelled in May 1976, with two new grades being added - Knight or Dame (AK or AD) as the highest grade and Medal of the Order (OAM) as the lowest.
Following the election of the Hawke Labour government in 1983, the Queen was advised to abolish the Knight/Dame grade, which occurred on 3 March 1986. This revocation had no effect upon existing Knights and Dames. The Knight/Dame grade was restored in March 2014, and led to a huge controversy in Australia when Prime Minister Abbott granted a Knighthood of the Order of Australia to Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. After Abbott was replaced as Prime Minister in September 2015, his successor, Malcolm Turnbull, a staunch republican, on 2 November 2015 announced that the grade of Knight or Dame was to be discontinued.
New Zealand
Prior to 30 May 1996, New Zealanders received knighthoods or damehoods from each of the existing British orders. After that date, appointments have been made to the New Zealand Order of Merit. On 23 January 1995, the then Prime Minister of New Zealand, Jim Bolger, established an Advisory Committee on the Royal Honours system. The terms of reference for the Committee were "to consider and present options and suggestions on the structure of a New Zealand Royal Honours system, which is designed to recognize meritorious service, gallantry and bravery and long service." Specifically, the Committee was to review "the purpose and coverage of the current honours system; the appropriateness of the current honours system of a mix of traditional (i.e. British or Imperial) and indigenous Royal Honours; whether new honours and awards should be instituted and whether either or both of the existing indigenous Orders (i.e. the Order of New Zealand, which was modelled on the British Order of Merit and the Order of the Companions of Honour, including the lack of automatic appellations of "Sir" or "Dame", and the Queen's Service Order) should be modified; whether certain honours should or should not be titular (i.e. carry the appellation of "Sir" or "Dame"), or some other appellation; and other significant aspects of the honours system, for example, timing, frequency, nominations for and number of awards."
The Committee released its report on 21 September 1995. It recommended that existing British awards be replaced by a New Zealand Order of Merit. No titles ("Sir" or "Dame") would be awarded under the Order, and the only British awards which it recommended should continue would be those in the personal gift of the Queen - i.e. the Orders of the Garter and the Thistle, the Order of Merit and the Royal Victorian Order.
The New Zealand Order of Merit was established on 30 May 1996. The Order initially contained five levels - Knight or Dame Grand Companion (GNZM), Knight or Dame Companion (KNZM/DNZM), Companion (CNZM), Officer (ONZM) and Member (MNZM). Note that titles of "Sir" and "Dame" were retained, notwithstanding the recommendation of the Committee.
On 10 April 2000, the then Prime Minister of New Zealand, Helen Clark, announced that the Queen had approved the recommendation of her government to discontinue in future the titles of "Sir" and "Dame" in the New Zealand Honours system. As a result, the two highest levels of the Order were re-named, with Knights or Dames Grand Companions becoming Principal Companions (PCNZM) and Knights or Dames Companions becoming Distinguished Companions (DCNZM). Neither of these two re-named levels carried with them the appellation of "Sir" or "Dame", although the existing Knights and Dames of these two levels were permitted to retain their titles.
On 23 March 2009, the Queen signed an Amending Royal Warrant, which provided for:-
* the reinstatement of titles at the two highest levels of the Order - i.e. Knight and Dame Grand Companion (GNZM) and Knight or Dame Companion (KNZM/DNZM) replacing Principal Companions and Distinguished Companions respectively
* the opportunity for Principal and Distinguished Companions of the Order to elect to be redesignated within the Order as Knights or Dames Grand Companion and Knights or Dames Companion respectively
* the opportunity for those Principal and Distinguished Companions of the Order who already enjoyed a title in another Order of Chivalry, or as a Knight Bachelor, to be redesignated within the New Zealand Order of Merit as a Knight or a Dame [I am not aware that anyone availed themselves of this opportunity.]
* an opportunity for the small number of widows of deceased former Principal and Distinguished Companions of the Order to elect to use the courtesy title of "Lady" for the rest of their lives. Three widows took advantage of this opportunity.
