A Very Rare Original Order of the Bath and Envelope of the Military Division of the Second Class or Knights Commander to Sir Charles Trollope. Dated 1873 and signed by Queen Victoria. The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by King George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from an elaborate medieval ceremony for preparing a candidate to receive his knighthood, of which ritual bathing (as a symbol of purification) was an element. While not all knights went through such an elaborate ceremony, knights so created were known as 'knights of the Bath', and likely from the upper classes to begin with. George I constituted the Knights of the Bath as a regular 'Military Order'. Condition is very good. Size is 325mm x 200mm. Usual folding creases. General Sir Charles Trollope, K.G.B. KCB (21 October 1808 – 5 July 1888) Charles Trollope the younger son of Sir John Trollope of Casewick, Lincolnshire and second cousin to the writer Anthony Trollope. He entered the army as Ensign in the 17th Regiment of Foot in 1825. In 1826, he was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant, and he was appointed to a Lieutenancy in 36th Regiment in 1827. In 1830 he embarked for the West Indies, where he served till 1838. He proceeded with the regiment to New Brunswick, North America, and served there till 1839. On 1843, he was promoted to a major in the regiment, and in 1846, he was appointed Lieutenant-Colonel in command of the Reserve Battalion, with which he embarked for the Ionian Islands on 2nd January 1847. While in command of this Battalion he commanded the troops in the Island of Cephalonia in 1848-49-50. In August 1848, the towns of Argostoli and Lixuri were attacked by armed banditti, who were repulsed by the troops with loss on both sides. In 1849, the island was disturbed by armed insurgents. Martial law was proclaimed, which remained in force six weeks, and was carried into effect by him. Received the thanks of the Queen and of the Legislature of the islands and was voted a sword of honour by the inhabitants of Cephalonia. The Reserve Battalion having been consolidated with the 1st Battalion in Corfu, in April 1850, Colonel Trollope embarked at Cephalonia in March 1851.