List of Honorary Freemen of the City of London
Encyclopedia
This is a list of some people who have been awarded Honorary Freedom (or Freedom Honoris Causa) of the City of London
. This is different, and much rarer, than being an 'ordinary' Freeman of the City of London
. Whereas ordinary Freemen apply for the Freedom themselves (and about 1800 per year so do) and usually pay a 'fine' for this, people in this category do not apply for, but are invited by the Court of Common Council to receive, the Freedom. As such, it is the highest honour which is in the power of the City of London to bestow. Their presentation ceremony usually takes place in the Great Hall of the Guildhall before the Lord Mayor, Aldermen, Common Councilmen and invited guests. The presentation on these occasions is made by the Chamberlain of London, and is usually followed by a Guildhall or Mansion House banquet. The first to be so honored was William Pitt the Elder
in 1757. For many years, it was the custom to present the Freedom in specially commissioned and unique gold or silver caskets, the design of which was inspired by the background and the achievements of the individual to which it was given.
There is a long standing tradition of admitting women to the Freedom. Although nowadays usually called Freemen as well, the historically correct way of referring to them is: Free Sisters.
In addition to those below, all monarchs and many other members of the British Royal Family have been awarded the honour.
City of London
The City of London is a small area within Greater London, England. It is the historic core of London around which the modern conurbation grew and has held city status since time immemorial. The City’s boundaries have remained almost unchanged since the Middle Ages, and it is now only a tiny part of...
. This is different, and much rarer, than being an 'ordinary' Freeman of the City of London
City of London
The City of London is a small area within Greater London, England. It is the historic core of London around which the modern conurbation grew and has held city status since time immemorial. The City’s boundaries have remained almost unchanged since the Middle Ages, and it is now only a tiny part of...
. Whereas ordinary Freemen apply for the Freedom themselves (and about 1800 per year so do) and usually pay a 'fine' for this, people in this category do not apply for, but are invited by the Court of Common Council to receive, the Freedom. As such, it is the highest honour which is in the power of the City of London to bestow. Their presentation ceremony usually takes place in the Great Hall of the Guildhall before the Lord Mayor, Aldermen, Common Councilmen and invited guests. The presentation on these occasions is made by the Chamberlain of London, and is usually followed by a Guildhall or Mansion House banquet. The first to be so honored was William Pitt the Elder
William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham
William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham PC was a British Whig statesman who led Britain during the Seven Years' War...
in 1757. For many years, it was the custom to present the Freedom in specially commissioned and unique gold or silver caskets, the design of which was inspired by the background and the achievements of the individual to which it was given.
There is a long standing tradition of admitting women to the Freedom. Although nowadays usually called Freemen as well, the historically correct way of referring to them is: Free Sisters.
In addition to those below, all monarchs and many other members of the British Royal Family have been awarded the honour.
- Peter AckroydPeter AckroydPeter Ackroyd CBE is an English biographer, novelist and critic with a particular interest in the history and culture of London. For his novels about English history and culture and his biographies of, among others, Charles Dickens, T. S. Eliot and Sir Thomas More he won the Somerset Maugham Award...
(awarded on 15.12.2006) - George ArthurGeorge ArthurLieutenant-General Sir George Arthur, 1st Baronet KCH PC was Lieutenant Governor of British Honduras , Van Diemen's Land and Upper Canada . He also served as Governor of Bombay .-Early life:George Arthur was born in Plymouth, England...
- Robert Baden-PowellRobert Baden-Powell, 1st Baron Baden-PowellRobert Stephenson Smyth Baden-Powell, 1st Baron Baden-Powell, Bt, OM, GCMG, GCVO, KCB , also known as B-P or Lord Baden-Powell, was a lieutenant-general in the British Army, writer, and founder of the Scout Movement....
- Raymond BaxterRaymond BaxterRaymond Frederic Baxter, OBE was a British television presenter and writer. He is best known for being the first presenter of Tomorrow's World, continuing for 12 years, from 1965 to 1977...
(awarded in 1978) - Edward BerryEdward BerryRear Admiral Sir Edward Berry, 1st Baronet, KCB was an officer in Britain's Royal Navy primarily known for his role as flag captain of Rear Admiral Horatio Nelson's ship HMS Vanguard at the Battle of the Nile, prior to his knighthood in 1798...
- William BoothWilliam BoothWilliam Booth was a British Methodist preacher who founded The Salvation Army and became its first General...
