Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports

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Flag of the current Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports, Admiral Lord Boyce

The Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports holds the oldest military office in England . He represents the British monarch in the Cinque Ports , a federation of originally five, now 14 port cities in Kent and Sussex . Today the office is a sinecure , albeit still a particularly prominent one .

history

The office has existed since at least the 12th century, possibly even older. Linked to the function is the office of Constable of Dover Castle , which was created before the Norman invasion. The respective Lord Warden is also Admiral of the Cinque Ports .

In the Middle Ages and early modern times, the Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports had extensive powers in the south-east of England. He was responsible for collecting taxes, arresting offenders and delivering writs in the Cinque Ports area. He was also entitled to a share in flotsam . After all, he had judicial tasks, which were essentially limited to arbitration and the military area.

Due to the extensive autonomy from the crown, the Lord Warden was for a long time the most important sovereign in England after the king. After the expansion of the Cinque Ports in the 15th century, almost all of Kent and Sussex fell under his influence. Until well into the 19th century, the parliamentarians sent from the member cities were appointed or confirmed by the respective Lord Warden.

Because of the concentration of duties and powers in parliament and monarch, the influence of Lord Wardens diminished over the course of the following centuries. In addition, the importance and economic power of the Cinque Ports declined.

The importance of the position can also be seen at this time in the fact that the office was mainly awarded to members of the royal family and high nobles , and later also to prime ministers . As a rule, these were persons who had served in prominent positions in wartime in the defense of the United Kingdom. Only three of a total of 158 office holders have so far been commoners. The transfer is for life.

Walmer Castle has served as the official residence of Lord Wardens at Deal since 1708 .

flag

The flag of the Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports takes up the motif of the coat of arms of the Cinque Ports. It is the second oldest coat of arms in England. It has been attested since 1305 and shows three striding lions and three hulls which merge into one another. The part of the flag facing the mast ( lying side ) contains a personal symbol of the respective Lord Wardens.

List of Lords Warden of the Cinque Ports

12th Century

13th Century

14th Century

15th century

16th Century

17th century

18th century

19th century

20th century

21st century

literature

  • Edward Body: The Cinque Ports and Lords Warden. A history in verse and prose . Kent Messenger, Larkfield 1992, ISBN 0-900893-13-3 .

Web links