In March 1542, George Ferrar, a member of parliament, while in attendance on the house was taken in execution by a sheriff's officer for debt, and committed to the Compter prison. The house despatched their sergeant to require his release, which was resisted, and an affray taking place, his mace was broken. The house in a body repaired to the lords to complain, when the contempt was adjudged to be very great, and the punishment of the offenders was referred to the lower house. On another messenger being sent to the sheriff's by the commons, they delivered up the senator, and the civil magistrates and the creditor were committed to the Tower, the inferior officers to Newgate, and an act was passed releasing Ferrar from liability for the debt. The king, Henry VIII, approved of these proceedings and the transaction became the basis of the rule of parliament which exempts members from arrest. Research Ferrar's Arrest
Sir Benjamin Collins Bartholemew Brodie was an English surgeon. He was born in 1783 and died in 1862. He was the leading surgeon of his day, and attended George IV, and was sergeant-surgeon to William IV. and to Queen Victoria. He was made a baronet in 1834; from 1858 to 1861 was president of the Royal Society, and was connected with many other scientific and learned societies. He published a number of works all connected with his profession. Research Benjamin Brodie
Brandon Thomas was a British playwright and actor. He was born in 1849 at Hull and died in 1914. He worked as a shipping clerk in Liverpool and Hull before going on the stage in John Hare's company in 1879. He acted in comedy parts in England and the USA, but was more successful as a playwright. His greatest triumph was with his farce, Charley's Aunt, produced in 1892. Among his other plays were Comrades, produced in 1882;The Colour-Sergeant produced in 1885; The Swordsman's Daughter produced in 1895; Women Are So Serious produced in 1901; and A Judge's Memory produced in 1906. Research Brandon Thomas
Bruce Montgomery was an English composer, conductor and organist. He was born in 1921 and died in 1978. From 1948 he worked in films, composing music scores for films such as the 1958 'Carry On Sergeant' and other 'Carry On' films of the 1950s and early 1960s. Research Bruce Montgomery
Sir George Abbiss was an English policeman. He was born in 1884 at Hitchin and died in 1966. He was the second officer to rise through the ranks to become Assistant Commissioner of Scotland Yard. Originally a gardener, he joined the Metropolitan police in 1905 and was an ordinary constable, later a Sergeant and Station Sergeant before being promoted to Inspector in 1919. In 1920 he was awarded the MBE and in 1932 the OBE in 1933 being appointed Assistant Commissioner before retiring in 1946. Research George Abbiss
Helene Adele is an English woman. She was born in 1907. Helene Adele was the victim of an attempt to pervert the course of justice by two Metropolitan police constables in 1928. In July 1928 Helene Adele was staying in a taxicab parked in a garage in London, with permission that she might sleep overnight in the taxi, when two PCs inspected the garage on their patrol. One constable entered the cab and tried to force Helene Adele to have sex with him. She refused, threatened to report the officer, and was subsequently arrested and charged on fabricated charges of using insulting words and behaviour. The truth came out in court, and Helene Adele was acquitted and the two constables charged with perjury and attempting to pervert the course of justice. At the officers trial an Acting-Sergeant gave false evidence that at the time of the incident one of the officers had been at the station. Both officers were convicted to 18 months hard-labour and the Acting-Sergeant was dismissed from the force for giving false evidence. Research Helene Adele
Idi Amin Dada was a Ugandan soldier and dictator. He was born in 1925 at Koboko and died in 2003. A sergeant in the British colonial army in Uganda before staging a military coup in 1971 and taking control of the country from the then left-wing leader, Obote. Western governments welcomed Amin's coup as it removed a potential communist from the country. However, Idi Amin's first action was to execute all the military thought to be loyal to Obote.
In order to maintain power - which he did through the public execution of any opposition - Idi Amin required military support. This he at first obtained from Israel, but Israel withdrew after becoming aware of Idi Amin's atrocities. Idi Amin then courted the Arab world, and became an active supporter of the Palestinian terrorists, sending a telegram of support for them following the massacre of Israeli athletes at the Olympics and inviting an Israeli passenger jet, hijacked by Palestinian terrorists to land at Entebbeairport. His brutal rule which resulted in the deaths of thousands of people ended after his failed invasion of neighbouring Tanzania resulted in Tanzania invading Uganda and capturing Kampala, the Ugandan capital in 1979. Idi Amin escaped to exile in the Saudi Arabian city of Mecca where he died. Research Idi Amin
James Carney was an American Air Force sergeant, who as a linguist and communications specialist served at Tempelhof airport in West Berlin. He spied for the German Democratic Republic under the code name 'Kid', informing the GDR of how the US communications system in Germany was able to pinpoint dozens of vulnerable WarsawPact targets within minutes of the outbreak of war. In 1984 he fled to the GDR after his lover died in mysterious circumstances, and in 1990, following a long period of depression and anxiety, he returned to the USA in the company of the CIA where he was sentenced to thirty-eight years in prison. Research James Carney
Jean-Baptiste-Jules Bernadotte was a French general, afterwards raised to the Swedish throne. He was born in 1764 and died in 1844. He was the son of an advocate of Pau, and enlisted at the age of seventeen, became a sergeant-major in 1789, and subaltern in 1790. In 1794 he was appointed a general of a division, and distinguished himself greatly in the campaign in Germany, and on thoRhine.
In 1798 he married Mademoiselle Clary, sister-in-law of Joseph Bonaparte. The following year he became for a short time minister of war, and on the establishment of the empire was raised to the dignity of marshal of France, and the title of Prince of Ponte-Corvo. On the death of the Prince of Holstein-Augustenburg the heir apparency to the Swedish crown was offered to the Prince of Ponte-Corvo, who accepted with the consent of the emperor, went to Sweden, abjured Catholicism, and took the title of Prince Charles John.
In the maintenance of the interests of Sweden a serious rupture occurred between him and Bonaparte, followed by his accession in 1812 to the coalition of sovereigns against Napoleon. At the battle of Leipzig he contributed effectually to the victory of the allies. At the close of the war strenuous attempts were made by the Emperor of Austria and other sovereigns to restore the family of Gustavus IV to the crown but Bernadotte, retaining his position as crown-prince, became King of Sweden on the death of Charles XIII in 1818, under the title of Charles XIV. During his reign agriculture and commerce made great advances, and many important public works were completed. After his death he was succeeded by his son Oscar. Research Jean-Baptiste-Jules Bernadotte
The Probert Encyclopaedia was designed, edited and programed by
Matt and Leela Probert
Abbreviations
Research Dad's Army
