An historic home for veterans has officially welcomed two new residents, including the first female ‘Brother’ in its over 450-year history, with a unique ceremony.
The installation ceremony for Janet Brodie-Murphy and Alan Gill BEM took place on Saturday (15th February) led by the Lord Leycester’s first female Master, Dr Heidi Meyer, and attended by dignitaries including their fellow ‘Brethren’, Chelsea Pensioners and General Sir Adrian Bradshaw, Governor of the Royal Hospital Chelsea, where the couple met.
The ceremony, held in the 900-year-old Chapel of St James at the Lord Leycester, followed the same format that has been carried out since Tudor times.
Jan and Alan, who are now officially known as Brother Jan and Brother Alan, both swore an oath in the presence of the Master, as instructed in ‘Statutes and Rules of The Lord Leycester’, an original document from 1585 that still survives today and is currently stored in the Warwickshire County Records Office for conservation purposes. It is one of three original Tudor deeds written by the Lord Leycester’s founder, Robert Dudley, that can be seen on display at the heritage site throughout the year.
The ceremony, which was also attended by the rector of the Collegiate Church of St Mary’s in Warwick, the Bailiff of the Court Leet, Governors of the Lord Leycester and a representative of the Sidney family who are patrons of the charity, was followed by a reception in Lord Leycester’s Great Hall, including a toast and a cake cutting with an officer’s sword.
Meyer, who was installed in a similar ceremony in 2017, said: “I was installed as the first female Master of the Lord Leycester eight years ago – and today we have installed our first female Brother! I view this as progress even though we continue to honour and uphold the traditions of our 450 year old community.”
One of the most significant medieval sites in Europe, the Lord Leycester’s half-timbered buildings were built by the powerful Warwick Guilds in the late 1300s and later given to Elizabeth I’s courtier, Robert Dudley, as a home for soldiers injured in the wars of the Tudor age.
In its 450-year history, it has welcomed over 450 men to live in private lodgings on the site. It remains a home to former soldiers to this day, and the Brethren welcome visitors at the main gates as well as leading guided tours around the Medieval buildings and garden.
Alan and Jan moved to the Lord Leycester in September after they met when they were both In-Pensioners at London’s Royal Hospital Chelsea. Alan, who served with the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, fell in love with the unique site – which has recently undergone a £5 million transformation funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund, thanks to National Lottery players and in partnership with other national and local community donors – during a visit to Warwick. The couple then applied to become official ‘Brethren’.
Alan said: “We are delighted to have officially become Brethren at the Lord Leycester and part of the history of this wonderful home for veterans. It is a huge privilege and we are looking forward to contributing in any way that we can.”
Jan added: “To have given the same oath made by so many Brethren before us was a truly special occasion and I’m delighted to have been able to be a small part in the rich history of this truly unique place. We’re so grateful to the Master and our fellow Brethren for welcoming us wholeheartedly to the Lord Leycester and no doubt will be very happy here.”
For more information on the Lord Leycester, its Brethren, and events and activities, visit: https://www.lordleycester.com/
