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Order of Saint Joachim

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This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Korruski (talk | contribs) at 10:14, 8 August 2016 (→Status and legitimacy: saying he 'credits' it adds a POV. He describes it as a charitable institution - that is sufficient. Also note that appearing in Debretts is not 'recognition', merely observation of use.). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Lord Nelson
Lord Nelson
Lord Nelson's star
Lord Nelson's star
Knight
Knight
Commander's star
Commander's star

The Order of Saint Joachim is considered by the International Commission on Orders of Chivalry to be a "self-styled" Order of Chivalry. It is a modern revival of an 18th Century organisation founded in the 18th century by German aristocrats and described by the College of Arms as a 'bogus' order. Admiral Horatio Nelson, a 'renowned social climber' accempted membership of the 18th Century order along with a number of other foreign awards and orders. Today the organisation primarily carries out charity work, and can be joined for a nominal fee. It awards its members numerous decorations and post-nominals, usually on payment of an additional fee, but these are not approved for wear or use except at internal events of the organisation.

18th century

The "Equestrian, Secular and Chapterial Order of Saint Joachim" was established in 1755 by a group of German nobles. Prince Christian Franz was installed as its first Grand Master on June 20, 1756, a position he held until 1773.[1]

The Order had fourteen founding members who were nobles and military leaders of the Holy Roman Empire:

  • Duke of Württemberg-Oels
  • Prince Piccolomini
  • Count von Clary und Aldringen
  • Baron von Eib
  • Ritter Fachner von Trauenstein
  • Keck von Schwarzbach
  • Count von Kollowrat-Krakowsky
  • Baron von Milchling
  • Baron Moser von Filseck
  • Count von Nostitz
  • Baron Reichlin von Meldegg
  • Wiedersperger von Wiedersperg
  • Baron von Zobel von Giebelstadt

Having seen the consequences of ongoing religious wars in Europe, the Order's founders dedicated themselves to "worship the Supreme Being, show tolerance towards all religions, loyalty towards their princes, support the needs of their military, the poor, widows and orphans." [Perrot: 1821]. The Order was uniquely composed of both Protestant and Catholic nobles and leaders at a time when religion violently divided Europe and the German states within the Holy Roman Empire, and other knightly orders allied themselves exclusively with one faith or the other. [citation needed]

When the Order was founded in 1755, it was originally with the name "The Knights of the Order of Jonathan, Defenders of the Honour of Divine Providence". In 1767 the reference to Jonathan was removed from the name. Finally, in 1785 a further change was made, and the Order's constitution was revised by the General Chapter to rename it "The Equestrian, Secular and Chapterial Order of Saint Joachim".[2]

Albert Pike, prominent American Mason and American Civil War general, identified the Order of Saint Joachim with Illuminati-related Enlightenment societies. In his 1883 work, "A Historical Inquiry In Regard To The Grand Constitutions Of 1786", he stated that the disbanded Illuminati continued on through the various branches of the Rosicrucian Order, including the later versions of the Gold Rosicrucians, namely, the Order of Perfect Initiates of Asia, or the Asiatic Brethren, and the various Orders of Light, specifically mentioning "The Order of Saint Joachim (St. Jonathan)". Records show that a few Illuminati were members of the early Order of Saint Joachim, specifically Count von Kollowrat-Krakowsky, as well as Freemasons and Rosicrucians. The Order of Saint Joachim had direct connection to the Gülden und Rosenkreuzer (Gold Rosicrucians), founded in 1777, which also had Illuminati and Masonic roots. The Gold Rosicrucians was Hermetic in character, drawing heavily on Eastern and Islamic mysticism. The Gold Rosicrucians was headed by Johann Karl Baron von Ecker und Eckhoffen, who in 1787 was Chancellor of The Order of Saint Joachim. Baron von Ecker und Eckhoffen is named as a member of several other mystic societies, including the Christian Masonry of Bohemia in 1756, and the Asiatic Brethren.[3]

The Order of Saint Joachim was recognized in the late 18th and early 19th centuries by several contemporary sovereigns and states. Leopold II, King of Hungary and Bohemia (later Holy Roman Emperor) formally acknowledged and sanctioned the wearing of the insignia of the Order on May 23, 1790 with a document of Royal Concession. He appointed the Comte Christian von Leiningen, a knight of The Order of Saint Joachim and relative of the Grand Master, to be Chamberlain of the Imperial Palace.[4]

On 27 April 1791 King Friedrich Wilhelm II of Prussia issued a similar Royal Grant recognizing the legitimacy of the Order and permitting the wearing of the insignia of The Order of Saint Joachim on Prussian officers' military uniforms.[1]

19th century

Sir Levett Hanson of the Order of St Joachim and General Richard Wilford in portrait by artist Nathaniel Hone, R.A., 1777

