The College of Arms NEWSLETTER March 2006
No. 8	Send an enquiry              Subscribe            Unsubscribe

Left: John Brooke-Little in his uniform as Norroy and Ulster King of Arms in con-versation with the then Earl Marshal, the 17th Duke of Norfolk, on the occasion of the College’s quincentenary in 1984. See In Memoriam, below.    Welcome to the eighth edition of the College of Arms Newsletter. This has been created to keep interested members of the public up-to-date with the activities of the College of Arms and its officers, including matters of genealogical and heraldic significance such as recent grants of arms and recently recorded pedigrees. It is produced every three months and sent automatically and free to those who subscribe by entering their name and e-mail address in our mailing list. Other benefits for those who submit their names in this way include advance notice of College of Arms events, relevant publications, and media appearances. If you wish to remove your name from this list, to send the newsletter on to a friend, or send a genealogical or heraldic enquiry to the College, please make use of the links listed at the top of this page.

	In Memoriam			Exhibitions and Publications
	Recent Grants of Arms			Recently recorded pedigrees
	Honours and Appearances			Elsewhere in the Records

In Memoriam

John Brooke-Little, CVO former Clarenceux King of Arms, died on 13 February 2006 in Banbury, Oxfordshire, aged 78. He had first become a member of the College of Arms in 1956 on his appointment as Bluemantle Pursuivant. Advanced to the position of Richmond Herald in 1967, he became Norroy and Ulster King of Arms in 1980, and finally Clarenceux King of Arms in 1995. He also served the College as Director of the Heralds’ Museum, Registrar, Treasurer, and Librarian; in the last role he was responsible for establishing the College’s conservation department.

John Brooke-Little did much to popularize heraldry. In 1947 aged 20 he founded the Heraldry Society, and for most of its history he edited the Society’s journal, The Coat of Arms. He was also the author of many works on heraldry, ceremonial and associated subjects, and the editor of Boutell’s Heraldry and Fox-Davies’ Complete Guide to Heraldry. Much more ample obituaries have appeared in a number of places including The Times, the Independent, and the Daily Telegraph. The funeral took place on 23 February 2006, and the eulogy was delivered by Henry Paston-Bedingfeld, York Herald.

Frederick Booth, MVO, Herald-Painter at the College of Arms, died on 6 February 2006. He was born in 1927, and his career spanned more than fifty years at the College since he had come to work here as an artist in 1949. Troubled by deafness throughout his life, he produced many fine examples of the herald-painter’s art. He was appointed MVO in the 1997 New Year’s Honours List in recognition of his services.

Recent Grants of Arms

A very small selection of those recently receiving grants or exemplifications from the English Kings of Arms:

CARVER, John William, of Cranham, Essex. Arms, Crest and Badge. Garter and Clarenceux Kings of Arms. 11/8/2005. College reference: Grants 171/15.

CLARKE, Robert Reside, of the City of Rockville, State of Maryland, USA. Arms and Crest. Garter, Clarenceux and Norroy and Ulster Kings of Arms. 23/9/2005. College reference: Grants 171/54.

DENT, Garry Quantrill, of the City of Sunderland, Tyne and Wear. Arms, Crest and Badge. Garter and Norroy and Ulster Kings of Arms. 2/9/2005. College reference: Grants 171/36.

DREYFUS, Christopher Armand Gilbert, of Bedford, Bedfordshire. Arms, Crest and Badge. Garter and Clarenceux Kings of Arms. 15/8/2005. College reference: Grants 171/23.

EDWARDS, Graham Frederick, of East Grinstead, West Sussex, TD. Arms and Crest. Garter and Clarenceux Kings of Arms. 27/7/2005. College reference: Grants 171/7.

GOODMAN, Ellis Martin, of Cook County, Illinois, USA, CBE. Arms and Crest. Garter, Clarenceux and Norroy and Ulster Kings of Arms. 8/9/2005. College reference: Grants 171/40.

MCGRATH, Sir Brian Henry, of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, GCVO. Arms, Crest and Supporters. Garter and Clarenceux Kings of Arms. 27/10/2004. College reference: Grants 171/42.

MCKENZIE OF LUTON, William David (McKenzie), Baron, of Luton, Bedfordshire. Arms, Crest Badge and Supporters. Garter King of Arms. 1/9/2005. College reference: Grants 171/33.

MARKESINIS, Sir Basil Spyridonos, of Middleton Stoney, Oxfordshire, Knight. Arms and Crest. Garter and Clarenceux Kings of Arms. 22/8/2005. College reference: Grants 171/49.

ROBERTS, Ronald Edwin Joseph, of Saundersfoot, Pembrokeshire. Arms, Crest and Badge. Garter and Clarenceux Kings of Arms. 16/12/2004. College reference: Grants 171/62.

SOUTHERDEN, Stuart Blair, of South Wonston, Hampshire. Arms, Crest and Badge. Garter and Clarenceux Kings of Arms. 24/8/2005. College reference: Grants 171/27.

TOWNSEND, Ralph Douglas, of Oundle, Northamptonshire. Arms and Crest. Garter and Clarenceux Kings of Arms. 30/8/2005. College reference: Grants 171/29.

YSTRADGYNLAIS, Powis. Following an Order in Her Majesty’s Council of 19 July 2005, an exemplification by certificate of the Arms of the former Ystradgynlais Rural District Council was made to Ystradgynlais Town Council. Garter, Clarenceux and Norroy and Ulster Kings of Arms. 1/12/2005. College reference: Grants 171/117.

