KNIGHT BACHELOR

most ancient, albeit lowest ranking, form of English knighthood, with its origin dating back to the 13th century, in the reign of King Henry III. At one time a knight bachelor was a rank that existed on continental Europe as well, but now it survives only in Britain, where the title is still conferred. Historically, the knight bachelor, who was not a member of any order of chivalry, was either a poor vassal who could not afford to fight under his own banner or a knight too young for the responsibility and dignity of the rank of knight banneret. If his services and landed possessions entitled him to promotion, the knight bachelor could apply formally to the commander in the field for the title of banneret. James I of Great Britain created a registry in the 17th century for knights bachelors, which eventually lapsed. The Imperial Society of Knights Bachelor, founded in 1908, has since attempted to obtain a uniform registration of every knight created. In 1926 a badge design for knight bachelor depicting a sheathed sword between two spurs was approved and adopted. See also banneret.