sword-bearern.
A person who bears a sword.
a. spec. A municipal official who carries a sword of state before a magistrate on ceremonial occasions.
ΘΚΠ
society > authority > office > holder of office > ceremonial officials > [noun] > sword-bearer
sword-bearer1431
1431 in H. Littlehales Medieval Rec. London City Church (1905) 15 The Mayres Swerd berer for the tyme beyng.
a1471 Rolls of Parl. V. 396/1 Kerver and Swordberer to the said moste heynous Traytour.
1518 in I. S. Leadam Select Cases Star Chamber (1911) II. 143 Officers of the same Towne, as Recorder, Towne Clerke, Swordberer, attorney and other.
1704 Clarendon's Hist. Rebellion III. xvi. 555 The City of London sent a Letter to him by their Sword-Bearer.
1708 London Gaz. No. 4464/5 His Lordship..carried the Sword bareheaded before Her Majesty..to the Church, where the City Sword-bearer receiv'd it from his Lordship.
a1734 R. North Lives of Norths (1826) I. 251 There was one Row in office of swordbearer; which in that town [sc. Bristol] is pronounced sorberer. I thought it sounded like Cerberus.
1835 1st Rep. Commissioners Munic. Corporations Eng. & Wales App. i. 60 in Parl. Papers (H.C. 116) XXIII. 1 The Sword-bearer [of Gloucester] is elected for life by the corporation... His only duties are to attend upon the mayor, and to carry the sword.
b. An attendant on a military man of rank, or on a chief, who carries his master's sword when not worn.
ΘΚΠ
society > armed hostility > warrior > soldier > military servant > [noun] > weapon- or armour-bearer
scutifera1400
armourerc1405
harness-man1530
weapon-bearer1535
esquire1553
armour-bearer1560
harness-bearer1563
shield-bearer1603
shield-knave1627
Port-glaive1652
sword-bearer1660
selictar1684
1660 in F. P. Verney & M. M. Vernay Mem. Verney Family 17th Cent. (1904) II. 151 What the Sword-bearer brought of Monke's coming up, may bee falsly rendered by him.
c. gen. One who carries or wears a sword.
ΘΚΠ
society > armed hostility > warrior > armed man > [noun] > sword
swordmanc1400
sword-bearer1530
blader1577
fencer1581
sworder1594
flourisher1598
toss-blade1659
home thruster1682
lunger1842
swordsman1859
1530 J. Palsgrave Lesclarcissement 278/1 Swerdeberer, porteur despee.
1538 T. Elyot Dict. Macherophorus, a sworde bearer.
a1571 J. Jewel Viewe Seditious Bul (1582) 4 [Saint] Paule the Swordebearer.
1802 C. James New Mil. Dict. Sword-bearer, one who wears a sword.
d. A ruler or magistrate having authority to punish offenders (with allusion to Rom. xiii. 4).
ΘΚΠ
society > authority > office > holder of office > magistrate > [noun] > having authority to punish offenders
sword-bearer1660
1660 R. Coke Justice Vindicated ii. 32 Though he makes no difference between Swordbearers and Swordtakers, between Gods Ministers, and Theeves and Robbers; yet the Holy Ghost does, for Gods Minister is a Swordbearer.
1691 R. Baxter Of National Churches xi. 49 Supposing such Bishops qualified.., and usurping none of the Sword-bearers power.
e. One of an order of knights in Poland, founded in 1204: see Port-glaive n.
ΘΚΠ
society > armed hostility > warrior > member of order of knights, etc. > [noun]
Templarc1290
hospitallerc1386
Templaryc1460
Rhodian?1482
spittlerc1540
stelliferc1540
Johannite1570
Annunciade1593
Port-glaive1652
sword-bearer1656
turcopole1896
society > faith > church government > monasticism > religious order > religio-military religious > Knight Sword-bearer > [noun]
Port-glaive1652
sword-bearer1656
society > society and the community > social class > nobility > rank > knight > [noun] > position of commander in an order > in Poland
sworder1537
sword-bearer1656
1656 T. Blount Glossographia Portglaive, a Sword-bearer.
1693 A. Gavin Short Hist. Monastical Orders 287 Of the Order of Teutonick Knights, Marrianes, or Sword-bearers.
1728 E. Chambers Cycl. at Teutonic In 1204, Duke Albert had founded the Order of Sword-bearers, Port-Glaives.
1784 H. Clark Hist. Knighthood II. 88 Albert then Bishop of Livonia..prescribed to these Knights the Cistercian rule and habit, viz. a long white mantle and black hood; on the breast two swords in saltire, whence they had the title of Brethren Sword-Bearers.
1841 Penny Cycl. XX. 248/1 Most of these [German] families settled there [i.e. in the Baltic provinces] when the Order of the Knights Sword-bearers was the acknowledged sovereign of these countries (from 1300 to 1530).
Derivatives
ˈswordˌbearership n. the office of a sword-bearer (sense a).
ΘΚΠ
society > authority > office > holder of office > ceremonial officials > [noun] > sword-bearer > position of
swordbearership1535
1535 T. Cranmer Let. 30 June in Remains (1833) I. 142 His preferment unto the room of the swordbearership of London.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1919; most recently modified version published online June 2020).
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n.1431