Queen’s messenger
I shared the flight from Vienna to Belgrade with a member of the The Corps of Queen’s Messengers, complete with the crown-and-greyhound pin, today.
I shared the flight from Vienna to Belgrade with a member of the The Corps of Queen’s Messengers, complete with the crown-and-greyhound pin, today.
2006-08-25 at 4.48 pm
My family coat of arms contains a greyhound (sitting with lead) and our family motto is “celeriter et fidelis” (”swift and faithful). I was told by my father that we had some connection with the original King’s Messengers (or Queen’s Messengers) but have no other knowledge. All I do know is that we Thomsons (Thompson in those days) had a hand in building Dover Harbour in 1532 and messed it up good and proper and Henry VIII was not very pleased with my great great great great grandfather. However, he did manage to keep his head or I would not be writing this. If your companion had any other information I would be pleased to hear it. Chris Thomson
2006-11-01 at 5.13 pm
The Mares family also have a King’s Messenger among their ancestors and wish to know the terms of his appointment: did he have to be a confirmed member of the Church of England as did other civil servants until the Test Acts were repealed in 1828? My ancestor, William Mares, was appointed King’s Messenger in 1804, before the Test Acts were repealed, yet he was a baptised Presbyterian. Can this be explained?