FOUNDING MEMBERS OF THE NOBLE ORDER OF THE KNIGHTS OF MARSHALL INSTITUTED ON THE 18TH NOVEMBER, 1926 AND THE FIRST APPOINTMENTS THEY HELD (All transferred to the Mystical Order)
1. Bro. JOSEPH BROOKMAN-AMISSAH:
1st Grand Knight of Council No. 1, Sekondi. Born at Elmina, Ghana, West Africa on 5th July, 1889 and educated at St. Joseph Roman Catholic School, Elmina. A confidant of J.A. Kwesi Aaba who conceived the idea of founding the Noble Order. He volunteered to undertake travels on behalf of the founders who raised and paid his travel expenses to Lagos, Nigeria, in connection with plans for the inauguration. He died at Accra in the year 1962
.
2. Bro. JOSEPH ANKONAM KWESI AABA:
Born at Elmina, Ghana, West Africa on 18th January, 1885, and educated at St. Joseph Roman Catholic
School, Elmina, and St. Gregory Grammar School (Catholic), Lagos, Nigeria. Employed in 1903 as Assistant Storekeeper by Messrs. Millers at Half-Assini and later by the Bank of British West Africa and posted to the Lagos Branch. Conceived the idea of founding the Noble Order which culminated in its inauguration in 1926. Served as the 1st Deputy Grand Knight of Council No. 1, Sekondi, and later until his death on 25th June, 1971 (aged 86) as Grand Supreme Director of the Knights of Marshall
3. Bro. CARL HYACINTH BRACTON RHULE:
1st Supreme Secretary, Born at Elmina Ghana, West Africa, on 25th February, 1889. Brother Rhule was educated at St. Joseph Roman Catholic School, Elmina. He studied privately and acquired sound knowledge of the French language which gained him employment in Ivory Coast (now Côte d’Ivoire) in the Governor’s office at Bingerville. He was a good musician and acclaimed by his colleagues as a brilliant scholar. On his return home to Ghana (then Gold Coast) he was employed as Clerk in the Engineering Department of the Gold Coast Railways which he served from 19th October, 1925 to 25th February, 1944 when he retired. He participated actively in the founding of the Noble Order and subsequently served over the years as 1st Secretary of Council No. 1, 1st Supreme Secretary and at the time of his death in Sekondi on 18th June, 1953, was Deputy Supreme Director.
4. Bro. JAMES EMMANUEL PENNEY:
Assistant Secretary, Council No.1 Sekondi, Born at Cape Coast on 13th August, 1898. Educated at Cape Coast Roman Catholic School before proceeding to Sekondi to seek employment. He was active at St. Paul Catholic Parish and actively supported the
founders in the establishment of the Knights of Marshall. He rose and became the fifth Supreme Knight. Died at Cape Coast.
5. Bro. JOSEPH MENSAH CONDUA:
Born at Elmina in 1873. He was educated at the Roman Catholic School. On completion of his education he went to Obuasi and worked as Storekeeper with Ashanti Goldfields.
Subsequent employments brought him to Sekondi where he continued to be employed as Storekeeper by United Africa Company (U.A.C.) Ltd. His services towards the founding of the Noble Order earned him the post of Treasurer of Council No. 1. He died at Sekondi on 28th July, 1952.
6. Bro. FRANCIS ABAKA OTOO:
He was born at Shama where he was educated at the Roman Catholic School. His first employment was by the Gold Coast Railways which he resigned to be employed as Court Registrar and stationed at Dunkwa-On-Offin. He was the first Secretary of Finance of Council No. 1but retired to Dunkwa on grounds of ill-health and there he died on 30th October, 1964.
7. Bro. ALBERT T. MENSON:
He was born at Elmina where he received his elementary education at the Catholic Mission. His life-long career was with the Gold Coast Customs and Excise Department who transferred him to Nigeria and was stationed at Lagos and later Calabar. On his transfer back to the Gold Coast, he remained employed
by Customs and Excise and served the Department at Sekondi, Keta, Ada and Accra; at all these stations, he was the Officer-in-Charge. His services with Customs and Excise spanned thirty-two years. A devout practical Catholic who was active wherever he was stationed and while finally at Sekondi he teamed up with the others to found the Knights of Marshall. He was Director of Ceremonies of Council No. 1 prior to his death at Sekondi on 19th January, 1932.
8. Bro. BENJAMIN RAVENS-BARLOW:
He was born on 23rd December, 1883 at Keta-Agbantorkope, then French Togoland. He received his elementary education at Keta (Gold Coast) Roman Catholic School and later at Fourah Bay College, Freetown, Sierra Leone. He returned to the Gold Coast in 1910 and settled at Sekondi, and as one of the first Ewe settlers was recognized as the Head of the Ewe Community in Sekondi. He spent his long years in Sekondi in the employment of the Traffic Branch of the Gold Coast Railways from whose service he retired in 1931 with the rank of Chief Clerk. He was the first Inner Sentinel of Council No. 1 of the Knights of Marshall and it is said that from 1926 to 1966, Council Meetings of Council No. 1 were held in his house at No. 5/18, Central Prison Road, Sekondi. He died on 3rd November, 1966 at the age of 83.
9. Bro. TIMOTHY SOLOMON APPIAH:
Outer Sentinel. Born at Kejabir, Ahanta, Western Region, Ghana, West Africa, in 1886. Educated at St. Paul Catholic School, Sekondi. He was employed as a clerk at the then British Bank of West Africa in Sekondi. He was later transferred to the bank’s Kumasi branch but resigned a few months later and returned to Sekondi where he took to photography as a profession. He died and was buried in Sekondi in 1938.
10. Bro. THOMAS ENIMIL ASHUN:
Auditor, He was born at Elmina in 1885. He was educated at St. Joseph Catholic School in Elmina where he later taught for a few years. He later joined Elder Dempster Lines at Sekondi and after long years service rose to occupy the position of “Senior Elder Dempster Officer”. He played an active part in establishing the Knights of Marshall and served as the first Auditor of Council No. 1.
He died at Elmina in 1965.
11. Bro. JOSEPH BARNES ARTHUR: Born at Sekondi, West Africa Died at Sekondi.
12. Bro. JOSEPH HARRY BOHAM:
He born at Elmina, in the year 1878. He was educated at the Elmina Catholic School. He went to Sekondi in 1899 and was employed by Elder Dempster Lines from where he retired many years later. He died at Sekondi in the year 1935.
13. Bro. ROBERT KWESI ENTSUAH-WILSON:
Born at Elmina. He was educated at the Catholic Mission School. He went to Sekondi after his education and was employed as Storekeeper throughout his career. He was stationed at Koforidua and returned finally to Elmina where he died in 1945.
The first Officers of Council No. 1 of the Noble Order of the Knights of Marshall, Sekondi (1926 – 1927).
1. Bro. J. Brookman-Ammisah – – – – Grand Knight
2. Bro. J. A. Kwesi-Aaba – – – Deputy Grand Knight
3. Bro. C.H.B. Rhule – – – – – – – – – – – Secretary
4. Bro. J. E. Penney – – – – – – – – Assistant Secretary
5. Bro. J.M. Condua – – – – – – – – – – – – – Treasurer
6. Bro. F. A. Otoo – – – – – – – – – Financial Secretary
7. Bro. Albert T. Menson – – – – Director of Ceremonies
8. Bro. B.R. Barlow – – – – – – – – – – Inner Sentinel
9. Bro. T.S. Appiah – – – – – – – – – – Outer Sentinel
10. Bro. T. E. Ashun – – – – – – – – – – – – – Auditor