The Queen’s Body Guard of the Yeomen of the Guard How It All Began By Yeoman J E Lloyd, formerly The Life Guards he Household Cavalry’s involvement with the Yeomen of the Guard can be linked back to 1660 and the foundation of today’s modern Army. The Sovereign’s body guard, in the form of the Yeomen of the Guard, started way back in 1485 when they, along with the Chapel Royal, landed at Milford Haven with Henry VII to claim the throne of England. On his return he raised an army and marched to meet Richard III at the battle of Bosworth Field (the final act in the Wars of the Roses). Richard was slain and Henry took the throne of England. From his band of loyal followers, Henry VII formed the King’s Body Guard of the Yeomen of the Guard who to this day serve the Monarch with over 522 years of loyal and devoted service, making it the oldest military body guard in the world (even older than the Vatican’s Swiss Guard).
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Up to 1660, the Yeomen of the Guard provided the Monarch of the day with a travelling mounted escort. This was taken on by the private gentlemen who had accompanied King Charles II on his triumphant return to England and was the formation of the Horse Guards later to become the 1st Life Guards, part of the Household Cavalry, which continues to the present day. In the early 1800s, following his distinguished military career, the Duke of Wellington (of Waterloo fame, 1815) was instrumental in encouraging discharged soldiers or marines, with distinguished war records, to become Yeomen. The first of these was a Sgt Maj in the Coldstream Guards followed by CoH Thomas Backer of the 1st Life Guards and a FMaj Thomas Lea of the Royal Horse Guards. This method of recruitment continues to
this day with men from the Army, the Royal Marines and in recent times the Royal Air Force. All Yeomen of the Guard must be of Senior NCO rank and hold the Long Service and Good Conduct Medal. Listed below are the names and length of service of all 1st & 2nd Life Guards, The Life Guards, the Royal Horse Guards, The Royal Dragoons (1st Dragoons). The Blues and Royals will hopefully enrol their first in 2007. The source of this list is the well kept Yeomen’s Records (Vols 3 & 4) which are housed in the MSM’s office in St James’s Palace, and was collated by Colonel Paul Denny, Yeomen Bedhanger, to whom I am very grateful.
Former and Current Members 1st Life Guards
The Life Guards
Rank
Name
Service Body Guard
CoH CoH TCM RCM CoH Cpl Maj Cpl Maj TCM CoH TCM QMCM TCM CoH TCM Cpl Maj QMC
Charles Barker 1805-22 Jonathan Taylor 1807-20 John Haywood 1809-37 John Herbert 1809-34 Robert Renwick 1817-29 Christopher Forge 1807- 42 John Berry 1822-47 Thomas Gibson 1820-47 John Edwards 1814-40 Henry Hole 1866-90 Sawyer Spence 1867-95 Thomas Donnelly 1868-90 George Henry Pridmore 1870-1900 Edwin Frederick Holt DCM 1873-97 John Jestico 1876-1902 Frank Boylen Nicholson 1879-1901
1832-58 1832-53 1836-68 1837-55 1841-71 1842-62 1847-66 1851-60 1859-75 1898-1916 1899-1903 1900-03 1900-10 1902-31 1904-32 1908-32
2nd Life Guards Rank
Name
Cpl Sclmstr CoH Ord Clk CoH TCM CoH RCM RCM SCM SCM
Richard Elliot Matthew Hanby George Young Charles Robinson Edward J Tomney William Scrivens Frank Howard DCM Lionel V Popkiss Percy Lloyd King
134 Features
Service Body Guard 1819-44 1820-47 1833-58 1865-91 1863-95 1877-1906 1894-1919 1894-1916 1902-22
1844-55 1847-55 1858-81 1892-1921 1899-1933 1907-34 1919-40 1920-23 1926-60
Rank
Name
Service Body Guard
WO1 RCM SCM SCM SCM RCM RCM S/Cpl RCM WO1 SCpl WO2 WO2 RQMC WO2 WO1 WO2 WO2 WO1 WO2 WO1
Ronald James Beswick 1930-53 Alfred Henry Hyland 1928-53 John William Mcnelly LVO 1933-55 John Cawthorn RVM 1937-62 William Edward Brammer RVM1944-66 Eric Owen Lloyd RVM 1939-65 Donald Sidney Dodson 1943-65 Neville Taylor RVM 1955-80 Donald Charles 1947-83 John Henderson RVM 1960-83 Colin Missenden RVM 1951-73 Gilbert Keeys BEM RVM 1962-84 William Henderson 1961-83 Thomas Lee 1966-88 Harry A R Daysmith 1962-84 John Eric Lloyd 1962-89 John Anthony Denton 1966-88 Barry G Mills 1967-89 Paul John Richards MBE 1966-2002 Paul Lewis MBE 1973-1997 David Evans 1970-1995
1957-86 1958-73 1960-82 1967-89 1968-88 1970-91 1976-95 1982-07 1983-87 19851985-03 1985198919931995199619971999200220062006-
The Royal Horse Guards Rank
Name
Farrier Maj CoH TCMC CM CoH
Thomas Lea Benjamin Blakely Joseph Firth William Willis Richard Barry
Service Body Guard 1810-39 1809-36 1810-30 1821-49 1813-38
1832-54 1834-59 1837-55 1849-58 1851-53