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December 2009 Newsletter (No. 23)

Prince Arthur’s Book
Prince Arthur’s Book © College of Arms

Dictionary of British Arms – Medieval Ordinary: the third volume of this projected four-volume work was recently published by the Society of Antiquaries. It is edited by Thomas Woodcock, Norroy and Ulster King of Arms, and by Sarah Flower. Being an Ordinary it has arms arranged by their designs; this volume covering arms whose descriptions fall between cross and fess. The book can be purchased from the distributor here.

Illustrated left is a page from part III of Prince Arthur's Book, an early Tudor manuscript at the College of Arms. This section of the volume comprises an ordinary of crosses, part of an important ordinary compiled under Thomas Wriothesley, Garter King of Arms between 1505 and 1534, now dispersed.

Welcome to the twenty-third edition of the College of Arms Newsletter.

News

Francis Sedley Andrus, LVO, Beaumont Herald of Arms Extraordinary, former Lancaster Herald, died on 9 November 2009 in Longfield, Kent, aged 94. He first came to the College as assistant to Alfred Trego Butler, Windsor Herald, in 1938. Deemed unfit for military service during the Second World War, he worked on a farm instead. After the war, Andrus returned to the College, and was transferred with Butler's large genealogical practice to Anthony Wagner, then Richmond Herald, in 1946. He was eventually appointed Bluemantle Pursuivant in 1970. In 1972 he was promoted to Lancaster Herald. Sedley Andrus retired from the College in 1982, and was then appointed a Herald Extraordinary. He continued for some time to work at the College, and to participate in the heralds' ceremonial duties.

1663 Hearth Tax Records: the 1663 hearth tax list for Derby Place, London, the home of the English heralds for just under a century, has been discovered in The National Archives, Kew. Derby Place (or House) perished in the Great Fire in 1666 and this record thus provides a rare glimpse of this long-vanished and little known home of the heralds. The hearth tax was introduced by Charles II in 1662 as an annual payment due of two shillings for every hearth; the assessment was probably drawn up in May 1663 and lists eleven officers of arms beginning with Sir Edward Walker, Garter, who occupies rooms with eight hearths. Also included are the hall, lodge, kitchen and office. The list reflects the hierarchy within Derby Place just before its destruction: the officers are listed in rough order of seniority, and the number of their hearths provides a good indication of their relative wealth and standing. Assuming that on average there was one hearth per room listed, the heralds' old home comprised at least thirty-two rooms in 1663. A full transcript and commentary will be published in due course.

Recent Grants of Arms

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

Arms and Crest of Gary Robert COWARDIllustrated right are the Arms and Crest of Gary Robert COWARD, of Stanmore, in the London Borough of Harrow, CB, OBE, a Major General in the Army, granted by Garter and Clarenceux Kings of Arms. Letters Patent dated 29 May 2009.

The Arms are blazoned: Quarterly Azure and Bleu Celeste a Bar indented of three points upwards Or between two Owls volant affronty Argent.

Crest: On a Helm with a Wreath Argent Bleu Celeste and Azure Out of a Mural Crown Or a Rhino's head Azure armed with two Horns Bleu Celeste in the mouth a Rose Argent.

Mantling: Bleu Celeste and Azure lined Argent.

Badge (not illustrated): A Sword point downwards Argent the hilt pommel and quillons Or the blade surmounted by a Rose Argent barbed and seeded Or.

College reference: Grants 174/132.

BENNETT, Sir Hugh Peter Derwyn, of Highbrook, West Sussex, Knight. Arms, Crest and Badge. Garter and Clarenceux Kings of Arms. 12/3/2009. College reference: Grants 174/81.

BIGLAND, Paul of Lower Earley, Berkshire. Arms, Crest and Badge. In the same Patent Arms for Brenda Fatima Anne Bigland his wife, of the same place. Garter and Clarenceux Kings of Arms. 11/10/2008. College reference: Grants 174/152.

BLEACH, John Howard Neville, of the Special Administrative Region of Hong Kong, People's Republic of China. Arms and Crest. Garter, Clarenceux and Norroy and Ulster Kings of Arms. 23/4/2009. College reference: Grants 174/111.

BUSH, John Barnard, of Heywood, Wiltshire, OBE, Lord Lieutenant of the County of Wiltshire, son of Barnard Robert Swanton Bush late of Laverton, Somerset, deceased; with limitations extended to include the other descendants of his late father. Arms and Crest. Garter and Clarenceux Kings of Arms. 15/5/2009. College reference: Grants 174/120.

CAMPBELL, Michael David Colin Craven, of Shalden, Hampshire and of Aberfeldy, Perthshire, MBE, DL, High Sheriff for the County of Hampshire. Arms, Crest and Badge. Garter, Clarenceux and Norroy and Ulster Kings of Arms. 25/3/2009. College reference: Grants 174/105.

