Black Rod


The Gentleman or Lady Usher of the Black Rod, often shortened to Black Rod, is a senior parliamentary officer similar to a serjeant-at-arms, responsible for ceremonial protocol and maintaining order within a legislative chamber. The role originated in the House of Lords of the Parliament of England during the 14th century, and was exported to the upper houses of other Westminster system legislatures. Besides the British House of Lords, the office now exists in Australia's federal and state upper houses, in Canada's federal upper house and some unicameral provincial houses, and for ceremonial purposes in New Zealand and the Cook Islands. The position is named after the staff of office carried by the official, a black rod. The Gentleman/Lady Usher often has a deputy called the Yeoman Usher of the Black Rod.

Origin

The office was created in 1350 by royal letters patent, though the current title dates from 1522. The position was adopted by other members of the Commonwealth when they adopted the British Westminster system. The title is derived from the staff of office, an ebony staff topped with a golden lion, which is the main symbol of the office's authority.
A ceremonial rod or staff is a common symbol indicating the authority of the office holder. Depictions of ancient authority figures in many cultures include such a rod. Another early example is the fasces carried by guards who accompanied high-level officials in the Roman Republic and later Empire.

By country

Ushers of the Black Rod are typically responsible for arresting any senator or intruder who disrupts the proceedings.

United Kingdom

Appointment

Black Rod is formally appointed by the Crown based on a recruitment search performed by the Clerk of the Parliaments. As well as being an officer of the House of Lords, Black Rod is an officer of the Order of the Garter; he is appointed by letters patent under the Garter Seal. Black Rod also acts as Secretary to the Lord Great Chamberlain by virtue of which he or she oversees certain ceremonial arrangements and day-to-day management of the Royal parts of the Palace of Westminster. Black Rod also holds the office of Serjeant-at-Arms, to which he or she is separately appointed by letters patent under the Great Seal; it is in this capacity that Black Rod attends upon the Lord Speaker. Black Rod's deputy is the Yeoman Usher of the Black Rod and Deputy Serjeant-at-Arms.
Since 8 July 2025, the post of Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod has been held by Lieutenant General Edward Davis; he is the first Royal Marine to hold the post.

Official duties

Black Rod is principally responsible for controlling access to and maintaining order within the House of Lords and its precincts, as well as for ceremonial events within those precincts. Previous responsibilities for security, and the buildings and services of the Palace of Westminster, have been passed, respectively, to the Parliamentary Security Director and Lords Director of Facilities.
Black Rod's official duties also include responsibility as the usher and doorkeeper at meetings of the Most Noble Order of the Garter; the personal attendant of the Sovereign in the Lords; as secretary to the Lord Great Chamberlain and as the Serjeant-at-Arms and Keeper of the Doors of the House, in charge of the admission of strangers to the House of Lords. Either Black Rod or their deputy, the Yeoman Usher, is required to be present when the House of Lords, the upper house of Parliament, is in session, and plays a role in the introduction of all new Lords Temporal in the House. Black Rod also arrests any Lord guilty of breach of privilege or other Parliamentary offence, such as contempt or disorder, or the disturbance of the House's proceedings. Their equivalent in the House of Commons is the Serjeant at Arms.
Former Black Rod David Leakey said that 30% of his work as Black Rod was within or for the House of Commons.
Black Rod, along with their deputy, is responsible for organising ceremonial events within the Palace of Westminster, providing leadership in guiding the significant logistics of running such events.

Ceremonial duties

Mace
Black Rod is in theory responsible for carrying the Mace into and out of the chamber for the Speaker of the House of Lords, though this role is delegated to the Yeoman Usher and Deputy Serjeant-at-Arms, or on judicial occasions, to the Lord Speaker's deputy, the Assistant Serjeant-at-Arms.
State Opening of Parliament
Black Rod is best known for their part in the ceremonies surrounding the State Opening of Parliament and the Speech from the throne. Black Rod summons the Commons to attend the speech and leads them to the Lords. As part of the ritual, the doors to the chamber of the House of Commons are slammed in the approaching Black Rod's face. This is to symbolise the Commons' independence of the Sovereign. Black Rod then strikes the door three times with their staff, and is then admitted and issues the summons of the monarch to attend.
This ritual also happens whenever the Lords have a commission to be read and Black Rod summons MPs to hear it. For example, on Tuesday 17 December 2019 this ritual happened twice.
This ritual is derived from the attempt by Charles I to arrest Five Members in 1642, in what was seen as a breach of the constitution. This and prior actions of the King led to the Civil War. After that incident, the House of Commons has maintained its right to question the right of the monarch's representatives to enter their chamber, although they cannot bar them from entering with lawful authority.

