Muriel stars as a real Dame...

DAME Muriel Taylor in her regalia

"There is nothing like a dame” goes the famous song, and Oldham has its own in former councillor Muriel Taylor (71), now a Dame Grand Cross of the Knightly Order Valiant of St George.

Janice Barker found out more about her work and the Order, which goes back to medieval times.


Think of knights and dames, and images of Lancelot, Ivanhoe, Guinevere and the Round Table immediately come to mind.

St George is England’s most famous knight, famed in fables as the man who slew the fire-breathing dragon. In reality he was probably a Roman soldier from Turkey who was executed in AD 303 for adhering to his Christian faith.

In fact St George is a patron saint in many European countries, none more so than Hungary where the Knightly Order of St George was founded in 1326.

Originally it was a military and charitable order for 50 knights, but military service is no longer a requirement, although it still has pageantry and ceremonies with a military favour.

Despite the rise of communism in Hungary the Order survived, and flourished after the break up of the Soviet state in 1989. Its ceremonies are now attended by Government, military and religious leaders.

The Order supports hospices, orphanages, homes for the elderly and organisations that work with the underprivileged and marginalised.

But how did a pensioner from Oldham come to be involved with the organisation which has an unbroken record of service from the 14th century?

The connection is via Muriel’s son, Christian, a teacher at Merchant Taylor’s independent boys’ school in Middlesex.

Muriel explained: “I knew he did charitable work, but when he contacted me about the order it was the first I had heard of it.

“When I went into it, I found it was a Christian order — ecumenical so all people can join whether Church of England, Roman Catholic, Orthodox, Methodist.

“In order to expand the membership of the Order and raise the profile and raise more money for charity, I was asked to start a Commandery for the north of England.”

The UK is a Grand Priory of the Order and its spiritual leader is the Right Rev Dr Michael Nazir-Ali, the Bishop of Rochester.

The Order was recognised as a UK charity in the last century, but its roots go back to King Karoly Robert of Hungary who created his knightly society when his country was suffering civil unrest and power struggles in the 14th century.

He used the knights as a way of restoring order, by setting an example of good character and loyalty.

The obligations of the original 50 knights were to be faithful to the king, to be Christians doing charity work, and to uphold the chivalric code of the Order.

Muriel, who was a councillor from 1992 to 1996, then headed the Sholver Tenant Management Organisation, and was the driving force behind Sholver’s Millennium Green.

She also works part-time as a counsellor in schools, is a governor at St Margaret’s School, Hollinwood, and was a churchwarden for five years at St Margaret’s Church.

She arranged the inaugural dinner for the Order’s new Duchy of Lancaster Commandery at Werneth Cricket Club in September this year.

And one of the speakers was Toby Price, a young man who has been helped by the Fairbridge charity which is supported by the Order.

Fairbridge works with disadvantaged young people aged 13 to 25 who find it difficult to engage with other organisations.

Last year it helped 3,500 to change their lives, despite struggling with homelessness, substance misuse or court appearances.

Muriel said: “I was attracted to the Order because I am very involved with young people, and also because every penny raised by the Order is given to charity.

“We also raise money for lesser known charities who don’t have paid fundraising managers.”

As well as Fairbridge, the Commandery is also fund-raising for the children of Watamu, East Africa, orphaned by malaria and Aids, helping them become self supporting by buying cows, goats and chickens, gardening materials to grow food and paying for school books.

Membership is for men and women over 21 years, of “exemplary social and moral reputation and living honourably, regardless of race, gender or ability” as its website says.

A personal invitation to join normally follows nomination by two serving members.

Members wear an insignia and mantle at formal occasions, and they are invested at an annual knighting ceremony held in Rochester Cathedral.

Muriel is now expanding the Commandery in the region and encouraging more people to join.

She said: “Boosting membership will boost charity money.”