In 1801, the self-styled 'Sir' Levett Hanson[5] wrote to Admiral Lord Horatio Nelson offering him membership of the order. Despite initial concerns about the 'inferiority' of the order and the fact that it was almost unknown,[6] the British King's Warrant approving the acceptance and wear of the insignia of the Order of Saint Joachim was granted. Hanson similarly offered membership of the order, unsolicited, to several other people at this time including to Nelson's brother, Viscount Merton, General Sir Charles Imhoff,[7] and Philippe d'Auvergne, Prince de Boullion, Rear Admiral of the Blue.[8] He made considerable use of these prestigious members to publicise the order and, in 1802, he published An Accurate Historical Account of all the Orders of Knighthood at present existing in Europe casting the Order of Saint Joachim as equal to existing chivalric orders.[9]

Critics claimed that the Order seemed to be domiciled wherever Hanson found himself, and that 'Knighthoods' were available to anyone with sufficient funds. "It was long understood," wrote one contemporary observer, "that moyennant a certain not inconsiderable deposit at a banking house at Pall-mall, the distinction was at the service of any one who might have a fancy for it; and that letters-missive were soon forthcoming from 'Sir' Levett, containing due notification of election by the 'equestrian, secular and chapteral Order,' at its last sitting at Bamberg, Hamburgh, Lubeck or wherever that personage happened, at the time, to be domiciliated."[6]

Napoleon's brother-in-law, Joachim Murat (March 25, 1767 – October 13, 1815), a Marshal of France, usurped the grand mastership of the Order of Saint Joachim in 1806 when was made the Grand Duke of the newly created "Duchy of Berg and Cleves". During his term as Grand Duke of Berg and Cleves (March 15, 1806 to August 1, 1808 when he left to become King of Naples) Joachim Murat declared himself the Grand Master of The Order of Saint Joachim, and expanded the Order to include members of the French Legion of Honour. His authority was never recognized by the rest of the Order in exile.[citation needed]

Following the Treaty of Vienna, The Order of Saint Joachim continued to be associated with the House of Sachsen-Coburg und Gotha. Ernest III, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld (2 January 1784 – 29 January 1844) continued to award the Order of Saint Joachim. A letter from 1821 exists from a Dr. Joseph Romain Louis de Kirckhoff (also de Kerckhov) thanking Ernst I, Herzog von Sachsen-Coburg und Gotha for awarding him the Order of Saint Joachim.[10] His son, Ernest II, (21 June 1818 – 22 August 1893) is known to have included the Order's post-nominals "K.J." among his awards and honours. Bulgarian Tsar Ferdinand I of Bulgaria (26 February 1861 – 10 September 1948) a prince of the Koháry branch of the ducal family of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, was popularly pictured with the insignia of The Order of St Joachim in 1888, although the connection between the two is unknown.

1888 cigarette card published by Kinney Bros. Tobacco Co. from the series “International Cards” - N238 in Burdick ’s American Card Catalogue.

20th and 21st centuries

In the late 19th and early 20th century the order 'drifted into obscurity' and its 'credibility evaporated'.[11] Eventually the order was revived in the early 20th century and from 1988 was led by Helmut von Bräundle-Falkensee,[12] until his death on 14 October 2007. Bräundle-Falkensee was an Austrian who was also founder and Secretary General of the Austrian Albert Schweitzer Society.[12] After his death, a Canadian barrister named Stephen Lautens (b. 1959) was elected the new Grand Master.[13] It has its Chapterhouse in England and additional Commanderies in the United States, Canada and Austria. It is registered as a charity in the U.K. (UK registered charity No. 1047873) and supports the homeless, ex-servicemen, hospitals and children's charities. It is organized as a federal not-for-profit corporation in Canada.

Although the organization continues to award its members with medals and breast stars similar to those worn by members of official orders of chivalry, these are not now recognised by the crown and therefore "may not be mounted with official Orders, Decorations or Medals.[14]

An exhibition displaying the heraldry of Admiral Nelson at the College of Arms in 2005 featured a replica of Nelson's uniform with its honorary blazons. Among the orders of merit worn by Nelson was the Order of St Joachim. The star, said the College of Arms in its newsletter, was "the bogus Order of St. Joachim created and hawked around the Courts of Europe by 'Sir' Levett Hanson."[15] In a subsequent newsletter several months later, the editors backed off their earlier condemnation, issuing a partial retraction: "The Order of St. Joachim referred to in the last issue," said the College-of-Arms, "was not (as there stated) created by Levett Hanson but dated back to an order founded in 1755 by a group of mostly German princes."[16]

In the British Broadcasting Corporation 2010 project "A History of the World in 100 Objects", one of the objects chosen was the insignia of the Order of St. Joachim awarded to Philippe d'Auvergne, Vice Admiral of the Blue, in 1803.[17]

