Sergeant at Arms

Every year the Ipswich City Rotary Club Sergent at Arms chooses a charity to donate their hard earned donations "fines". This years Sergeant at Arms Ian Berry and Greg Forster's charity of choice is still unknown, they plan to keep it a secret until change over 2011, I suspect the charity of choice starts with a cheque being made out to Mr C. Ash.

History of the Sergeant at Arms

"The actual title of Sergeant at Arms, however, is not met with until the days of the Crusades when Philip the August, King of France, instituted a special corps to guard his person in the Holy land in 1192. Men-at-arms, of course, were common enough in all armies of the time, but Philip's escort - being Cavaliers, or gentlemen - were styled sergents d' Armes to distinguish them from the lower orders, and whenever they appeared in public they did so encased from head to foot in armour."

The Officers of the Commons 1363-1978, Philip Marsden, HMSO.