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

Since 1989 all the carved, painted and gilded Crests for the most senior Knights Grand Cross Knights Grand Cross of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath (GCB) have been created by sculptor and woodcarver Ian G Brennan.

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.

 

Ian has produced all the Crowns, Coronets and Crests for the Knights of the Garter and Knights of the Bath since 1989 and continues to do so today

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

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

Sir John Wilsey	Field Marshal Lord Inge	Admiral Sir Jock Slater
Lord Ramsbotham	Lord Butler	Sir John Waters
Lord Guthrie of Craigiebank	Sir Michael Graydon	Sir Michael Alcock
Sir Roger Wheeler	Sir Dereck Oulton	Sir Anthony Battishill
Lord Burns	Sir Richard Johns	Admiral Lord Boyce
Sir Jeremy Mackenzie	Lord Walker	Sir Nigel Wicks
Sir Ian Dinton	Air Chief Marshal Sir Peter Squire	Lord West of Spithead
Lord Stirrup	Sir Haden Phillips	Admiral Sir Nigel Richard Essenhigh
General Lord Dannatt	Air Chief Marshal Sir Glen Torpy	Admiral Sir Jonathon Band
Admiral Sir Mark Stanhope	Sir David Omand	General Sir Michael David Jackson
Lord Richards of Herstmonceux	Lord Hougton of Richmond

Although each Knight of the Bath and Garter Crest Ian produces when displayed in Henry V11 Chapel in Westminster Abbey and St George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle are only viewed from the front and sides and over the centuries Ian like his predecessors were not required to carve the Crests from the back.

However, for the past thirty plus years Ian has carved, painted and gilded the Crests from all sides as can be seen from the most recent example the ‘sea horses’ Crest below.

Often when Ian is working into the night to complete a particular commission, local wildlife often arrives to join him in his studio. On this occasion a pair of badgers caught on the security camera, wandered in whilst he was working on the 'sea horses' Crest. 

Often several different Garter and Bath Crests are being created in three dimensions at the same time.

The Crest of Sir Frank Cooper prior to painting and gilding.

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