* those who elected not to accept a title to remain Principal or Distinguished Companions of the Order, and to retain their existing privileges and styles.
As at March 2009, 85 men and women who had been appointed as Principal or Distinguished Companions of the Order between April 2000 and March 2009 were still alive. Of these 85, 72 elected to avail themselves of the opportunity to be redesignated as Knights or Dames. For the purposes of this listing each of the redesignated Knights and Dames shows the date of their respective creations as being the date of such redesignation, which in all cases except two was 1 August 2009. The two exceptions were Sir Anand Satyanand, who was Chancellor of the Order by virtue of his office as Governor General of New Zealand (redesignated 27 Mar 2009), and Dame Heather Begg, whose redesignation on 17 Apr 2009 had been brought forward due to her advanced illness. She died less than a month later. In all cases, where such a redesignation occurred, the original date of appointment as a Principal or Distinguished Companion is included as part of the forenames of the respective Knight or Dame.
South Africa
The British Honours system was used in South Africa up until the election of the Hertzog National Party government in 1924. No awards have been made since that time.
Barbados
The British Honours system was used in Barbados until 1980, when the Order of Barbados was instituted under Royal Letters Patent dated 27 July of that year. The Order consists of four classes, two of which are awarded in two grades. The highest class is the Knight or Dame of St. Andrew (KA or DA), which is awarded for "extraordinary and outstanding achievement and merit in service to Barbados or to humanity at large." My grateful thanks to Gillian Applewhaite and Andrea Waithe of the Barbadian Cabinet Office for their assistance in providing a listing of all Knights and Dames created to date.
Antigua and Barbuda
The British Honours system was used in Antigua and Barbuda until 1987, when the Most Distinguished Order of the Nation was established. The Order initially consisted of only one grade, with recipients entitled to the post nominal letters of ON. The Order was re-established in 1998, when all existing members of the Order of the Nation became Knights or Dames Grand Cross of the re-constitued order. The Order has six classes of members, being, in descending order, Knights/Dames Grand Collar (KGN/DGN), Knights/Dames Grand Cross (KCGN/DCGN), Knight/Dame Commander (KCN/DCN), Commander (CN), Officer (ON) and Member (MN).
A separate order of chivalry, the Most Exalted Order of the National Hero, was established in 1994. As with the Most Distinguished Order of the Nation, this Order was re-constituted in 1998, when all existing members becames Knights or Dames Companion of the revised Order (KNH/DNH). The revised Order consists of a single class only, and there may be no more than three living members at any one time. Somewhat confusingly, appointments as a Knight or Dame Companion may be made posthumously. It is not my intention to include such awards in the relevant listings, but, for the record, these posthumous appointments currently number three, being:
* King Court Tackey (also known as Prince Klaas), granted a posthumous KNH in 2000. He was a slave who, in 1736, planned a revolt against the slave-owners, but the plot was uncovered and he was executed.
* Georgiana Ellen (Nellie) Robinson (1880-1972), granted a posthumous DNH in 2006. She was a teacher who afforded local children the chance of a secondary education, which was otherwise unavailable to them at that time.
* George Herbert Walter (1928-2008), granted a posthumous KNH in 2008. He was Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda 1971‑1976.
I have been unable to locate a complete official listing of all knights and dames created under the two orders outlined above. Emails to the relevant authorities in Antigua have not elicited any responses. As a result, the listings include all of those knights and dames of whom I am aware, but I cannot at this time guarantee that the listings are complete.
St. Lucia
The Order of Saint Lucia was established in 1980. The highest award in this order is the Grand Cross of the Order of Saint Lucia, which is granted only to a person holding the office of Governor General of Saint Lucia. The Grand Cross is limited to a membership of 25 at any one time, and no more than three can be awarded in any one year. The award does not entitle the recipient to become a Knight or a Dame, but with the exception of Boswell Williams (Governor General 1980‑1982) all other Governors General have been created Knights or Dames of other orders.
