Admiral Sir William Richard Scott Thomas was the Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod from 1992 to 1995, a position which originates where?
Richard Thomas (Royal Navy officer) Admiral Sir William Richard Scott Thomas (22 March 1932 – 13 December 1998) was the Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod (or simply Black Rod) in the British Parliament's House of Lords from January 1992 to 8 May 1995.
Customs and traditions of the Royal Navy There are many customs and traditions associated with the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom, many of these traditions have carried on to other Commonwealth navies, such as Canada, Australia and New Zealand. These include formal customs including separate crests associated with ships, ensigns and fleet reviews. There are also several less formal customs and traditions including Naval slang commonly referred to as Jack Speak and the traditional games of Uckers and Euchre. Winston Churchill probably never dismissed the customs of the Royal Navy as "..nothing but rum, sodomy and the lash.”