(awarded on 26.10.1906) See also: Report on Salvation Army website - Louis BothaLouis BothaLouis Botha was an Afrikaner and first Prime Minister of the Union of South Africa—the forerunner of the modern South African state...
(awarded on 16.04.1907) - James BrookeJames BrookeJames, Rajah of Sarawak, KCB was the first White Rajah of Sarawak. His father, Thomas Brooke, was an English Judge Court of Appeal at Bareilly, British India; his mother, Anna Maria, born in Hertfordshire, was the illegitimate daughter of Scottish peer Colonel William Stuart, 9th Lord Blantyre,...
(awarded in 1847) - Arnold Brown (General of The Salvation Army)Arnold Brown (General of The Salvation Army)Arnold Brown, OC was the 11th General of The Salvation Army .He was born in London, England, the son of officers of the Army. While he was still a young boy, his family immigrated to Canada, and it was from the corps in Belleville that he entered training, becoming an officer in 1935...
- George Villiers, 2nd Duke of BuckinghamGeorge Villiers, 2nd Duke of BuckinghamGeorge Villiers, 2nd Duke of Buckingham, 20th Baron de Ros of Helmsley, KG, PC, FRS was an English statesman and poet.- Upbringing and education :...
- Angela Burdett-CouttsAngela Burdett-Coutts, 1st Baroness Burdett-CouttsAngela Georgina Burdett-Coutts, 1st Baroness Burdett-Coutts , born Angela Georgina Burdett, was a nineteenth-century philanthropist, the daughter of Sir Francis Burdett, 5th Baronet and the former Sophia Coutts, daughter of banker Thomas Coutts...
(awarded on 18.07.1872) She was the first woman to be awarded the honorary Freedom. - Austen ChamberlainAusten ChamberlainSir Joseph Austen Chamberlain, KG was a British statesman, recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize and half-brother of Neville Chamberlain.- Early life and career :...
(awarded on 25.03.1926) - Joseph ChamberlainJoseph ChamberlainJoseph Chamberlain was an influential British politician and statesman. Unlike most major politicians of the time, he was a self-made businessman and had not attended Oxford or Cambridge University....
(awarded on 13.02.1902) - Jimmy ChooJimmy ChooDato' Jimmy Choo, OBE, born Choo Yeang Keat, is a Malaysian fashion designer based in London, United Kingdom. He is best known for founding Jimmy Choo Ltd that became known for its handmade women's shoes....
(awarded on 14.11.2006) - Winston ChurchillWinston ChurchillSir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, was a predominantly Conservative British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century and served as Prime Minister twice...
(awarded on 30.06.1943) - Shaw CliftonShaw CliftonShaw Clifton is a former General of The Salvation Army. He succeeded John Larsson as the 18th General on 2 April 2006.-Career:Shaw Clifton was born on 21 September 1945 in Belfast, Northern Ireland....
(awarded on 13.09.2007) - Sir Alexander Cockburn, 12th BaronetSir Alexander Cockburn, 12th BaronetSir Alexander James Edmund Cockburn, 12th Baronet Q.C. was a Scottish lawyer, politician and judge. A notorious womaniser and socialite, as Lord Chief Justice he heard some of the leading causes célèbres of the 19th century.-Life:Cockburn was born in Alţâna, in what is now Romania and was then...
(awarded on 09.03.1876) - Frederick CookFrederick CookFrederick Albert Cook was an American explorer and physician, noted for his claim of having reached the North Pole on April 21, 1908. This would have been a year before April 6, 1909, the date claimed by Robert Peary....
(awarded on 15.10.1909) - Randall Davidson (awarded in 1928)
- Benjamin Disraeli (awarded on 03.08.1878)
- Alexander Downer, Sr.Alexander Downer, Sr.Sir Alexander Russell Downer KBE , Australian politician generally known as Alec Downer, was born in Adelaide, a part of the Downer family and son of John Downer, who was a former Premier of South Australia and member of the Australian Senate.He was educated at Geelong Grammar School and at Oxford...
(awarded in 1965) - Robin DunsterRobin DunsterRobin Dunster is the chief of staff of the Salvation Army International. The first woman to hold the office, she has been described by then-General John Larsson as a "gifted and widely experienced internationalist."...
(awarded on 13.09.2007) - Dwight D. EisenhowerDwight D. EisenhowerDwight David "Ike" Eisenhower was the 34th President of the United States, from 1953 until 1961. He was a five-star general in the United States Army...