In February 2016, the Queen for the first time approved the awarding of Knights and Dames Commander of the Order of Saint Lucia. Such awards carry the post-nominal letters of KCSL/DCSL. These awards "may be awarded to any person who has rendered exceptional and outstanding service of national importance to Saint Lucia." Membership is limited to 20 at any one time, and no more than three awards can be made every two years.
Surname/Title and Forenames
In general, I have followed the names of knights and dames as they are shown in the various Gazettes. These entries, however, often pay no heed to the names by which the person is commonly known - for example Sir Sean Connery's real name is Sir Thomas Sean Connery. In such cases, the name is shown as Sir (Thomas) Sean Connery and is indexed on the basis that Thomas is his first name. In addition, where a person is commonly known by a name other than their real name - for example Dame Clementine Laine who is known as Dame Cleo Laine - the commonly used name is shown in parentheses after the real name. For naming systems other than those used in Western countries, and in particular Indian and Moslem names, I have followed, rightly or wrongly, the names shown in the Gazettes. For those names (particularly in the listings of honorary knights) that contain the nobiliary particle "Von" I have followed the practice of German alphabetical sorting, under which, for example, Manfred von Richthofen would be found under "Richthofen."
If someone in these listings later became a peer with a title different to their family name, the knighthood is shown under the family name. The knighthood is also listed under the peerage title, with a pointer to the family name in question.
All double-barrelled or hyphenated surnames are indexed under the first element of the surname.
"Mac" and "Mc" are treated as being the same and are indexed accordingly. Similarly "St." is treated as being "Saint."
Date Knighted
In the foreword to the 1949-1950 edition of Knights Bachelor published by the Imperial Society of Knights Bachelor, Sir Gerald Wollaston (Knight Principal of the Society and a former Garter King of Arms) writes that "the inclusion of a name in an 'Honours List' as a Knight Bachelor does not make the gentleman a Knight. It only expresses the King's intention to make him a Knight. He does not become a Knight, and entitled to the prefix "Sir," until (a) he receives the accolade from the king personally, or from someone specially deputed by his Majesty to confer it, or (b) if abroad, or for any other reason unable to attend for investiture, he receives Letters Patent under the Great Seal conferring the Degree upon him. The same principle applies to persons nominated to the first and second Classes of the Orders of Knighthood. A person nominated a K.C.B. in an Honours List is thereby made a member of the Second Class of the Order of the Bath; but he is not a Knight, nor entitled to the prefix "Sir," until he receives the accolade. My experience is that these things are little understood by the majority of the public." [my emphasis]
This situation was somewhat modified by a notice in London Gazette dated 8 June 1965 which reads:-
It is the Queen's wish that when an announcement has been approved by the Sovereign and has been published officially to the effect that the honour of Knighthood is to be conferred on a person he should forthwith assume the distinctive appellation or prefix of a Knight.
Appointment as Knight Bachelor will nevertheless require completion subsequently as heretofore by Investiture. Letters patent will be used only in those exceptional cases in which personal Investiture is impracticable [my emphasis].
Provision is being made, by her Majesty's command, in the Statutes of the Order of the Bath, the Order of St. Michael and St. George, the Royal Victorian Order and the Order of the British Empire so that Knights Grand Cross and Knights Commander on official publication of their appointments will forthwith assume the Knighthood prefix. The appointments will require completion subsequently by Investiture and presentation of the insignia.
One immediate effect of this change was the wording used in various Gazette notices. Prior to this change, a typical notice would read that the Queen was pleased, on such and such a date, to confer the honour of Knighthood upon John Smith. Following this change, the wording altered to Sir John Smith.
For all Orders other than Knights Bachelor, the Gazette records that a person has been appointed to or promoted within that particular Order. Except in a very few isolated cases, the Gazette does not, however, record any subsequent date of investiture. On the other hand, in almost every case of a Knight Bachelor, the Gazette records both the notice of the Sovereign's intention to confer the honour of Knighthood and the subsequent investiture.
