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(1947-07-06)
Nationality	British
Alma mater	Durham University
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
Awards	Companion of the Order of the Bath Officer of the Order of the British Empire

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. 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.

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. In 1968, he began the study of history at Durham University. He was promoted to lieutenant on 28 January 1969. He graduated from Durham with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in 1971. He was promoted to captain on 28 July 1973. Between 1973 and 1974, he served as aide-de-camp to the Chief of the General Staff, then General Sir Peter Hunt. He was promoted to major on 31 December 1979, and then attended the Indian Staff College in 1980. Having attended the Australian Joint Services Staff College in 1986, he was promoted to lieutenant colonel on 31 December 1986 with seniority in that rank from 30 June 1986. 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. He was appointed Commander 24th Airmobile Brigade in 1993 and then became Deputy Military Secretary in 1996. In 1999 he went on a mission, arranged by the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, to Kosovo and then later that year he was appointed the senior Army representative at the Royal College of Defence Studies. In October 1999 he became General Officer Commanding 5th Division. He became Military Secretary in 2000 before retiring in 2004.

Later life

He was appointed Serjeant at Arms in 2004. His contract was no renewed in 2007 after suggestions of a falling out with Michael Martin, the Speaker of the House of Commons.

Personal life

In 1974, Grant Peterkin married Joanna Young, daughter of Sir Brian Young. Together, the have had two children; one son and one daughter.

Honours and decorations

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