(awarded on 12.06.1945) - Giuseppe GaribaldiGiuseppe GaribaldiGiuseppe Garibaldi was an Italian military and political figure. In his twenties, he joined the Carbonari Italian patriot revolutionaries, and fled Italy after a failed insurrection. Garibaldi took part in the War of the Farrapos and the Uruguayan Civil War leading the Italian Legion, and...
- Bill GatesBill GatesWilliam Henry "Bill" Gates III is an American business magnate, investor, philanthropist, and author. Gates is the former CEO and current chairman of Microsoft, the software company he founded with Paul Allen...
- George, Duke of Cambridge, PrincePrince George, Duke of CambridgePrince George, Duke of Cambridge was a member of the British Royal Family, a male-line grandson of King George III. The Duke was an army officer and served as commander-in-chief of the British Army from 1856 to 1895...
(awarded on 04.11.1857) - Ron GoodwinRon GoodwinRonald Alfred Goodwin was a British composer and conductor known for his film music. He scored over 70 films in a career lasting over fifty years....
- Ulysses S. GrantUlysses S. GrantUlysses S. Grant was the 18th President of the United States as well as military commander during the Civil War and post-war Reconstruction periods. Under Grant's command, the Union Army defeated the Confederate military and ended the Confederate States of America...
(awarded on 15.06.1877) - Alan GreenspanAlan GreenspanAlan Greenspan is an American economist who served as Chairman of the Federal Reserve of the United States from 1987 to 2006. He currently works as a private advisor and provides consulting for firms through his company, Greenspan Associates LLC...
(awarded on 12.2005) - Albert Grey, 4th Earl GreyAlbert Grey, 4th Earl GreyAlbert Henry George Grey, 4th Earl Grey was a British nobleman and politician who served as Governor General of Canada, the ninth since Canadian Confederation....
(awarded on 23.01.1912) - Paul HumphreysPaul HumphreysPaul Humphreys is a British musician.-Life and career:He is best known as a member of synth pop group Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark , which he founded with Andy McCluskey in 1978.He grew up on the Wirral Peninsula in North West England, during which time he developed his interest in German...
(awarded in 1996) - Marjorie Jackson-Nelson (awarded on 24.06.2005)
- Edward JennerEdward JennerEdward Anthony Jenner was an English scientist who studied his natural surroundings in Berkeley, Gloucestershire...
- Digby JonesDigby JonesDigby Marritt Jones, Baron Jones of Birmingham, Kt is a British businessman and politician, who has served as Director General of the CBI and Minister of State for Trade and Investment...
- Salar Jung IMir Turab Ali Khan, Salar Jung ISir Mir Turab Ali Khan, Salar Jung I, GCSI , Indian statesman of Hyderabad. He was considered the greatest Prime Minister of Hyderabad....
- Herbert Kitchener, 1st Earl KitchenerHerbert Kitchener, 1st Earl KitchenerField Marshal Horatio Herbert Kitchener, 1st Earl Kitchener KG, KP, GCB, OM, GCSI, GCMG, GCIE, ADC, PC , was an Irish-born British Field Marshal and proconsul who won fame for his imperial campaigns and later played a central role in the early part of the First World War, although he died halfway...
(awarded on 04.11.1898) - Helmut KohlHelmut KohlHelmut Josef Michael Kohl is a German conservative politician and statesman. He was Chancellor of Germany from 1982 to 1998 and the chairman of the Christian Democratic Union from 1973 to 1998...
(awarded on 18.02.1998 'as the first European leader'). - Lee Kuan YewLee Kuan YewLee Kuan Yew, GCMG, CH is a Singaporean statesman. He was the first Prime Minister of the Republic of Singapore, governing for three decades...
- Wilfrid LaurierWilfrid LaurierSir Wilfrid Laurier, GCMG, PC, KC, baptized Henri-Charles-Wilfrid Laurier was the seventh Prime Minister of Canada from 11 July 1896 to 6 October 1911....
(awarded on 16.04.1907) - Lasse LehtinenLasse LehtinenLasse Lehtinen is a Finnish politician, former Member of the Finnish Parliament and former Member of the European Parliament...
(awarded on 21.09.2007) - Ferdinand de LessepsFerdinand de LessepsFerdinand Marie, Vicomte de Lesseps, GCSI was the French developer of the Suez Canal, which joined the Mediterranean and Red Seas in 1869, and substantially reduced sailing distances and times between the West and the East.He attempted to repeat this success with an effort to build a sea-level...
