Historic home for veterans welcomes first female resident in its 450-year history
Warwick’s Lord Leycester marks historic day with the installation of two new Brethren, including the hospital’s first female Brother in it’s history.
On Saturday 15th February 2025 the Lord Leycester, Warwick’s home for heroes, marked a momentous occasion with the installation of two new residents, including the first female Brother in its over 450-year history.
The Lord Leycester has provided a home for former soldiers since the reign of Elizabeth I and this month held an official ceremony to welcome the latest arrivals, Janet Brodie-Murphy and Alan Gill BEM. The Lord Leycester has previously admitted over 450 male veterans to live in private lodgings on the site, but now welcomes the first female Brother in its history.
A special installation ceremony, following the same format that has been carried out since Tudor times, took place in the 900-year-old Chapel of St James which sits atop Warwick’s West Gate, one of the original entrances to the walled medieval town.
The ceremony was led by the Lord Leycester’s first female Master, Dr Heidi Meyer, who was installed in a similar ceremony in 2017 at the unique historic site in Warwick.
Brother Jan and Brother Alan moved to the Lord Leycester in September after they met when they were both In-Pensioners at London’s Royal Hospital Chelsea. Over the past six months, they have been adjusting to life in Warwick before swearing an oath and swapping their scarlet uniforms from the Royal Hospital Chelsea for the Lord Leycester’s Elizabethan style robes, to join their fellow Brethren.
The pair both swore an oath in the presence of the Master, as instructed in ‘Statutes and Rules of The Lord Leycester’, an original document from 1585 that still survives today and is currently stored in the Warwickshire County Records Office for conservation purposes. It is one of three original Tudor deeds written by the Lord Leycester Hospital’s founder, Robert Dudley, that can be seen on display in the Chaplain’s Dining Room throughout the year.
The ceremony was attended by the rector of the Collegiate Church of St Mary’s, Mayor of Warwick, Bailiff of the Court Leet, Governors of the Lord Leycester, Chelsea Pensioners and Governor of the Royal Hospital Chelsea, General Sir Adrian Bradshaw.
Alan, who served with the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, fell in love with the Lord Leycester during a visit to Warwick. He then returned to Chelsea, telling Jan all about his visit. Following this, the couple made regular trips to Warwick, getting to know the other Brothers, before applying to become official Brethren themselves.
Brother Jan’s installation marks a new chapter in the Lord Leycester’s rich history as for the first time ever, the hospital has a female Master and Brother – a feat that would have been practically unimaginable only a few decades ago.
To learn more about the Lord Leycester in Warwick, including family-friendly events and other things to do in Warwick’s unique historic attraction, explore our website or pop in and see us.