Status and legitimacy

The Order of Saint Joachim did not owe its existence to a royal or noble house, or "fons honorium". Its founder and first Grand Master, Prince Christian Franz von Saxen-Coburg-Saalfeld, was the son of a sovereign duke, but never himself a ruler. The next three Grand Masters were sovereign rulers (Duke de Monfort followed by successive counts of Leinigen), and would technically qualify as a "fons". Instead of being a hereditary position, the grand mastership was elected by its members. Writing in 1843, G.L. De Rochement and J. Bischoff ("Ridderorden": Amsterdam, p. 27) observed that The Order of Saint Joachim "does not owe its origins to any crowned head, even so it is recognized both on the European mainland and in Great Britain as an Order of knighthood." Writing in 1828, English College of Arms Windsor Herald, Francis Townsend, Esq., FSA, stated: "This Order owes its foundation to no crowned head, but has been recognized both in Great Britain and abroad, as an Order of Knighthood."[18]

A modern writer on Orders of Knighthood, Guy Stair Sainty, numbers it among the "self-styled" orders and describes it as a charitable institution.[19] The post-nominals of a Knight of the Order of Saint Joachim ("K.J.") were listed in "Debrett's Baronetage of England" in 1815, though not in any edition since then,[20] and were similarly published in the 1832 "A Key to Both Houses of Parliament".[21]

Screen appearances

The insignia of the Order of Saint Joachim can be seen being worn by Lord Kiely in Sharpe's Battle.[citation needed]

References

  1. ^ a b Hanson, Levett (1802). An Accurate Historical Account of All The Orders of Knighthood At Present Existing In Europe. J. White - (reprint Kessinger Publishing). ISBN 0-7661-5415-7. Vol. 1 p. 33.
  2. ^ Hanson, Levett (1802). An Accurate Historical Account of All The Orders of Knighthood At Present Existing In Europe. J. White - (reprint Kessinger Publishing). ISBN 0-7661-5415-7. Vol. 1 p. 38-39.
  3. ^ http://www.loge-carl-zum-felsen.de/entstehung.html Archived 2008-04-13 at the Wayback Machine
  4. ^ Hanson, Levett (1802). An Accurate Historical Account of All The Orders of Knighthood At Present Existing In Europe. J. White - (reprint Kessinger Publishing). ISBN 0-7661-5415-7. Vol. 1 p. 42-43.
  5. ^ "Hanson, Levett" . Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900.
  6. ^ a b Review of the Chandos Peerage Case: Adjudicated 1803, and of the Pretensions of Sir Samuel-Egerton Brydges, Baronet, to Designate Himself Per Legem Terrae Baron Chandos of Sudeley, George Frederick Beltz, Lancaster Herald, Richard Bentley, London, 1834
  7. ^ The Gentleman's Magazine. 1853. May Issue - Obituaries p. 543.
  8. ^ Balleine, G.R. (1973). The Tragedy of Philippe d'Auvergne. Phillimore & Co: London. ISBN 0-85033-124-2. pp. 107-8.
  9. ^ Levett Hanson, Calendar of Knights; Containing Lists of Knights Bachelor, British Knights of Foreign Orders, Francis Townsend, Pursuivant of Arms, London, 1828
  10. ^ http://www.stjoachimorder.org/images/SaxeCoburgGothaGM%20Letter1821.jpg
  11. ^ "Exploring Legitimacy: The Controversial Case of the Order of St. Lazarus" (PDF). Journal of Alternative Perspectives in the Social Sciences. 2015.
  12. ^ a b "Helmut von Bräundle-Falkensee". The Scotsman. Edinburgh. December 14, 2007.
  13. ^ "Grand Master & Grand Chapter Officers". stjoachimorder.org. 2012. Retrieved 4 April 2013.
  14. ^ "A guide to the wearing of orders, decorations, miniatures and medals with dress other than uniform" (PDF). Central Chancery of the Orders of Knighthood.
  15. ^ College of Arms Newsletter, December 2005, college-of-arms.gov.uk
  16. ^ College of Arms Newsletter, March 2006, college-of-arms.gov.uk
  17. ^ http://www.bbc.co.uk/ahistoryoftheworld/objects/0JfsaZatRLmqHSzF7SCVmQ
  18. ^ Townsend, Francis (1828). Calendar of Knights, Containing Lists of Knights Bachelors, British Knights of Foreign Orders, Also Knights of the Garter, Thistle Bath, St. Patrick and the Guelphic and Ionian Orders; from 1760 to the Present Time. p. XXV.
  19. ^ Sainty, Guy Stair (2007). "Self Styled 'Orders of Chivalry'". chivalricorders.org. Retrieved 4 April 2013.
  20. ^ Debrett, John (1815). Baronetage of England, 3d Edition. Vol. 1.
  21. ^ A Key to Both Houses of Parliament. Longman, Rees, Orme, Brown, Green & Longman. 1832. p. viii. Retrieved 4 April 2013.
  • Hanson, Levett: "The Court of Saxe-Weimar" with German translation in: Schulz, Heide: "The Court of Saxe-Weimar", Heidelberg 2011, ISBN 978-3-8253-5887-7, p. 68-71 and 190-214
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