My policy has therefore been, for all Orders other than Knights Bachelor, to use the date shown in the various Gazettes as being the date of creation of the honour. For Knights Bachelor, I have used the date of investiture. In a small number of cases, the date of creation is shown in the listings in italics. These instances are due to the following reasons :-
* While the Gazette includes a notice of the intention to confer a Knighthood, I have been unable to find any subsequent notice of investiture
* Other works of reference (e.g. Who's Who) show that a person was created a Knight but I have unable to find any notice to that effect in the Gazette. In these cases, I have simply used the year of creation shown in that other work of reference
* While the Gazette includes a notice of the intention to confer a Knighthood, the intended recipient died before the investiture could take place
* The notice of intention to create a Knighthood was published so recently as to allow insufficient time for the investiture to take place. Such cases will be amended to show the date of investiture as it takes place.
If any knight included in the listings had received his knighthood prior to the accession of Queen Victoria in 1837 and then received a promotion after her accession, the original knighthood is shown in grey.
Dates of birth and death
The vast majority of knights and dames who died after 1897 are to be found in the various editions of Who Was Who. Before that time, the annual Who's Who was made up of a series of listings such as peers, members of Parliament, high ecclesiastical posts etc., without much in the way of biographical detail. For those knights who died before 1897 and who are not noticed in other publications such as the the Dictionary of National Biography I have relied upon notices of death contained in a large number of contemporary newspapers.
Summary of abbreviations of the various Orders of Knighthood used in these pages
KG/LG	Knight/Lady of the Most Noble Order of the Garter
KT/LT	Knight/Lady of the Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle
KP	Knight of the Most Illustrious Order of St. Patrick
GCB	Knights/Dames Grand Cross of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath
KCB/DCB	Knights/Dames Commander of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath
KSI	Knights of the Most Exalted Order of the Star of India
GCSI	Knights Grand Commander of the Most Exalted Order of the Star of India
KCSI	Knights Commander of the Most Exalted Order of the Star of India
GCMG	Knights/Dames Grand Cross of the Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George
KCMG/DCMG	Knights/Dames Commander of the Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George
GCIE	Knights Grand Commander of the Most Eminent Order of the Indian Empire
KCIE	Knights Commander of the Most Eminent Order of the Indian Empire
GCVO	Knights/Dames Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order
KCVO/DCVO	Knights/Dames Commander of the Royal Victorian Order
GBE	Knights/Dames Grand Cross of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire
KBE/DBE	Knights/Dames Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire
Kt Bach	Knight Bachelor