- William LidderdaleWilliam LidderdaleWilliam Lidderdale PC was a British merchant, and governor of the Bank of England between 1889 and 1892.Lidderdale was born to British parents at the British Chaplaincy in Saint Petersburg, Russia, and was educated at Birkenhead in Cheshire.After working for the Russian merchants Heath and Co, he...
(awarded in 1891) - Charles LindberghCharles LindberghCharles Augustus Lindbergh was an American aviator, author, inventor, explorer, and social activist.Lindbergh, a 25-year-old U.S...
- David Lloyd GeorgeDavid Lloyd GeorgeDavid Lloyd George, 1st Earl Lloyd-George of Dwyfor OM, PC was a British Liberal politician and statesman...
(awarded on 27.04.1917) - Nelson MandelaNelson MandelaNelson Rolihlahla Mandela served as President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999, and was the first South African president to be elected in a fully representative democratic election. Before his presidency, Mandela was an anti-apartheid activist, and the leader of Umkhonto we Sizwe, the armed wing...
(awarded 10.07.1996) See: Acceptance Speech - Francis Leopold McClintockFrancis Leopold McClintockAdmiral Sir Francis Leopold McClintock or Francis Leopold M'Clintock KCB, FRS was an Irish explorer in the British Royal Navy who is known for his discoveries in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago.-Biography:...
(awarded in 05.1860) - Alfred Milner, 1st Viscount MilnerAlfred Milner, 1st Viscount MilnerAlfred Milner, 1st Viscount Milner KG, GCB, GCMG, PC was a British statesman and colonial administrator who played an influential leadership role in the formulation of foreign and domestic policy between the mid-1890s and early 1920s...
(awarded on 23.07.1901) - Ed MirvishEd MirvishEdwin “Honest Ed” Mirvish, OC, CBE was a Canadian businessman, philanthropist and theatrical impresario who lived in Toronto, Ontario...
- Cormac Murphy-O'Connor
- Robert Napier, 1st Baron Napier of MagdalaRobert Napier, 1st Baron Napier of MagdalaField Marshal Robert Cornelis Napier, 1st Baron Napier of Magdala, GCB, GCSI, CIE, FRS was a British soldier.-Early life:...
- Jawaharlal NehruJawaharlal NehruJawaharlal Nehru , often referred to with the epithet of Panditji, was an Indian statesman who became the first Prime Minister of independent India and became noted for his “neutralist” policies in foreign affairs. He was also one of the principal leaders of India’s independence movement in the...
- Florence NightingaleFlorence NightingaleFlorence Nightingale OM, RRC was a celebrated English nurse, writer and statistician. She came to prominence for her pioneering work in nursing during the Crimean War, where she tended to wounded soldiers. She was dubbed "The Lady with the Lamp" after her habit of making rounds at night...
(awarded 16.08.1908) She was the second woman who was awarded honorary Freedom. - Otto von HabsburgOtto von HabsburgOtto von Habsburg , also known by his royal name as Archduke Otto of Austria, was the last Crown Prince of Austria-Hungary from 1916 until the dissolution of the empire in 1918, a realm which comprised modern-day Austria, Hungary, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Slovakia,...
(awarded on 11.07.2007) - Luciano PavarottiLuciano Pavarottiright|thumb|Luciano Pavarotti performing at the opening of the Constantine Palace in [[Strelna]], 31 May 2003. The concert was part of the celebrations for the 300th anniversary of [[St...
(awarded on 12.11.2005) - Frederick Penny, 1st Viscount MarchwoodFrederick Penny, 1st Viscount MarchwoodFrederick George Penny, 1st Viscount Marchwood KCVO, JP was a British Conservative Party politician.The second son of Frederick James Penny of Bitterne in Hampshire, Penny was educated at King Edward VI Grammar School, Southampton.He was a senior partner Fraser & Co., Government brokers,...
- William Pitt the ElderWilliam Pitt, 1st Earl of ChathamWilliam Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham PC was a British Whig statesman who led Britain during the Seven Years' War...
(received the first honorary Freedom in 1757) - William Pitt the YoungerWilliam Pitt the YoungerWilliam Pitt the Younger was a British politician of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. He became the youngest Prime Minister in 1783 at the age of 24 . He left office in 1801, but was Prime Minister again from 1804 until his death in 1806...
