The Constable of the Tower of London is the governor of the Tower. The office is currently occupied by General Sir Roger Wheeler GCB CBE who commenced in the post on 3 October 2001. He is the 158th Constable. For the film with this title, see Tower of London (1939 film). ... A General is an officer of high military rank. ... General Sir Roger Wheeler GCB , CBE was Chief of the General Staff, the professional head of the British Army, between 1997 and 2000. ... Military Badge of the Order of the Bath The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. ... Commanders Badge of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by King George V. The Order includes five classes in civil and military divisions; in decreasing order of seniority, these are... October 3 is the 276th day of the year (277th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 2001: A Space Odyssey. ...

The actual number of Constables is uncertain but 158 is the number arrived at after the number was guessed at last century.

History

Constable of the Tower is an ancient office in England. The first Constable, Geoffrey de Mandeville was appointed by William the Conqueror (AD 1066-87) in the 11th century. Motto: (French for God and my right) Anthem: Multiple unofficial anthems Capital London Largest city London Official language(s) English Government Constitutional monarchy  - Queen Queen Elizabeth II  - Prime Minister Tony Blair MP Unification    - by Athelstan AD927  Area    - Total 130,395 km² (1st in UK)   50,346 sq mi   - Water (%) Population... Geoffrey de Mandeville (d. ... William of Normandy (French: Guillaume de Normandie; c. ...

During the mediæval period the Constable ran the Tower. He had buildings maintained, he paid soldiers, he supervised the Keeper of the King’s Animals (the Royal Menagerie was housed in the Tower) and was responsible for the Prisoners gaoled in the Tower. The Middle Ages formed the middle period in a traditional schematic division of European history into three ages: the classical civilization of Antiquity, the Middle Ages, and modern times, beginning with the Renaissance. ...

The Constable’s responsibility for prisoners was made clear in the words with which he was entrusted with them; “You are to guard them securely in the prison of our said Tower in such a way that you shall answer for them body for body ... Fail in no part of this on pain of forfeiture of life and limb and all property you hold in our realms.”

Until the expulsion of the Jews in 1290, the Constable was responsible for the regulation of London Jewry.

Constable's Dues

In the Middle Ages it was a profitable position. Among the Constable’s entitlements were:

• any horses, oxen, pigs or sheep that fell off London Bridge.
• any cart that fell into the Tower moat,
• all herbage growing on Tower Hill,
• 6/8d (six shillings and eight pence) annually from each boat fishing between the Tower and the sea,
• 1s (1 shilling) a year from all ships carrying herring to London
• 2d (2 pence, pronounced tuppence) from each pilgrim who came to London by sea to worship at the shrine of St James,
• all swans swimming under London Bridge,
• a set quantity of wine from any ship taking wine into the city.

Even today, every large Royal Navy vessel presents the Constable with a barrel of rum. The shilling was a British coin first issued in 1548 for Henry VIII, although arguably the testoon issued about 1487 for Henry VII was the first shilling. ... Above: A variety of coins considered to be lower-value, including an Irish 2p piece and many US pennies. ... The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the senior service of the British armed services, being the oldest of its three branches. ...

Since 1784 the tradition has been for the Constable to be a senior military officer, usually a general officer. Perhaps the most famous Constable was Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington between 1825 and 1852. During his tenure, the Royal Menagerie and Record Office was removed and many buildings were restored to their mediæval state. The moat was drained and converted into a parade ground. Yeomen Warders were no longer permitted to buy and sell their places but were to be drawn only from sergeants of the army. Much against His Grace’s wishes, tourism at the Tower increased during his Constableship. A General is an officer of high military rank. ... Field Marshal Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, KG, GCB, GCH, PC, FRS (c. ... A Beefeater in everyday undress uniform Yeoman Warder The Yeomen Warders of Her Majestys Royal Palace and Fortress the Tower of London, popularly known as the Beefeaters, are ceremonial guardians of the Tower of London. ... Sergeant is a rank used in some form by most militaries, police forces, and other uniformed organisations around the world. ...