AK/AD	Knight/Dame of the Order of Australia
GNZM	Knight/Dame Grand Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit
KNZM/DNZM	Knight/Dame Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit
PCNZM	Principal Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit
DCNZM	Distinguished Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit
KA/DA	Knight/Dame of St. Andrew (within the Order of Barbados)
KGN/DGN	Knights/Dames Grand Collar of the Most Distinguished Order of the Nation (Antigua and Barbuda)
KGCN/DCGN	Knights/Dames Grand Cross of the Most Distinguished Order of the Nation (Antigua and Barbuda)
KCN/DCN	Knights/Dames Commander of the Most Distinguished Order of the Nation (Antigua and Barbuda)
KNH/DNH	Knights/Dames Companion of the Most Exalted Order of the National Hero (Antigua and Barbuda)
KCSL/DCSL	Knights/Dames Commander of the Order of Saint Lucia
Civ	Civil Division of the Order of the Bath and the Order of St. Michael and St. George
Mil	Military Division of the Order of the Bath and the Order of St. Michael and St. George
Centenarians (in chronological order)
Name	Order and year	Born	Died	Age
Moses Montefiore, later [1846] 1st baronet	Kt Bach 1837	24 Oct 1784	28 Jul 1885	100
Provo William Parry Wallis	KCB 1860 GCB 1873	12 Apr 1791	13 Feb 1892	100
Henry Alfred Pitman	Kt Bach 1883	1 Jul 1808	6 Nov 1908	100
John Gardner Dillman Engleheart	Kt Bach 1892 KCB 1897	2 Feb 1823	10 Apr 1923	100
George Wentworth Alexander Higginson	KCB 1889 GCB 1903 GCVO 1922	21 Jun 1826	1 Feb 1927	100
Fitzroy Donald Maclean, 10th baronet	KCB 1904	18 May 1835	22 Nov 1936	101
William Mulock	KCMG 1902	19 Jan 1843	1 Oct 1944	101
William Coates	KCB 1930	14 Jun 1860	13 Jan 1962	101
William Mitchell	KCMG 1927	27 Mar 1861	25 Jun 1962	101
Mokshagundam Visvesvaraya, Diwan of Mysore 1912‑1918	KCIE 1915	15 Sep 1861	14 Apr 1962	100
Henry Francis Oliver	KCB 1916 KCMG 1918 GCB 1928	22 Jan 1865	15 Oct 1965	100
(Samuel) Rickard Christophers	Kt Bach 1932	27 Nov 1873	19 Feb 1978	104
Henry Ernest ["Harry"] Brittain	KBE 1918	24 Dec 1873	9 Jul 1974	100
Harriette Chick	DBE 1949	6 Jan 1875	9 Jul 1977	102
Elizabeth May Ramsay Couchman	DBE 1960	19 Apr 1876	18 Nov 1982	106
Robert Mayer	Kt Bach 1939 KCVO 1979	5 Jun 1879	9 Jan 1985	105
Hannibal Publius Scicluna	Kt Bach 1955	15 Feb 1880	21 Dec 1981	101
George Ernest Schuster	KCMG 1926 KCSI 1931	25 Apr 1881	5 Jun 1982	101
Clarence August Bird	KCIE 1943	5 Feb 1885	30 Jul 1986	101
Harry Platt, later [1958] 1st baronet	Kt Bach 1948	7 Oct 1886	20 Dec 1986	100
Thomas Octave Murdoch Sopwith	Kt Bach 1953	18 Jan 1888	27 Jan 1989	101
(Alexander) Rowland Smith	Kt Bach 1944	25 Jan 1888	19 Apr 1988	100
Walter Stewart Howard	Kt Bach 1963	25 Nov 1888	24 Sep 1992	103
Errol Lionel Dos Santos	Kt Bach 1946	1 Sep 1890	19 Nov 1992	102
Gwen Lucy Ffrangcon-Davies	DBE 1991	25 Jan 1891	27 Jan 1992	101
Rangimarie Hetet	DBE 1992	24 May 1892	14 Jun 1995	103
Michael Sobell	Kt Bach 1972	1 Nov 1892	31 Aug 1993	100
Walter Alexander Edmenson	Kt Bach 1958	1892	6 Oct 1992	100
Freya Madeline Stark	DBE 1972	31 Jan 1893	9 May 1993	100
(Arthur Thomas) Barnard	Kt Bach 1958	28 Sep 1893	6 Jul 1995	101
Alexander Frank Philip Christison, later [1945] 4th baronet	KBE 1944 GBE 1948	17 Nov 1893	21 Dec 1993	100
