The Imperial Society of Knights Bachelor website [visit link] tells us:
"Origin of the Society of Knights
Bachelor
The founding of the Society was due to a case which
was fought with the Walker Trustees in Edinburgh who, as holders of the office
(originally by purchase) of Usher of the White Rod under the Walker Trust Act of
1877, were entitled to receive certain dues from those persons receiving honours
from the Crown. Many Knights objected to this.
In 1902 a change had been made in the procedure
connected with promotions of honour. The Central Chancery of the Orders of
Knighthood (instituted by King Edward VII in that year) was given control of
procedure for the ceremonial admission and promotion of all members of the
statutory orders. One exception to this concerned the Knights Bachelor.
The Walker case highlighted the fact that Knights
Bachelor had no representative body to speak for them in the matter of the
Walker Trustees and Sir William Bull MP called a meeting of Knights Bachelor in
the House of Commons to discuss the problem. As a result of this, a formal
meeting was convened at 31 Essex Street, in the Strand, on 27th April 1908 at
which the Society of Knights Bachelor was founded.
The Office of Usher of the White Rod was an ancient
one, existing before the Union of England and Scotland on the accession of James
VI of Scotland to the throne of England in 1603. The earliest document referring
to this office is in 1393.
The case for the payment of dues to the Walker
Trustees on behalf of White Rod was heard in March 1909, when judgement was
given by the Court in Session in the Outer House of Lords in favour of the
Walker Trustees.
However, on 1st December 1911 the Lord Advocate and
others appealed to the House of Lords and the judgement was reversed with
expenses, so that the right of the Walker Trustees could not be enforced and
therefore they were not entitled to claim fees from recipients of honours. The
prime motive in the formation of the Society had thereby been achieved.
Had the Society not been founded, as the Central
Chancery for the Orders of Knighthood was only empowered to act for the
Statutory Orders, it was possible that dues payable by a Knight Bachelor on his
creation might still have been levied.
It is interesting to note that for certain honours
the sums to be paid on their creation to the Walker Trustees were as
follows:
For a Duke £21 13s 4d
Marquis £18 6s 8d
Earl
£15
Viscount £10
Baron £6 13s 4d
Baronet £5
Knight Bachelor £3 6s
8d
Constitution of the Society
On 21st June 1908 the constitution, regulations and
byelaws of the Society were adopted. The objects were to uphold the status,
maintain the Register and rights of precedence and generally to protect and
advance the interests of Knights Bachelor. Official recognition of the Society
was given in that year by the Home Secretary, when there were 770 Knights
Bachelor, of whom 232 became members.
In 1912 HM King George V permitted by Royal Warrant
the Society the great privilege of adding to its name the title
‘Imperial'.
Locations of the Society
Following the formation of the Society, subsequent
meetings were held at Clements Inn, at Westminster and at Stone Buildings,
Lincoln's Inn. In 1911, following numerous suggestions for a permanent home for
the Society where members from across the Empire might meet, a Habitation
Committee for this purpose was set up under Sir Henry Pellatt, Sir William Bull
and Mr Willoughby Bullock, the Secretary and Clerk to the Council.
After protracted negotiations, a portion of
Clifford's Inn was purchased and the first meeting was held there on 15th May
1912. The premises comprised a hall for entering, a library, smoking room,
writing room, and porter's lodge.
The hall was large enough to entertain 80 persons,
so presumably there were kitchens as well. The cost was £37,000, half being
promised by the Knights Bachelor of Canada. Sir Henry Pellatt gave £7,000. The
company administering the property was called ‘The Company of Knights', so that
no financial responsibility would rest on the Society or its members. The
outstanding amount was held in debentures. It was intended that, as further
subscriptions from Knights Bachelor were received, the debentures would be
redeemed. However, because of the Great War of 1914–18 insufficient
contributions came in and no lettings were made of the Hall, so the Company went
into liquidation. No trace of the original Clifford's Inn now remains, other
than the entrance gateway off Fleet Street.
Meetings thereafter were held at various places,
until in 1923 a room was allotted by Garter King of Arms at the College of Arms.
It is not clear if this was intended as a temporary home for the Registry or
just for the meeting held there on 15th November. Subsequently accommodation was
taken at No.1 King's Bench Walk at a rent of £22p.a.
Various ideas were put forward for a permanent home,
including the crypt of one of London's churches. This idea was overruled.
Finally Sir William Bull reported on 3rd March 1927 at a meeting held at 21 Old
Buildings, Lincoln's Inn, that he had taken a lease on those chambers in his own
name at £65p.a. The Imperial Society remained there until 2005 when it moved to
1 Throgmorton Avenue, London.
Commemorative Blue Plaque
To mark the Centenary of the foundation of the
Society on 27th April 1908 the Society has commissioned a commemorative Blue
Plaque. The plaque has been placed on 28-31 Essex Street, London WC2 (just
off the Strand) where the original meeting took place. The plaque was unveiled
by Sir Robert Balchin, DL (Knight Principal) at a ceremony exactly 100 years
later on Sunday 27th April 2008 in the presence of members of the Council and
their guests.