1908 Birthday Honours facts for kids
The 1908 Birthday Honours were special awards given out on June 28th to celebrate the birthday of Edward VII, who was the King at that time. These honours recognized people from across the British Empire for their important work and achievements.
People received different types of honours, like being made a Knight or a Companion of a special "Order." These awards were a way for the King to thank people for their service to the country.
Contents
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath
The Order of the Bath is one of the oldest and most important British honours. It's given to military officers and civil servants for excellent service.
Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath (GCB)
This is a very high honour within the Order of the Bath.
- Military Leaders
- General Sir William Gustavus Nicholson, who was the top military leader as the Chief of the General Staff.
- General Sir John James Hood Gordon from the Indian Army.
- Civil Servants
- Francis, Lord Knollys, who was the Private Secretary to The King, meaning he worked very closely with the King.
- Sir Francis Leveson Bertie, who was the British Ambassador in Paris, representing the UK in France.
- Sir George Herbert Murray, the Permanent Secretary for the Treasury, which manages the country's money.
- Sir Arthur Godley, the Under Secretary of State for the India Office, helping to manage British India.
Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (KCB)
This is another high honour, given to many important military and civil leaders.
- Military Leaders
- Several Admirals like Sir Reginald Neville Custance and Sir Edmund Samuel Poë from the Royal Navy.
- Major-Generals and Lieutenant-Generals, including Henry Fane Grant, who was the Governor of Malta.
- Major-General Herbert Scott Gould Miles, who was in charge of supplies for the army as the Quartermaster-General to the Forces.
- Lieutenant-General William Henry Mackinnon, who was the Director General of the Territorial Force, a volunteer army.
- Civil Servants
- Colonel Charles Frederic Hadden, who was in charge of weapons and equipment for the army.
- Other important civil servants like Robert Chalmers and William Henry Power, who was a scientist and expert in public health.
Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB)
This honour was given to many military officers and civil servants for their dedicated service.
- Military Leaders
Many Colonels and Major-Generals received this award, often for leading brigades in India or for important roles at the Army Headquarters. Some examples include:
- Major-General Henry Bulckley Burlton Watkis, a Brigade Commander in India.
- Colonel John Lindesay Keir, another Brigade Commander in India.
- Colonel William Edward Blewitt, who was the Director of Artillery for the Army.
- Colonel Henry Hughes Wilson, who was the Commandant of the Staff College, where army officers are trained.
- Civil Servants
Several civil servants were recognized for their work in various government departments. Some of them were:
- Lionel Abraham, Esq.
- Alfred Eyles, Esq.
- Hubert Llewellyn Smith, Esq., who worked in government.
Order of Merit
The Order of Merit is a very special award given by the King to a small number of people who have achieved great things in the arts, sciences, or other areas.
- Henry Jackson, a famous scholar who was the Regius Professor of Greek at Cambridge University.
Order of the Star of India
This order was created to recognize people who had done great service for the British Empire in India.
Knight Commander of the Order of the Star of India (KCSI)
This high honour was given to important officials and rulers in India.
- Charles Stuart Bayley, who was a high-ranking civil servant and acting Lieutenant-Governor in Eastern Bengal and Assam.
- Edward Norman Baker, another civil servant who was a member of the Governor-General's Council.
- Two Indian rulers: His Highness Maharaja Dhiraj Sardar Singh Bahadur of Jodhpur and His Highness Raj Rana Bhavvaui Singh of Jhalawar.
Companion of the Order of the Star of India (CSI)
This honour was given to many civil servants and officials working in India.
- Michael Francis O'Dwyer, a civil servant working in Hyderabad.
- James Scorgie Meston, who was the Secretary for Finance in the Government of India.
- George Watson Shaw, a Judicial Commissioner in Upper Burma.
- Captain George Hayley Hewett, who was the Director of the Royal Indian Marine, the naval force in India.
Order of Saint Michael and Saint George
This order is given to people who have done great service in British colonies and foreign affairs.
Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George (GCMG)
- Sir Henry Moore Jackson, who was the Governor of Trinidad and Tobago.
Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George (KCMG)
- Henry Hesketh Joudou Bell, the Governor of the Uganda Protectorate.
- Sir Pope Alexander Cooper, the Chief Justice of Queensland in Australia.
- The Honourable Thomas Bent, who was the Premier (leader) of the State of Victoria in Australia.
- The Honourable Joseph Hector Carruthers, who was recently the Premier of New South Wales in Australia.
- Thomas Rees Price, who was the General Manager of the Central South African Railways.
Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG)
This honour was given to many people for their service in different parts of the British Empire.
- Lieutenant-Colonel the Honourable Newton James Moore, the Premier of Western Australia.
- Charles Calvert Bowring, the Treasurer of the East Africa Protectorate.
- William Frederick King, the Chief Astronomer for Canada.
- Captain Frederick Gordon Guggisberg, an engineer recognized for his work surveying the Gold Coast Colony and Ashanti in West Africa.
Order of the Indian Empire
This order, like the Star of India, recognized important service to the British Empire in India.
Knight Commander of the Order of the Indian Empire (KCIE)
- Honorary Colonel Nawab Muhammad Aslam Khan, an important military figure.
- Thomas Henry Holland, who was the Director of the Geological Survey of India, studying the Earth's structure.
- Nawab Afsar-i-Jang Afsar-ud-Daula Bahadur Honorary Lieutenant-Colonel Muhammad Ali Beg from Hyderabad.
Companion of the Order of the Indian Empire (CIE)
- Alfred Gibbs Bourne, a scientist and Director of Public Instruction in Madras, India.
- Captain George Hayley Hewett, who was the Director of the Royal Indian Marine.
- Lieutenant-Colonel Francis Frederic Perry, a doctor and Principal of the Medical College in Lahore.
- Major Francis Granville Beville, a Political Agent in Bhopawar.
- Rai Sahib Diwan Daya Kishen Kaal, Private Secretary to the Maharaja of Kashmir and Jammu.
Royal Victorian Order
This order is given by the King personally for services to the Royal Family.
Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (KCVO)
- Sir Edward Birkbeck, Bart.
- Rear-Admiral James Edward Clifford Goodrich, who was in charge of naval operations at Gibraltar.
- Commodore Colin Richard Keppel, who commanded His Majesty's Yachts.
Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (CVO)
- François Flameng, a famous artist from France.
- Colonel Sir John Smith Young, who worked for the Royal Patriotic Fund.
- John David Rees, a Member of Parliament.
Member of the Royal Victorian Order, 4th class
- The Reverend Walter Boyce, the Head Master of King Edward VII Grammar School.
Member of the Royal Victorian Order, 5th class
- Lieutenant Thomas Ready, who served on the King's yacht, "Osborne."
- Second Lieutenant John Mackenzie Rogan, the Bandmaster for the Coldstream Guards military band.
Imperial Service Order
This order recognized people for long and faithful service in the civil service across the British Empire.
- Thomas Allchiii, an Assistant Commissioner.
- Justin Charles William Alvarez, a Consul-General.
- John Walter Bailey, an Assistant Chief Inspector.
- James Dyer-Ball, the Chief Interpreter in Hong Kong.
- John Redman Bovell, an Agricultural Superintendent in the West Indies.
- John Fraser, the Auditor-General of Canada.
- James Arthur Thompson, the Accountant for the Department of Defence in Australia.
- John Henry Richard West, an Assistant Controller at the Post Office.
