Family Lessons 147: Knighthood

In one of the charters written by my 23rd great grandfather, he is described as 'Sir Matthew de Bold'. In it, he leaves land to his son Matthew junior, whom he describes as his heir by his wife 'Lady Emma Mainwaring', which would suggest he had a subsequent wife, and other children by this later spouse. Although I have other ancestors who belonged to the knightly class (holders of several manors who were required to provide a feudal overlord with men and horse), this is the first one to use the title ‘Sir’, which would render his wife ‘Lady’. Matthew was still alive in 1242; King Henry III reigned from 1216 to 1272, so he is the one likely to have had Matthew kneel before him while the ceremony of placing a sword upon his shoulders was performed. This was likely the result of some battlefield prowess, though less romantic reasons may also have applied.

Knighthoods and damehoods, their female equivalent, are still proffered in the United Kingdom, at New Year Honours and the Birthday Honours of the monarch. Although a few retired generals still qualify, many today go to less martial individuals, with the usual (and tedious) quest for increased diversity and inclusion. Although knighthood does not admit one to the ranks of nobility (Baronet, Baron, Viscount, Earl, Marquess, Duke), the first of these, the baronet, is an hereditary knighthood, the bearer’s name preceded by ‘Sir’ and followed by ‘Bt’. The authentic knight, on the other hand, is ‘Sir’ on account of his own exploits, rather than his ancestor’s, though the title dies with him. I recall mildly offending a member of the Towneley family of Burnley for suggesting that the late Sir Simon Towneley was a baronet rather than a knight; though the former is a higher rank, it requires less effort than the latter.

Curiously, the English word 'knight' comes from the Old English cniht which meant boy or servant, similar to the German Knecht which can mean servant, slave or vassal. Whereas we imagine knights to be wealthy landowners and powerful warriors, the origin of their title and rank comes from their obedience and fealty to a greater lord or king. The chivalric cavalier was meant to be faithful and true, valiant and loyal. Henry III knighted plain old Matthew de Bold because of some act of service over and above that which the law demanded, of which posterity remains ignorant.  

We Christians are only great and celebrated in heaven when we are faithful and submissive to our Lord’s good will and desirous of His honour rather than our own. He who blows his own trumpet and champions his own dignity is a nobody in heaven's ranks of citizen and its bestowing of honours.

Scene 1: A Mighty Warrior And Anointed King Rejected (1 Samuel 15:17-23):

Samuel: When thou wast little in thine own sight, wast thou not made the head of the tribes of Israel, and the Lord anointed thee king over Israel? And the Lord sent thee on a journey, and said, Go and utterly destroy the sinners the Amalekites, and fight against them until they be consumed. Wherefore then didst thou not obey the voice of the Lord, but didst fly upon the spoil, and didst evil in the sight of the Lord?

Saul: Yea, I have obeyed the voice of the Lord, and have gone the way which the Lord sent me, and have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites. But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the chief of the things which should have been utterly destroyed, to sacrifice unto the Lord thy God in Gilgal.

Samuel: Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, he hath also rejected thee from being king.

Scene Two: A Humble Shepherd Boy Anointed King (1 Samuel 16:11-13):

Samuel (unto Jesse): Are here all thy children? 

Jesse: There remaineth yet the youngest, and, behold, he keepeth the sheep. 

Samuel: Send and fetch him: for we will not sit down till he come hither.

(And he sent, and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and withal of a beautiful countenance, and goodly to look to.)

The Lord: Arise, anoint him: for this is he.

(Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and the Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward.)