Each Constable is now appointed for five years. The new Constable is handed the keys as a symbol of his office. At State occasions the Constable has custody of the crown and other regalia.

List of Constables

This is an incomplete list of people who have served as Constable of the Tower of London, a post traditionally combined with that of Lord Lieutenant of the Tower Hamlets. Flag of a Lord-Lieutenant The title Lord-Lieutenant is given to the British monarchs personal representatives around the United Kingdom. ... The London Borough of Tower Hamlets is the London borough to the east of the City of London, north of the River Thames in East London. ...

• Sir Allen Apsley 1616-162?
• John Byron, 1st Baron Byron 1641-1642
• Sir Allen Apsley jr.
• Sir John Robinson 1660–1679
• George Legge, 1st Baron Dartmouth 1685–1688
• Montagu Venables-Bertie, 2nd Earl of Abingdon 1702–1705
• Richard Savage, 4th Earl Rivers (in 1710)
• Charles Paulet, 3rd Duke of Bolton 1725–1726
• Charles Cornwallis, 1st Earl Cornwallis 1740–1762
• John Berkeley, 5th Baron Berkeley of Stratton 1762–1770
• Lord George Henry Lennox 1784–?
• Sir Francis Rawdon, 1st Marquess of Hastings 1806 – 1826
• Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington 1826–1852
• Stapleton Cotton, 1st Viscount Combermere 1852–1865?
• Sir John Burgoyne 1865 – 1871
• Sir George Pollock 1871 – 1872
• Sir Charles Yorke 1875 – 1880
• William Fenwick Williams 1881 – 1883
• Sir Daniel Lysons 1890 – 1898
• Sir Frederick Stephenson 1898–1911
• Sir Henry Evelyn Wood 1911 – 1919
• Paul Sanford Methuen, 3rd Baron Methuen 1919 – 1933
• George Francis Milne, 1st Baron Milne 1933 – 1938
• Sir Claude William Jacob 1938 – 1943
• Sir Philip Walhouse, 1st Baron Chetwode 1943 – 1948
• Archibald Percival Wavell, 1st Earl Wavell 1948 – 1950
• Alan Francis Brooke, 1st Viscount Alanbrooke 1950 – 1955
• Sir Henry Maitland, 1st Baron Wilson 1955
• Harold Rupert Leofic George Alexander, 1st Earl Alexander of Tunis 1960 – 1965
• Sir Gerald Walter Robert Templer 1965 – 1970
• Sir Richard Amyatt Hull 1970

