Peter Grant Peterkin

Major-General Peter Grant Peterkin CB OBE
Serjeant-at-Arms of the British House of Commons
In office 31 December 2004 – 24 June 2007
Speaker	Michael Martin
Preceded by	Sir Michael Cummins
Succeeded by	Jill Pay
Personal details
Born	6 July 1947
Nationality	British
Alma mater	Durham University
Awards	Companion of the Order of the Bath Officer of the Order of the British Empire
Military service
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	British Army
Years of service	1967-2004
Rank	Major-General
Commands	24th Airmobile Brigade 5th Division
Battles/wars	Kosovo War

Major-General Anthony Peter Grant Peterkin CB OBE (born 6 July 1947) is a retired senior British Army officer. He was the British House of Commons' Serjeant at Arms between 2004 and 2007.

Early life

Grant Peterkin was born on 6 July 1947.^[1] He is the son of the late Brigadier James Grant Peterkin, DSO and his wife Dorothea Grant Peterkin. He was educated at Ampleforth College, then an all-boys independent school in Ampleforth, North Yorkshire.^[2]

Military career

Having graduated from the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, Grant Peterkin was commissioned into the Queen's Own Highlanders on 28 July 1967 as a second lieutenant. He was given the service number 483916.^[3] In 1968, he began the study of history at Durham University.^[4] He was promoted to lieutenant on 28 January 1969.^[5] He graduated from Durham with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in 1971.^[2] He was promoted to captain on 28 July 1973.^[6] Between 1973 and 1974, he served as aide-de-camp to the Chief of the General Staff, then General Sir Peter Hunt.^[2] He was promoted to major on 31 December 1979,^[7] and then attended the Indian Staff College in 1980.^[2]

Having attended the Australian Joint Services Staff College in 1986,^[2] he was promoted to lieutenant colonel on 31 December 1986 with seniority in that rank from 30 June 1986.^[8] He was appointed commanding officer of 1st Battalion, Queen's Own Highlanders in 1987. Then, from 1989 to 1991, he was Military Assistant to the Military Secretary.^[2] He was appointed Commander 24th Airmobile Brigade in 1993^[9] and then became Deputy Military Secretary in 1996.^[9]

In 1999 he went on a mission, arranged by the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, to Kosovo^[9] and then later that year he was appointed the senior Army representative at the Royal College of Defence Studies.^[10] In October 1999 he became General Officer Commanding 5th Division.^[11] He became Military Secretary in 2000 before retiring in 2004.^[12]

Later life

He was appointed Serjeant at Arms in 2004. His contract was not renewed in 2007 after suggestions of a falling out with Michael Martin, the Speaker of the House of Commons.^[13]

Personal life

In 1974, Grant Peterkin married Joanna Young, daughter of Sir Brian Young. Together, they have had two children; one son and one daughter.^[2]

Honours and decorations

In the 1991 New Year Honours, Grant Peterkin was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE).^[14] In the 2003 New Year Honours, he was appointed Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB).^[15]

References

1. "Maj-Gen Peter Grant Peterkin, CB, OBE". People of Today Online. Debrett's. Retrieved 7 August 2013.
2. "GRANT PETERKIN, Maj. Gen. (Anthony) Peter". Who's Who 2013. A & C Black. November 2012. Retrieved 7 August 2013.
3. The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 44435. pp. 11533–11534. 20 October 1967. Retrieved 07 August 2013.
4. "Peter Grant Peterkin". LinkedIn. Retrieved 8 August 2013.
5. The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 44774. p. 996. 24 January 1969. Retrieved 07 August 2013.
6. The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 46051. p. 9715. 14 August 1973. Retrieved 07 August 2013.
7. The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 48080. p. 1439. 28 January 1980. Retrieved 07 August 2013.
8. The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 50799. p. 450. 12 January 1987. Retrieved 07 August 2013.
9. Debrett's People of Today
10. The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 55385. p. 883. 25 January 1999. Retrieved 20 December 2009.
11. The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 55735. p. 463. 18 January 2000. Retrieved 20 December 2009.
12. The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 57175. p. 381. 31 January 2004. Retrieved 20 December 2009.
13. Watts, Robert (24 June 2007). "Serjeant at Arms given marching orders". The Telegraph. Retrieved 7 August 2013.
14. The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 52382. p. 5. 28 December 1990. Retrieved 07 August 2013.
15. The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 56797. p. 2. 31 December 2002. Retrieved 07 August 2013.