Ninette De Valois	DBE 1951	6 Jun 1898	8 Mar 2001	102
Alfred Thompson Denning, later [1957] Baron Denning [L]	Kt Bach 1944	23 Jan 1899	5 Mar 1999	100
John Mandeville Hugo	KCVO 1969	1 Jul 1899	21 Jul 2000	101
Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother [H.M. Elizabeth Angela Marguerite]	GBE 1927 LG 1936 GCVO 1937 LT 1937	4 Aug 1900	30 Mar 2002	101
Raymond William Firth	Kt Bach 1973	25 Mar 1901	22 Feb 2002	100
Robert Evan Thomas	Kt Bach 1967	8 Oct 1901	17 Apr 2004	102
H.R.H. Alice Christabel, Duchess of Gloucester	GBE 1937 GCVO 1948 GCB 1975	25 Dec 1901	29 Oct 2004	102
Hartley William Shawcross, later [1959] Baron Shawcross [L]	Kt Bach 1945	4 Feb 1902	10 Jul 2003	101
Walter Russell Crocker	KBE 1977	25 Mar 1902	14 Nov 2002	100
Leslie Galfreid Melville	KBE 1957	26 Mar 1902	30 Apr 2002	100
Trevor Ernest Henry	Kt Bach 1970	9 May 1902	20 Jun 2007	105
Mary Guillan Smieton	DBE 1949	5 Dec 1902	23 Jan 2005	102
George Read Fisher	Kt Bach 1968	23 Mar 1903	13 Jul 2007	104
James Robbie Farquharson	KBE 1960	1 Nov 1903	17 Feb 2005	101
Arthur Gregory George Marshall	Kt Bach 1974	4 Dec 1903	16 Mar 2007	103
John Harold Peel	KCVO 1960	10 Dec 1904	31 Dec 2005	101
(John) Eric Richardson	Kt Bach 1967	30 Jun 1905	20 Jul 2006	101
Frederick Oliver Chilton	Kt Bach 1969	23 Jul 1905	1 Oct 2007	102
Sydney Walling	KNH 2004	12 Jul 1907	8 Oct 2009	102
Run Run Shaw	Kt Bach 1978	Nov 1907	7 Jan 2014	106
Norman Parris Biggs	Kt Bach 1977	23 Dec 1907	25 Jul 2011	103
George Edward Godber	KCB 1962 GCB 1971	4 Aug 1908	7 Feb 2009	100
Elisabeth Joy Murdoch	DBE 1963	8 Feb 1909	5 Dec 2012	103
Nicholas George Winton	Kt Bach 2003	19 May 1909	1 Jul 2015	106
Diana Cicely Keppel, Countess of Albemarle	DBE 1956	6 Aug 1909	6 May 2013	103
Frederick Edward Warner	Kt Bach 1968	31 Mar 1910	3 Jul 2010	100
(John) Denis Mahon	Kt Bach 1986	8 Nov 1910	24 Apr 2011	100
(Joseph Robert) Archibald Glenn	Kt Bach 1966	24 May 1911	4 Jan 2012	100
Keith Stephen Jones	Kt Bach 1980	7 Jul 1911	2 Mar 2012	100
Francis Edward Hovell-Thurlow-Cumming-Bruce, later [1971] 8th Baron Thurlow	KCMG 1960	9 Mar 1912	24 Mar 2013	101
Kathleen Mary Ollerenshaw	DBE 1971	1 Oct 1912	10 Aug 2014	101
Marion Mildred Kettlewell	DBE 1970	20 Feb 1914	11 Apr 2016	102
Naim Eliahou Dangoor	Kt Bach 2015	Apr 1914	19 Nov 2015	101
Thomas Cecil Hook Pearson	KCB 1967	1 Jul 1914	15 Dec 2019	105
Alan Graham Dawtry	Kt Bach 1974	8 Apr 1915	27 Jan 2018	102
Samuel Gerald Wood Burston	Kt Bach 1977	24 Apr 1915	14 Jul 2015	100
Felicity Barbara Hill	DBE 1966	12 Dec 1915	30 Jan 2019	103
Joan Evelyn Henderson [Kelleher from 1970]	DBE 1965	24 Dec 1915	23 Sep 2018	102
Conrad Frederick Heron	KCB 1974	21 Feb 1916	22 Jul 2019	103
Olivia Mary De Havilland	DBE 2017	1 Jul 1916	26 Jul 2020	104
Cosmo Dugal Patrick Thomas Haskard	KCMG 1965	25 Nov 1916	21 Feb 2017	100
Vera Margaret Lynn	DBE 1975	20 Mar 1917	18 Jun 2020	103
(Cyrus) Lenox Simson Hewitt	Kt Bach 1971	7 May 1917	28 Feb 2020	102
Durward Randolph Knowles	Kt Bach 1996	2 Nov 1917	24 Feb 2018	100
Sze-yuen Chung	Kt Bach 1978 GBE 1988	3 Nov 1917	14 Nov 2018	101
Lloyd George Geering	GNZM 2009	26 Feb 1918
Thomas Moore	Kt Bach 2020	30 Apr 1920	2 Feb 2021	100

	Copyright © -2018 Leigh Rayment
	Copyright © 2020-2025 Helen Belcher OBE