Sir Allen Apsley (1582-1630) was created 1616 Lord-Lieutenant of the Tower of London, by King James I of England. ... John Byron, 1st Baron Byron (c. ... // Events January 1 - Colonel George Monck with his regiment crosses from Scotland to England at the village of Coldstream and begins advance towards London in support of English Restoration. ... Events January 24 - King Charles II of England disbands Parliament August 7 - The brigantine Le Griffon, which was commissioned by René Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle, is towed to the southern end of the Niagara River, to become the first ship to sail the upper Great Lakes. ... Admiral George Legge (c. ... Events February 6 - James Stuart, Duke of York becomes King James II of England and Ireland and King James VII of Scotland. ... // Events A high-powered conspiracy of notables, the Immortal Seven, invite William and Mary to depose James II of England. ... Events March 8 - William III died; Princess Anne Stuart becomes Queen Anne of England, Scotland and Ireland. ... // Events Construction begins on Blenheim Palace, in Oxfordshire, England. ... Richard Savage, 4th Earl Rivers (c. ... Charles Paulet, 3rd Duke of Bolton KG PC (1685–26 August 1754) was a British politician. ... Events February 8 - Catherine I became empress of Russia February 20 - The first reported case of white men scalping Native Americans takes place in New Hampshire colony. ... Events George Friderich Handel becomes a British subject. ... Events May 31 - Friedrich II comes to power in Prussia upon the death of his father, Friedrich Wilhelm I. October 20 - Maria Theresia of Austria inherits the Habsburg hereditary dominions (Austria, Bohemia, Hungary and present-day Belgium). ... 1762 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... 1762 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... 1770 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... 1784 was a leap year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... 1806 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... The oldest surviving photograph, Nicéphore Niépce, circa 1826 1826 (MDCCCXXVI) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Tuesday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ... Field Marshal Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, KG, GCB, GCH, PC, FRS (c. ... The oldest surviving photograph, Nicéphore Niépce, circa 1826 1826 (MDCCCXXVI) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Tuesday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ... 1852 was a leap year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... Stapleton Cotton, 1st Viscount Combermere (1773-1865), British field-marshal and colonel of the 1st Life Guards, was the second son of Sir Robert Salusbury Cotton of Combermere Abbey, Cheshire, and was born on the 14th of November 1773, at Llewenny Hall in Denbighshire. ... 1852 was a leap year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... 1865 (MDCCCLXV) is a common year starting on Sunday. ... 1865 (MDCCCLXV) is a common year starting on Sunday. ... 1871 (MDCCCLXXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... 1871 (MDCCCLXXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... 1872 (MDCCCLXXII) was a leap year starting on Monday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a leap year starting on Wednesday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar. ... 1875 (MDCCCLXXV) was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... 1880 (MDCCCLXXX) was a leap year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... Sir William Fenwick Williams, 1st Baronet (December 4, 1800 - July 26, 1883) was a British military leader of the Victorian era. ... 1881 (MDCCCLXXXI) was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... 1883 (MDCCCLXXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... 1890 (MDCCCXC) was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Friday of the Julian calendar). ... 1898 (MDCCCXCVIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Monday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ... 1898 (MDCCCXCVIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Monday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ... 1911 (MCMXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (click on link for calendar). ... Photo submitted by Marion Hebblethwaite Sir Henry Evelyn Wood VC, GCB, GCMG (1838-1919) was an English Field Marshal and a recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. ... 1911 (MCMXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (click on link for calendar). ... 1919 (MCMXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... Paul Sanford Methuen, 3rd Baron Methuen (September 1, 1845 - October 30, 1932) was the third Baron Methuen and a British military commander. ... 1919 (MCMXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... 1933 (MCMXXXIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1933 (MCMXXXIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1938 (MCMXXXVIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1938 (MCMXXXVIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1943 (MCMXLIII) was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1943 calendar). ... 1943 (MCMXLIII) was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1943 calendar). ... 1948 (MCMXLVIII) was a leap year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1948 calendar). ... Archibald Percival Wavell, 1st Earl Wavell (May 5, 1883 - May 24, 1950) was a British Field Marshal and the commander of British Army forces in the Middle East during World War II. He led British forces to victory over the Italians, only to be defeated by the German army. ... 1948 (MCMXLVIII) was a leap year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1948 calendar). ... 1950 (MCML) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... Statue of Field Marshal The Viscount Alanbrooke, MoD Building, Whitehall, London Field Marshal Alan Francis Brooke, 1st Viscount Alanbrooke, KG, GCB, OM, GCVO, DSO (July 23, 1883 - June 17, 1963) was a British Field Marshal during World War II. He also served as Lord High Constable during the coronation of... 1950 (MCML) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1955 (MCMLV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1955 (MCMLV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1960 (MCMLX) was a leap year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1960 calendar). ... 1965 (MCMLXV) was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1965 calendar). ... Field Marshal Sir Gerald Templer, KG (1898 - 1979) was a British military commander. ... 1965 (MCMLXV) was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1965 calendar). ... 1970 (MCMLXX) was a common year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1970 calendar). ... 1970 (MCMLXX) was a common year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1970 calendar). ...

References

• Leigh Rayment's Peerage Page
• thepeerage.com — Darryl Lundy

External links

• Channel 4; The Tower
• Historic Royal Palaces; Constable of the Tower