How can I confirm that someone has been knighted?

Factual Questions
1

Quick background:
There’s a British gentleman in town who’s spending a few months working here in the U.S. He claims to have been knighted but I have my doubts. His business card (for the local company he’s working for) is printed “Sir” ___ ___; yes, the accolade ‘sir’ is actually in quotes on the card. Is this the convention?

I’ve googled “Sir ___ ___” and his name by itself and get no matches for either search. So my questions are:

  1. Is this information a matter of public record?
  2. If so, where might I find it?

thanks in advance --J

2

See if he has a checker balanced on his head.

Oh, wait, that’s if he’s been kinged. Never mind.

3

You could always check with Burke’s Peerage . I think the fact that he’s got it in quotes means it’s a crock, though.

4

Agreed, the fact it’s in " …" seems highly suspect. Apart from Burkes, also check out Debretts:

http://www.debretts.co.uk/etiquette/british_empire.html

and here:

http://www.debretts.co.uk/etiquette/post_nominals.html

Usually the Queen’s honours listings are a matter of public record and you should be able to unearth that info from the 'net.

5

Challenge him to trial by combat.

6

Does he have any letters after his name?

7

You could write to

The Central Chancery of the Orders of Knighthood
St James’s Palace
London SW1

8

All knighthoods are a matter of public record - but that doesn’t necessarily mean the public records are easy to find!

If he has put “Sir” before his name it either means he is either an idiot, a blatant fraudster who doesn’t have a clue how he is supposed to be addressed, a foreign national who has an honorary knighthood so doesn’t actually qualify for the title Sir or the people who printed his business card made a mistake and he didn’t correct it.

Anyway - there are two sets of people who use the title Sir, knights and baronets. A baronet is basically a hereditary knight. Baronet’s should have the letters Bt after their name, but since your chap has already demonstrated he doesn’t understand the correct form of address we can’t judge much from that. If he actually says he’s been knighted though, we can assume he is claiming to have been made a knight - not inherited a baronetcy.

To check up on Baronets you need to look in Debretts or Burkes - as I said though, he is probably just claiming a normal knighthood. The list of knighthoods conferred each year is published in the London Gazette and in most British newspapers, so Google will provide all knights created in the last three or four years. Prior to that it gets tricky, you need either proper access to back copies of a a respectable British newspaper or a copy of Who’s Who (which automatically includes anyone who receives a knighthood, and continues to include them till they die)

Sadly Who’s Who (the British Version, not the Marquis one) isn’t online - and I don’t know how readily available it will be in public libraries in the USA. I’ve got a copy here on my desk though and since the chap in question is either a public figure or a fraud, give us his name and I’ll look him up

9

Print your own card that says:

"Sir" Loyne of Beefe

That oughta’ do 'im in.

10

Sorry to hear that you’re uncertain if your acquaintance has been knighted or not. It’s quite improper to use the title “Sir” or “Dame” before your name if you have not been honored in an honors system. The best way to find out is to search for records of his knighthood - or her damehood, if female. I have included the easy way to search for British knighthoods in this post, since that is the system I know best. Other honors systems will require different methods.

First, make sure you have his or her proper name. If presented with a card, it’s a good guess that the person is using the name under which he or she was knighted.

Second, access The London Gazette online. It should be the first hit in a google search for “The London Gazette.” The Gazette contains official British public records.

Third, (as of the writing of this post) type his or her name into the search bar to the middle right of the screen. Press the magnifying glass to the right of the search field.

Fourth, read through the listed postings. There might be a few, but a knighthood will often be on the first page. Chances are that the screen will show some records such as “The Queen was this day pleased to confer the honour of Knighthood on …” in the block caption. Obviously, finding the entry means your “friend” was knighted. Search EVERY entry until you find it. If the record is not there at all, double check that you spelled the name correctly. If the search STILL yields no record, then you’ve got an imposter.

Fifth, congratulate your acquaintance on receiving a knighthood or damehood. Make sure to ask if the Queen beknighted him or her at Windsor herself… or if someone of the Royal Family was there instead. This works whether you found the record or not.

Finally, if all else fails, you may contact the Chancery and kindly request records on the knighthood of “Sir…” Remember that one may say “Sir Wyville Thomson [Sir First Last]” or “Sir Wyville [Sir First],” but never “Sir Thomson [Sir Last].” The address of the Central Chancery is:

Central Chancery of the Orders of Knighthood,
St James’s Palace,
London SW1A 1BH

Now I will leave you to wonder how often I search for records of knighthood. I hope this helps.

11

Every ten years or so?

12

Silly English kniggits.

13

If he’s taking his participation in the SCA a bit too far, you could check the order of precedence.

Yes, I’ve known people who were knighted in the SCA who referred to themselves as “Sir [insert SCA name here]” in the mundane world. Some even went so far as to have their mundane names legally changed to their SCA names, and they had their knighthood scrolls on their office walls…