SENATE OF NORTH CAROLINA. Following a petition from the President of the Senate, a devisal by Letters Patent of Arms, Crest and Supporters for the Senate was made by Garter, Clarenceux and Norroy and Ulster Kings of Arms to the Senate, dated 25 November 2005. College reference: Foreign Arms 2/190. The Arms are blazoned Argent on a Cross between four Escutcheons bases inwards Gules four Escutcheons bases also inwards Argent. The Crest is Issuant from a Coronet of a Noble of the former Province of Carolina Or a Cap of Liberty Gules raised upon a Pole Or between two Cornucopiae in saltire Argent replenished proper. The Supporters are On each side an Aborigine of North Carolina as depicted by John White in the reign of Queen Elizabeth the First that on the dexter a Warrior supporting with his exterior hand a Long Bow and holding an Arrow girded at his back a Quiver that on the sinister a Woman holding in her exterior hand a Gourd all proper. The reference to the noble’s coronet is to the scheme of heraldic ornaments worked out for landgraves and cassiques of the Province of Carolina in 1705.

Honours and Appearances

Patric Dickinson, Richmond Herald, was appointed LVO in the New Year’s Honours List, in recognition of his services as Secretary of the Order of the Garter. In this role he is responsible, amongst other things, for arranging much of the Order’s ceremonial, including the annual Service of the Order at the chapel of St George, Windsor Castle.

Oxford University Heraldry Society: William Hunt, Windsor Herald, addressed this society on the rôle of the heralds on 23 February 2006 at St John’s College.

Cambridge University Heraldic and Genealogical Society: Henry Paston-Bedingfeld, York Herald, delivered the Mountbatten Commemorative Lecture to this society on 23 February 2006 on the subject of ‘Music in Heraldry’.

Hereditary Peerage Association: On 28 February Windsor spoke at a lunch of this association on the subject of the Roll of the Peerage and the services provided by the heralds to Peers wishing to be enrolled on it.

Vicissitudes of Bluemantles: on 23 February, Bluemantle addressed the Anniversary Lunch of the Heraldry Society on this subject. His talk was illustrated with statistical charts illustrating amongst other things the relative length in office and professional advancement of his predecessors.

Exhibitions and Publications

Searching for Shakespeare: two College manuscripts, showing a draft grant of Arms of 1596 and a draft exemplification of Arms of 1599 to John Shakespeare, father of the playwright, form part of this exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery. It will run from the beginning of March 2006 to the end of May. The exhibition will then transfer to the Yale Centre for British Art, New Haven, USA, where it will be open from 24 June to 17 September 2006.

Ancestors Magazine: an article by Peter O’Donoghue, Bluemantle Pursuivant, appeared in the February 2006 issue of this journal, which is the genealogical magazine published by The National Archives. It has the title ‘A Call to Arms’ and provides an introduction to heraldry and its relevance to genealogical research.

Crowns and Crests at Oxburgh Hall: this exhibition of fine carved crests and crowns made for display above the stalls of Knights of the Garter at Windsor may be seen in the Chapel at Oxburgh Hall, Norfolk, home of Henry Paston-Bedingfeld, York Herald, between 25 March and October 2006.

Recently Recorded Pedigrees

BEECHING: a pedigree showing the descendants of Hugh Lemuel Beeching of Romford, Essex. Connected to the TEBBETTS, FARIAS, SEGAR and BEECHING-GREATBATCH families. College reference: Surrey 31/235.

EMERY of Brent, Somerset. A pedigree of six generations showing a descent from William Emery of South Brent to the present day. Cross-referenced to Norfolk 40/62. College reference: Norfolk 51/48.

FULLER: a six-generation pedigree headed by Henry Peter Fuller of Stoke Poges, Buckinghamshire, formerly of Piccadilly in the parish of St James, Westminster (died 1866). Cross-referenced to 13D14/73. College reference: Norfolk 51/55.

GATES of the state of Georgia, USA. A pedigree of six generations showing a descent to the present day from James Gates of Bibb County, Georgia (died 1852). Connected with the family of BAZEMORE of Houston County, Georgia. College reference: Norfolk 51/62.

HARTILL of Ramsey, Isle of Man. A pedigree of seven generations showing descendants to the present day of Randle Hartill formerly of Ramsey and late of Willenhall, Staffordshire (baptized 1808, died 1881). College reference: Norfolk 51/54.

TRENCH: a pedigree showing the descendants of Anne Rosemary, daughter of Frederick Oliver (Trench), 3^rd Baron Ashtown of Moate, co. Galway. Connected with the families of TUFFNELL, GOSSELIN, WARD, WRIGHT and WAY. Cross-referenced to Surrey 14/255 and Additions to Records 2/103. College reference: Norfolk 51/56.

Elsewhere in the Records
 

DUBERLY, Archibald Hugh, of Great Staughton, Cambridgeshire, CBE. Following a petition a Royal Licence was granted by her Majesty on 25 February 2005 To Archibald Hugh Duberly, formerly Gray, enabling him to take the Arms and Crest of DUBERLY only. College reference: I.85/182.  The Arms and Crest of Duberly were duly exemplified by Letters Patent to Archibald Hugh Duberly. Garter and Clarenceux Kings of Arms. 16/9/2005, College reference: Grants 171/45. Left: the Badge of the Royal Mint which has been placed on record at the College of Arms following approval by Her Majesty The Queen. College reference: I.85/189. There is a close association between the College of Arms and the Royal Mint; Garter King of Arms or another representative of the College has long sat on the Royal Mint Advisory Committee, which commissions and advises on designs for British coins and medals.

Note: the Order of St Joachim, referred to in the last issue, was not (as there stated) created by Levett Hanson but dated back to an order founded in 1755 by a group of mostly German princes. See the current number of The Coat of Arms (third series, vol. 2), pp. 63-4 and the book reviewed there.