Order of the Bath, the carved and painted Knights Crests carved by sculptor and wood carver Ian Brennan.

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The carved and painted Crests of the Knights of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath

The Order of the Bath consists of the Sovereign (The Queen), the Great Master (The Prince of Wales) and three classes of members. The title of the Order is late medieval in origin and arose from the ritual washing (inspired by the washing of baptism), a symbol of spiritual purification, which formed part of a knight's preparations for the conferment of knighthood.

Crest for HRH The Prince of Wales, The Great Master of the Order of the Bath

Shown in Ian G Brennan’s studio are four carved and painted Knights of the Bath crests, a carved coronet for a Lady of the Garter along with two Knights of the Garter Crests which Ian also produces

Due to the limited number of stalls (seats) available in Henry VII Chapel only the most senior Knights Grand Cross can be installed. Nine new Knights Grand Cross of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath (GCB) were installed at Westminster Abbey by HRH The Prince of Wales on Tuesday 25 May 2010 and took place in the Abbey's Lady Chapel - which is also the Chapel of the Order of the Bath, of which the Prince of Wales is the Great Master.

Shown below are all of the Knights of the Bath Crests that have been placed in Henry VII Chapel, the Lady Chapel in Westminster Abbey from between 1989 and 2011 for the Knights Grand Cross of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath.

Sculptor and woodcarver Ian G Brennan has been commissioned to produce all of the Knight of the Bath Crests during this period. The crests have mostly been carved from lime wood prior to being painted and are between 10 - 24 inches high, each Knights Crest can take Ian between three and five weeks to complete.

The Crest's of Sir David Williams, at the stage of the woodcarving prior to painting and gilding.

please click to enlarge

Many of the Knights of the Bath Crests created by Ian G Brennan now placed in position upon the Knights helmets in Henry V11; Lady Chapel in Westminster Abbey

Crests were originally worn on top of the Knights helm (helmet) during pageants and tournaments in the thirteen and fourteenth century and are used as a form of identification. Each carved Crest is placed upon a wreath, which is also carved from wood to represent a circle of two twisted ropes of silk each of a different colour. The purpose of the wreath was to disguise the join between the helm and the Crest.

Sir John Gibbon	General Sir Patrick Howard-Dobson	Field Marshal Sir Roland Gibbs
Sir David Williams	Lord Beetham	General Sir Harry Tuzo
Sir Horace Law (Admiral)	General Sir Cecil Blacker	Lord Charteris of Armisfield
Sir Charles Cunningham G.C.B.	Lord Croham	Air Chief Marshal Sir Neil Wheeler
Sir Frank Cooper	Admiral Sir Anthony Griffin	Air Chief Marshal Sir Denis Spotswood
Admiral of the Fleet Sir Edward Ashmore	General Sir Richard Worsley	Sir Henry Leach, Admiral-of-the Fleet
General Sir Peter Whiteley	Sir Douglass Wass	Sir David Fraser
Sir Douglas Lowe	Lord Armstrong of Ilminster	The Rt Hon Sir Patrick Nairne GCB MC
Sir Robert Ford	Sir Brian Cubbon	Sir William Kerr Fraser
Sir David Evans	Sir James Eberle	Lord Craig of Radley
Sir Roland Guy	Sir George Cooper	Air Chief Marshal Sir Jock Kennedy
General Sir Michael Gow	Admiral Sir Desmond Cassidi	Air Chief Marshal Sir Peter Terry
Sir John Stanier	Marshal of the Royal Air Force Sir Peter Harding	Sir Nicholas Hunt
Field Marshal Sir John Chapple	Lord Moore of Wolvercote	Sir Brian Kenny
Sir Peter Middleton	Sir David Parry-Evans	Sir Patrick Hine
Sir Benjamin Bathurst	Sir Kenneth Stowe	Sir Julian Oswald