- William Reid (VC)William Reid (VC)William Reid VC was a Scottish recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces...
- Franklin D. RooseveltFranklin D. RooseveltFranklin Delano Roosevelt , also known by his initials, FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States and a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war...
- Theodore RooseveltTheodore RooseveltTheodore "Teddy" Roosevelt was the 26th President of the United States . He is noted for his exuberant personality, range of interests and achievements, and his leadership of the Progressive Movement, as well as his "cowboy" persona and robust masculinity...
(awarded on 31.05.1910) - Salisbury, Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess ofRobert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of SalisburyRobert Arthur Talbot Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury, KG, GCVO, PC , styled Lord Robert Cecil before 1865 and Viscount Cranborne from June 1865 until April 1868, was a British Conservative statesman and thrice Prime Minister, serving for a total of over 13 years...
(awarded on 03.08.1878) - John Ross (Arctic explorer)John Ross (Arctic explorer)Sir John Ross, CB, was a Scottish rear admiral and Arctic explorer.Ross was the son of the Rev. Andrew Ross, minister of Inch, near Stranraer in Scotland. In 1786, aged only nine, he joined the Royal Navy as an apprentice. He served in the Mediterranean until 1789 and then in the English Channel...
(awarded in 03.1834) - James Saumarez, 1st Baron de SaumarezJames Saumarez, 1st Baron de SaumarezAdmiral James Saumarez, 1st Baron de Saumarez , GCB was an admiral of the British Royal Navy, notable for his victory at the Battle of Algeciras.-Early life:...
- Jan SmutsJan SmutsJan Christiaan Smuts, OM, CH, ED, KC, FRS, PC was a prominent South African and British Commonwealth statesman, military leader and philosopher. In addition to holding various cabinet posts, he served as Prime Minister of the Union of South Africa from 1919 until 1924 and from 1939 until 1948...
(awarded on 01.05.1917) - Henry Morton StanleyHenry Morton StanleySir Henry Morton Stanley, GCB, born John Rowlands , was a Welsh journalist and explorer famous for his exploration of Africa and his search for David Livingstone. Upon finding Livingstone, Stanley allegedly uttered the now-famous greeting, "Dr...
(awarded on 13.01.1887) - Eric SykesEric SykesEric Sykes, CBE is an English radio, television and film writer, actor and director whose performing career has spanned more than 50 years. He frequently wrote for and/or performed with many other leading comedy performers and writers of the period, including Tony Hancock, Spike Milligan, Peter...
- Margaret ThatcherMargaret ThatcherMargaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990...
(awarded on 26.05.1989) See: Acceptance Speech - Robin TilbrookRobin TilbrookRobin William Charles Tilbrook is a solicitor and English politician, the chairman and founder member of the English Democrats.-Politics:...
(awarded on 27.09.2011) See: http://www.voteenglish.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=350%3Arobin-tilbrook-made-freeman-of-the-city&catid=36%3Alatest-topics&Itemid=621 - Bernard WeatherillBernard WeatherillBruce Bernard Weatherill, Baron Weatherill, PC, DL, KStJ was a British Conservative Party politician who became Speaker of the House of Commons.-Tailor:...
- William Fenwick WilliamsWilliam Fenwick WilliamsGeneral Sir William Fenwick Williams, 1st Baronet GCB was a British military leader of the Victorian era.-Early life:...
- Woodrow WilsonWoodrow WilsonThomas Woodrow Wilson was the 28th President of the United States, from 1913 to 1921. A leader of the Progressive Movement, he served as President of Princeton University from 1902 to 1910, and then as the Governor of New Jersey from 1911 to 1913...
(awarded on 28.12.1918) - Bob WinterBob WinterRobert 'Bob' Winter is the Lord Provost of Glasgow. He was first elected a Labour councillor on Glasgow City Council in 1999, serving the Summerston ward. In 2007, he was re-elected as one of four councillors for Ward 15, which includes Maryhill and the Kelvin area of Glasgow's West End...
(awarded on 10.09.2007) - Garnet Wolseley, 1st Viscount WolseleyGarnet Wolseley, 1st Viscount WolseleyField Marshal Garnet Joseph Wolseley, 1st Viscount Wolseley, KP, GCB, OM, GCMG, VD, PC was an Anglo-Irish officer in the British Army. He served in Burma, the Crimean War, the Indian Mutiny, China, Canada, and widely throughout Africa—including his Ashanti campaign and the Nile Expedition...