Sir John Christopher Sainty, KCB, FSA (born 1934 in

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

) is a retired British parliamentary official who was

Clerk of the Parliaments The Clerk of the Parliaments is the chief Clerk (legislature), clerk of the House of Lords in the Parliament of the United Kingdom. The position has existed since at least 1315, and duties include preparing the minutes of Lords proceedings, advi ...

from 1983 to 1990.

Family

Sir John is the son of Christopher Lawrence Sainty, of Clayton Priory, Hassocks, Sussex, and his first wife Nancy Lee Miller, of

Madison, Wisconsin Madison is the county seat of Dane County and the capital city of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census the population was 269,840, making it the second-largest city in Wisconsin by population, after Milwaukee, and the 80th-lar ...

, and

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolita ...

. He is married to Frances Sherlock and has three sons: #

Christopher Sainty Christopher James Sainty (born 29 March 1967) is a British diplomat and civil servant. He was List of Ambassadors of the United Kingdom to Portugal, British Ambassador to Portugal from 2018 to 2023. Early life and education Sainty was born ...

, British Ambassador to Portugal since 2018 # Henry Sainty, solicitor, partner, Farrer & Co # Edward Sainty Sir John is also the elder half-brother of the art dealer and historian of Orders of Knighthood

Guy Stair Sainty Guy Stair Sainty, (born 7 December 1950) is a British art dealer and author on nobility, royal genealogy, and heraldry. Life and education Guy Stair Sainty is the son of Christopher Lawrence Sainty and Virginia Cade Stair, grand-daughter of ...

Education

He was educated at

Winchester College Winchester College is a public school (fee-charging independent day and boarding school) in Winchester, Hampshire, England. It was founded by William of Wykeham in 1382 and has existed in its present location ever since. It is the oldest of the ...

, and

New College, Oxford New College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1379 by William of Wykeham in conjunction with Winchester College as its feeder school, New College is one of the oldest colleges at th ...

Career

After serving as the

Private Secretary A private secretary (PS) is a civil servant in a governmental department or ministry, responsible to a secretary of state or minister; or a public servant in a royal household, responsible to a member of the royal family. The role exists in t ...

to the Leader of the House and Clerk of the Journals of the

House of Lords The House of Lords, also known as the House of Peers, is the Bicameralism, upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Membership is by Life peer, appointment, Hereditary peer, heredity or Lords Spiritual, official function. Like the ...

, he was appointed

in 1983, retiring in 1990. He was knighted in the 1986

Queen's Birthday Honours The Birthday Honours, in some Commonwealth realms, mark the reigning British monarch's official birthday by granting various individuals appointment into national or dynastic orders or the award of decorations and medals. The honours are present ...

, when he was made a

Knight Commander of the Bath The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate medieval ceremony for appointing a knight, which involved bathing (as a symbol of purification) as on ...

(KCB). He was later appointed a Senior Fellow of the

Institute of Historical Research The Institute of Historical Research (IHR) is a British educational organisation providing resources and training for historical researchers. It is part of the School of Advanced Study in the University of London and is located at Senate Hous ...

and has published numerous articles and studies of office holders under the Crown. He was also a Commissioner of the

Historical Manuscripts Commission The Royal Commission on Historical Manuscripts (widely known as the Historical Manuscripts Commission, and abbreviated as the HMC to distinguish it from the Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England), was a United Kingdom Royal Com ...

prior to its merger with the

Public Record Office The Public Record Office (abbreviated as PRO, pronounced as three letters and referred to as ''the'' PRO), Chancery Lane in the City of London, was the guardian of the national archives of the United Kingdom from 1838 until 2003, when it was m ...

to form

The National Archives National archives are central archives maintained by countries. This article contains a list of national archives. Among its more important tasks are to ensure the accessibility and preservation of the information produced by governments, both ...

Books

*''The Lord Lieutenants and their Deputies'' (Phillimore, 2007) * ''The Judges of England 1272-1990 a list of judges of the superior courts'' (1993) * ''A List of English Law Officers, King's Counsels and Holders of Precedence'' (Selden Society, 1987) * ''A List of English Law Officers, King's Counsel and Holders of Patents of Precedence'' (Selden Society, vol.7, 1986) * ''Parliamentary Functions of the Sovereign since 1509'' (1980) * ''Colonial Office Officials : officials of the Secretary of State for War, 1794-1801, etc.'' London: IHR (1976) * ''Home Office officials, 1782-1870'' London : Athlone Press & IHR (1975) * ''Admiralty Officials, 1660-1870'' (1975) * 'The Origins of House of Lords Leadership', ''The Bulletin of Historical Research'' (''BIHR'') (1974) * ''Officials of the Secretaries of State, 1660-1782'' (1973) * ''The Origin of the Office of Chairman of Committees in the House of Lords'' (HLRO Memorandum No.52, 1973) * ''The Lord Lieutenants of counties 1585-1642'' London: IHR (1970)

References

External links

Parliamentary Archives, Papers of Sir John Christopher Sainty
1934 births Living people Knights Companion of the Order of the Bath Fellows of the Society of Antiquaries of London Writers from London People educated at Winchester College Alumni of New College, Oxford Clerks of the Parliaments {{UK-historian-stub