Corps Security reached a significant milestone this weekend and marked its 162nd birthday on Saturday, 13th February.
The Corps of Commissionaires (now Corps Security) was founded in 1859 by Captain Sir Edward Walter. Thirteenth February is the official date that we celebrate the company’s humble beginning. On that day, 162 years ago Sir Walter made the below note in his notebook and we recognise the company’s inception from that very day:
“The Commissionaires will parade at 10am tomorrow morning and attend Divine Service at Westminster Abbey, after which they will dine together. The undermentioned men have been appointed to the Corps.”
Captain Sir Walter was the first to find an effective remedy to provide jobs for returning servicemen who were willing and able to work after the Crimean War. The company started with seven officers, and the ‘Original Eight’ etching was completed after Thomas Hancock VC joined in March 1859. Corps Security is the oldest security company in the world and our chief life Governor is the Queen.
Corps has a strong relationship with the Armed Forces and many of our colleagues have served in the military and emergency services. We also actively support the work of SSAFA – the Armed Forces charity, the Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Families Association, providing lifelong support and advice to servicemen, veterans and their families, and Combat Stress, a charity organisation which provides specialist treatment and support for veterans from every service and conflict, focusing on those with complex mental health issues.
We are proud of our rich heritage and our ability to combine the experience of the past with the needs of the present to give our customers an unrivalled level of service that always delivers first-class quality. Our founding values were ‘loyalty, integrity and service‘ and these still underpin everything we do today. These values have guided us in becoming the UK’s most established and respected specialist security services provider.
