in the United Kingdom
Baronet of the United Kingdom insignia.
Origins: Baronets rank immediately after barons but are not part of the peerage and do not have the right to sit in the House of Lords. A baronetcy is somewhat like a hereditary knighthood, taking the same title as a knight but without the dubbing. The title is passed down like a peerage. The honourable order of baronets consists of five divisions:
I Baronets of England, 1611
II Baronets of Ireland, 1619
III Baronets of Scotland, 1625 (Baronets of Nova Scotia)
IV Baronets of Great Britain, 1707
V Baronets of the United Kingdom, 1801
Since 1801 all baronetcies created have been baronetcies of the United Kingdom.
In total, seven baronetcies were awarded upon the recommendation of the Canadian government: three were awarded to politicians and four to businessmen. The last baronet of the United Kingdom was appointed in 1991 when Dennis Thatcher, husband of Margaret Thatcher, was appointed 1st Baronet Thatcher of Scotney in the County of Kent. The last Canadian appointed as a baronet for services to Canada was Sir Joseph Flavelle in 1917.
As the honour is hereditary, there remain hundreds of baronets despite the fact that no creations have been made for more than twenty years. There continue to be Canadian holders of these honours, since they are hereditary.
Criteria: Service national in scope.
Insignia (for all except baronets of Nova Scotia): A gold oval badge 55 mm in length and 30 mm in width, the centre bearing a single escutcheon displaying the red hand of Ulster surmounted by a Tudor Crown. The circumference of the insignia is decorated with roses (for baronets of England), thistles (of Scotland), roses and thistles (of Great Britain) or roses, thistles and shamrocks (of the United Kingdom) in filigree on a dark blue enamel background. The reverse is plain, usually with four or six rivet heads and the appropriate gold or silver hallmarks. Occasionally, the reverse will be engraved with the details of the recipient.
Suspender: A straight gold loop suspender.
Ribbon: A yellow ribbon 44 mm wide edged on each side with 4 mm of royal blue.
Postnominals: Bt or Bart.
Other: The insignia is found in both sterling gilt and carat gold.
Number of Creations for Canadians:7.
The Baronetage of Nova Scotia
The baronets of Nova Scotia are addressed separately, since the creation of baronets of Nova Scotia originally pertained directly to the colonization of what are today the provinces of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick.
Origins: Created as part of Sir William Alexander’s scheme to prevent Nova Scotia from falling into French hands by settling the territory, the baronets of Nova Scotia were established by King James I as a way to raise money independently of Parliament. Charles I granted the holders of this land the title “Sir” and allowed for the creation of an insignia for the baronets. Baronets of Nova Scotia ceased to be created in 1707 afer the union of Scotland and England into Great Britain. Initially, the baronets were entitled to have a hereditary seat in the provincial legislative assembly (not yet established) and were imbued with the authority of a feudal baron upon their own lands.
Baronet of Nova Scotia insignia.
Criteria: Service to the Crown of Scotland and/or purchase of a grant of land in the Royal Province of Nova Scotia.
Insignia: A gold oval insignia varying in height from 54 mm to 41 mm. The centre displays the shield of Nova Scotia surmounted by a crown. The circumference of the insignia displays the text FAX MENTIS HONESTAE GLORIA (“Glory is the light of a noble mind”) in gold on a field of blue enamel. The reverse is plain, though it is occasionally engraved with the details of the recipients and gold or silver hallmarks.
Suspender: A gold loop suspender of varying sizes.
Ribbon: A watered orange tawny ribbon 44 mm in width.
Postnominals: Bt, Bart, or Bart NS.
Other: A variety of manufacturers have produced the insignia. Some pieces in carat gold date from the founding of the baronetage and are quite rare.
Number of Creations: 329.
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath
The Order of the Bath was founded by King George I in 1725 as a single-level military order consisting of Knights of the Bath (KB). In 1815 a civil division was added to the order and the military division was restructured into three levels: Knight Grand Cross (GCB), Knight Commander (KCB), and Companion (CB). By 1847 the civil division was restructured to mirror its military counterpart and was divided into three levels.[2] Appointments to the military division were made in recognition of service of the highest calibre, and nominees had to have a Mention in Dispatches. Those appointed to the order generally started at the CB level and could subsequently be elevated to KCB and GCB. Officers holding the rank of major or commander and above were eligible for appointment to the order, with KCBs being awarded primarily to those holding the rank of major-general and above, and GCBs being bestowed upon lieutenant-generals, generals, and field marshals or their naval equivalents.
No member of the Canadian Militia was ever appointed a GCB, though Canadians serving in the British Army did receive this honour, notably General Sir William Fenwick Williams and General Sir Gordon Drummond. In the pre-Confederation period the only Canadian appointed to the military division of the Order of the Bath was Lieutenant-Colonel Charles de Salaberry in 1817 for services in the War of 1812 at the Battle of Chateauguay. Eight members of the Canadian Militia were made KCBs, General Sir Arthur Currie and Victoria Cross holder Lieutenant-General Richard Turner being the most prominent, both in recognition of services rendered during the First World War.
During the South African War (1899–1902), five Canadians were made Companions; the First World War saw forty-two Canadians appointed CBs; two were made during the interwar period; sixty-two during the Second World War; and one final appointment went to Brigadier John Rockingham for service in the Korean War. The final Canadian KCB in the military division came during the brief Bennett honours revival of 1933–35 when the commissioner of the RCMP, Major-General James Howden MacBrien, was appointed.
In the pre-Confederation period, seven Canadians were appointed to the civil division as Companions of the Order of the Bath. Immediately following Confederation, the civil division of the Order of the Bath was the principal means through which the Crown honoured senior office-holders and politicians. The most famous of those appointed to the Order of the Bath was Sir John A. Macdonald, who was made a KCB upon the achievement of Confederation. He would go on to be made a GCB in 1884. Seven Fathers of Confederation were made Companions of the Order of the Bath in recognition of their contributions, with one refusing the honour. George- Étienne Cartier declined appointment as a CB in 1867 because he felt he deserved an honour equal to that accorded to his English-Canadian counterpart, Macdonald, as the representative of French Canada. Cartier’s patience
