PARLIAMENTARY REPORT
UNITED KINGDOM
COMMONWEALTH SERJEANTS AT ARMS GATHER IN LONDON FOR 600TH
ANNIVERSARY
Commonwealth Serjeants at Arms gather in London for 600th
anniversary
Serjeants at Arms from across the Commonwealth gathered at the Association of Commonwealth Serjeants at Arms Conference 2015 which was held in London as part of the celebrations for the 600th
anniversary of the
post of Serjeant at Arms in the UK Parliament’s House of Commons.
Lawrence Ward*, the 40th Serjeant at Arms at Westminster, discusses the anniversary and outlines the ways in which the UK Parliament marked the occasion.
Marking the 600th Anniversary
As part of the UK Parliament’s anniversary commemorations for the 600th
anniversary of
the post of Serjeant at Arms in the UK Parliament’s House of Commons,
50 Serjeants at Arms, Ushers of the Black Rod and their equivalents from state and national legislatures from across the Commonwealth and the USA attended the Association of Commonwealth Serjeants at Arms Professional Development Conference 2015 from 27-31 July. The purpose of this conference was to provide an opportunity to discuss the shared experiences of managing and supporting parliamentary democracy. Delegates participated in regional group meetings, workshops, field visits and plenary sessions, and had tours of the Palace of Westminster and the Elizabeth Tower.
On Monday 27 July a Service was held at All Saint’s Church in Wandsworth, London where there is a memorial plaque to the first Serjeant at Arms in Westminster, Nicholas Maudit. The Service was led by the Speaker’s chaplain, the Reverend Rose Hudson-Wilkin and included readings by the current Serjeant at Arms and Black Rod and an address by local historian, Dorian Gerald as well as music performed by the St Mary-at-Hill Choir. The Mayor of Wandsworth, Cllr Nicola Nardelli, and the local Member of Parliament and Government Minister, Jane Ellison MP also attended.
Parliament in the Making This year is momentous for the UK Houses of Parliament as we commemorate a series of major anniversaries, including 800 years since the sealing of Magna Carta and the 750th anniversary of Simon de Montfort’s representative parliament, which paved the way for the House of Commons as we know it today.
2015 also marks a 236 | The Parliamentarian | 2015: Issue Three
number of other anniversaries: 50 years since Churchill’s death (24 January 1965), 50 years since the first Race Relations Act (8 December 1965), 200 years since the Battle of Waterloo (18 June 1825), 600 years since the Battle of Agincourt (25 October 1415) and 600 years since the first Royal Serjeant at Arms was appointed (1415).
Throughout 2015, the UK Parliament is bringing these anniversaries to life through a year-long programme of public engagement across the United Kingdom, encouraging people of all ages to come together to mark and remember the movements and moments that tell the story of the UK’s democratic heritage.
History of the Role of Serjeants at Arms The office of Serjeant at Arms dates back to 1415 and the reign of Henry V when the Serjeant at Arms was responsible for carrying out the orders of the UK’s House of Commons, including making arrests. Today, the Serjeant at Arms in the UK Parliament is still appointed by the Monarch and is responsible for all aspects of access to the House of Commons and for security and keeping order in the Chamber, galleries, Committee rooms and all Commons’ areas of the parliamentary estate. There are also ceremonial aspects to the role that date back to
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104