List of Black Rods in England, Great Britain and the UK from 1361

This list is derived from one published by the Parliamentary Archives in 2011, with alterations from later research.
  • c.1361–1387: Walter Whitehorse
  • 1387–1399: John Cray
  • 1399–1410: Thomas Sy
  • 1410–1413: John Sheffield
  • 1413–1415: John Athelbrigg
  • 1415–1418: William Hargroave
  • 1418–1423: John Clifford
  • 1423–1428: John Carsons
  • 1428–1459: William Pope
  • 1438–1459: Robert Manfield
  • 1459–1461: John Penycok
  • 1461–1471: Vacant ?
  • 1471–1485: William Evington
  • 1483–1485: Edward Hardgill
  • 1485–1489: Robert Marleton
  • 1489–1513: Ralph Assheton
  • 1495–30 December 1511: Hugh Denys
  • 1513–1526: Sir William Compton
  • 1526–1536: Henry Norreys
  • 1536–1543: Anthony Knyvett
  • 1543–1554: Sir Philip Hoby
  • 1554–1565: John Norreys
  • 1554–1591: Sir William Norreys
  • 1591–1593: Anthony Wingfield
  • 1593–1598: Simon Bowyer
  • 1598–1620: Richard Coningsby
  • 1605–1620: George Pollard
  • 1620–1642: James Maxwell
  • 1642–1649: Alexander Thayne ; jointly with James Maxwell until c. 1646. The Lords was abolished in 1649 and Thayne made a claim to the title at the Restoration in 1661, but was denied.
  • 2 March 1645 – 1661: Peter Newton
  • 1671–1675: Sir John Ayton
  • 1671–1683: Sir Edward Carteret
  • 1683–25 April 1694: Sir Thomas Duppa
  • 1694–25 August 1698: Sir Fleetwood Sheppard
  • 5 December 1698 – 1 June 1710: Admiral Sir David Mitchell
  • 1710–1718: Sir William Oldes
  • 1718–1727: Sir William Sanderson, 1st Baronet
  • 1727–1747: Sir Charles Dalton
  • 1747–1760: Sir Henry Bellenden
  • 1760 – 6 September 1765: Sir Septimus Robinson
  • 1765 – 1812: Sir Francis Molyneux, 7th Baronet
  • 1812 – 25 July 1832: Sir Thomas Tyrwhitt
  • 25 July 1832 – 8 February 1877: Admiral Sir Augustus Clifford
  • 3 May 1877 – 23 June 1883: General Sir William Knollys
  • 24 July 1883 – 7 October 1895: Admiral Sir James Drummond
  • 16 December 1895 – 23 July 1901: General Sir Michael Biddulph
  • August 1904 – 16 December 1919: Admiral Sir Henry Stephenson
  • January 1920 – 14 May 1941: Lieutenant-General Sir William Pulteney
  • October 1941 – 15 August 1944: Air Chief Marshal Sir William Mitchell
  • January 1945 – 18 January 1949: Sir Vice-Admiral Geoffrey Blake
  • 18 January 1949 – 18 June 1963: Lieutenant-General Sir Brian Horrocks
  • 18 June 1963 – October 1970: Air Chief Marshal Sir George Mills
  • October 1970 – 18 January 1978: Admiral Sir Frank Twiss
  • 10 January 1978 – January 1985: Lieutenant-General Sir David House
  • January 1985 – January 1992: Air Chief Marshal Sir John Gingell
  • January 1992 – 8 May 1995: Admiral Sir Richard Thomas
  • 9 May 1995 – 8 May 2001: General Sir Edward Jones
  • 9 May 2001 – 30 April 2009: Lieutenant-General Sir Michael Willcocks
  • 30 April 2009 – 28 October 2010: Lieutenant-General Sir Frederick Viggers
  • 21 December 2010 – 21 December 2017: Lieutenant-General David Leakey
  • 12 February 2018 – 8 July 2025: Sarah Clarke
  • 8 July 2025 – present: Lieutenant-General Edward Davis

    List of Serjeants-at-Arms of the House of Lords

Technically the serjeant-at-arms was an officer of the Lord Chancellor, rather than of the House of Lords. He was appointed by the Sovereign "to be Serjeant-at-Arms in Ordinary to Her Majesty" and "to attend the Right Honourable the Lord Chancellor, Lord Keeper or Lord Commissioner for the Great Seal of the Realm for the time being". He was appointed for life until 1713 and during good behaviour thereafter, originally receiving a daily remuneration and from 1806 an annual salary. The post was merged with that of Yeoman Usher of the Black Rod in 1962, and with that of Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod in 1971.
The following is a list of Serjeants-at-Arms to the Lord Chancellor since 1660:
''Since 1971 the office of Serjeant at Arms has been held by the Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod.''