GREEN, Kenneth John, of Kyogle, New South Wales, Australia. Arms and Crest. Clarenceux and Norroy and Ulster Kings of Arms. 25/6/2009. College reference: Grants 174/150.

HOFF, Raymond Frank, of Polegate, East Sussex. Arms, Crest and Badge. Garter and Clarenceux Kings of Arms. 20/3/2009. College reference: Grants 174/95.

HUNTER, Raymond Douglas, of Putley, Herefordshire, son of Jack Marcus Douglas Hunter, late of Shamley Green, Surrey, deceased; with limitations extended to other descendants of his late father. Arms and Crest. Arms and Crest. Garter and Clarenceux Kings of Arms. 15/11/2009. College reference: Grants 174/85.

MCDONNELL, David Croft, of Grassendale, Merseyside, CBE, DL. Arms, Crest and Badge. Garter and Norroy and Ulster Kings of Arms. 11/2/2009. College reference: Grants 174/138.

PONTIFELL, Luke Ives, of the City of New York, State of New York, USA. Honorary Arms and Crest. Garter, Clarenceux and Norroy and Ulster Kings of Arms. 1/5/2009. College reference: Grants 174/124.

RIX, Sir Bernard Anthony, of the City of Westminster, Knight, Privy Councillor. Arms, Crest and Badge. Garter and Clarenceux Kings of Arms. 18/3/2009. College reference: Grants 174/91.

VERJEE, Rumi, of the City of Westminster. Arms, Crest and Badge. Garter and Clarenceux Kings of Arms. 20/4/2009. College reference: Grants 174/107.

Arms, Crest and Badge granted to Robert John SEABROOKIllustrated left are the Arms, Crest and Badge granted to Robert John SEABROOK, Q.C., of Crown Office Row, Inner Temple, London, by Letters Patent of Garter and Clarenceux Kings of Arms, dated 15 October 2009.

The Arms are blazoned: Per pale Azure and Or barry wavy counterchanged a Lateen Sail throughout Argent.

Crest: On a Helm with a Wreath Argent Or and Azure Issuing from a Circlet of five Masai Spears Sable a pair of Mouflon Horns the dexter Argent the sinister Or.

Mantling: Azure doubled Argent.

Badge: A Bunch of Grapes Gules slipped and leaved Vert entwined by a Chain terminating at each end in an Annulet Or.

Motto: UKWELI URAFIKI NA ARI ('Truth, Friendship and Enthusiasm').
College reference: Grants 174/229.

Lectures

Arms of Sir Roger Martyn, Lord Mayor of London in 1568The Heralds' Visitations of London: on 1 October 2009 Peter O'Donoghue, Bluemantle Pursuivant, delivered a lecture on this subject at a meeting of Archives for London, a group for London's archive practitioners and users. Illustrated right are the Arms of Sir Roger Martyn, Lord Mayor of London in 1568, taken from the College of Arms Ms G10 f.1, a lavish record on vellum of the visitation of London of 1568 with additions.

Publications

Corporate Grants of Arms since 1673: an article by Clive Cheesman, Rouge Dragon Pursuivant, in the Autumn 2009 issue of The Coat of Arms, journal of the Heraldry Society, provides an interim report and analysis of a database of grants of arms to corporate bodies. This database, compiled from the official registers of the College of Arms under Rouge Dragon's supervision and with the support of Brand Finance plc, lists all Patents of arms to corporate bodies issued by the Kings of Arms since 1673.

 

Recently Recorded Pedigrees

EDGE: a pedigree shows the descendants of Patrick Noel Greer Edge (born 1914) and of Barbara his wife, daughter of Walter Purdy. Connected to BENTON, WYLD, BUTCHER, SCHEID and LIBERTY. College reference: Surrey 31/349.

MCCARTHY: a pedigree of six generations shows a descent to the present day from Daniel McCarthy of Srugrena, who in 1841 married Ellen daughter of Patrick Trant of Portmagee, Co. Kerry. Connected with Woodman. College reference: Norfolk 51/162.

MICKLEM: a pedigree shows a descent of five generations from Nathaniel Micklem of the parish of Boxmoor, Hertfordshire (born 1853), and from Ellen Ruth his wife, daughter of Thomas Curwen. College reference: Surrey 32/13.

STAVELEY: a pedigree of five generations headed by William Staveley of Bridlington, Yorkshire (buried there 1696), and by his wife Ursula. It descends to the children of Luke Staveley of Halifax, Yorkshire, formerly of the parish of St Margaret Moses, City of London (baptized 1740). Cross-referenced to Norfolk 51/149. College reference: Norfolk 51/147.

Elsewhere in the Records

Flag for TokelauHer Majesty The Queen has been pleased to approve a Flag for Tokelau, a territory of New Zealand, illustrated left. A description and explanation of this design can be found here. The flag was presented to the leaders of Tokelau by the Governor-General Hon Sir Anand Satyanand, on 7 September 2009.

College reference: Standards 5/131.

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