Esquires Bedell

Senate has resolved that the "Esquire Bedell shall attend on the Chancellor or the Deputy Chancellor on public academic occasions and shall consult with the Vice-Chancellor on the ceremonial procedure suitable for such occasion." (page 319, 1967 Calendar)

In February 2009, Senate resolved that the President of the Alumni Council be authorised to nominate a member of the Council or other eminent alumnus to act as Esquire Bedell.

The Esquire Bedell normally carries the Mace before the Chancellor or the Deputy Chancellor at graduation ceremonies.

The term Esquire Bedell means a ceremonial officer of a university, usually with official duties relating to the conduct of ceremonies for the conferment of degrees. The word is closely related to the archaic Bedel and modern English Beadle. The term is primarily associated with universities in the United Kingdom.

Esquire Bedell

Bohdan Bilinsky, Esquire Bedell 2009-
Photo, copyright Liz Cartwright

Previous Esquires Bedell

1855 William Charles Windeyer (1834 - 1897)
— profile

1866 John Kinlock

1897 John Mitchell Purves (1847 - 1915)

1916 - 1946 Lieutenant-Colonel R J A Massie, DSO
— profile

1950 Lieutenant-General Sir Iven Geffard Mackay, KBE CMG DSO (with bar) VD (1882 - 1966)
— obituary

1967 vacant

1968 The Hon F M Osborne, DSC and Bar, VRD

1989 vacant

1991 Dr Neville Webb President, Standing Committee of Convocation (following a Senate resolution in April 1991 to invite the holder of the office of President of the Standing Committee of Convocation to be appointed as Esquire Bedell)

1994 Dr Charles Latimer President, Standing Committee of Convocation

1997 Mr George Symons President, Standing Committee of Convocation

2000 Mrs Helga Pettitt President, Standing Committee of Convocation

2002 Dr Michael Thomas President, Standing Committee of Convocation

2006 Dr Barry Catchlove President, Alumni Council