Civil Registration: Delivering Vital Change. This is the title of a discussion document produced in June 2003 by the Office of National Statistics as part of the consultation procedure leading up to a government regulatory reform order on the registration of births, marriages and deaths. The text of the document and details of the proposed reforms can be seen on line at the ONS website. A detailed submission was made in response to the document by Garter King of Arms on behalf of the College of Arms at the start of this year; this voiced general support for some aspects of the proposed reforms, but enunciated specific concerns about the details, many of which are shared by the wider genealogical world, and about the fact that the mechanism of the regulatory reform order (which allows no opportunity for parliamentary debate) should have been chosen for such important measures.

Rouge Croix Pursuivant on television: 8 March 2004. David White (Rouge Croix) appeared in the penultimate part of Terry Jones's popular television series 'Medieval Lives'. The theme of the episode was Chivalry, and it featured a visit by Mr Jones to the College of Arms where Rouge Croix showed him a design of arms and crest that might be granted to him. The design of the arms was, needless to say, appropriate to the grantee: a checky shield with a large and menacing python disposed across it.

Coronations Conference: 27 March 2004. Patric Dickinson, Richmond Herald and Earl Marshal's Secretary, was a member of the expert panel discussing the possible shape of the next Coronation at a well attended conference organized by the Society for Court Studies, which took place at the University of London Senate House. The other members of the panel were Dr Wesley Carr, Dean of Westminster, Colonel Sir Mike Parker, organizer of the Royal Tournament and the Queen's Golden Jubilee celebrations, and Daniel Brittain-Catlin, who for many years has produced the BBC coverage of the State Opening of Parliament and other ceremonial events. The discussion was chaired by the Royal biographer Robert Lacey and the conference as a whole was presided over by the historian David Starkey.

Death of Lord Sinclair (formerly York Herald). Lord Sinclair, CVO, died on 1 April. He had been appointed Portcullis Pursuivant in 1949 (as the Master of Sinclair, after a distinguished decade of service in the Coldstream Guards) and advanced to the post of York Herald in 1957. From 1960 he was Genealogist to the Royal Victorian Order. He retired from the College of Arms in 1968 and devoted himself to local affairs in Scotland as a Deputy Lieutenant for Kirkcudbrightshire, Lord Lieutenant of Dumfries and Galloway and in other capacities.

Exhibition on John Pine: 1 July to 18 September 2004. The engraver John Pine (1690-1756) was Bluemantle Pursuivant of arms from 1743 to his death. An exhibition on his life and work is to be held at Freemasons' Hall, Holborn, between the above dates. The College will be loaning two copies of his engraving of the Procession of the Order of the Bath, 1725, and the tabard of another eighteenth-century herald, John Ives (Suffolk Herald Extraordinary 1774 to 1776).

Filly named after the College of Arms. In March, Chapter (the governing body of the College of Arms) was rather surprised to receive, but very happy to accede to, a request from the Newmarket racing establishment of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Mohammed al Maktoum to allow the name 'College of Arms' to be given to a two-year-old filly. College of Arms (illustrated here) is expected to start racing on the flat later this year.

Secretary of the Order of the Garter. On the retirement of Hubert Chesshyre, Clarenceux King of Arms, from the post of Secretary of the Order of the Garter on 1 January, Patric Dickinson, Richmond Herald and Earl Marshal's Secretary, was appointed to replace him. The duties of the post include the administration of matters relating to the appointment of new Knights of the Garter, and the organization of the Order's service of thanksgiving which takes place in June each year. In recognition of his services, Hubert Chesshyre was raised to the rank of Commander of the Royal Victorian Order in the New Year's Honours List. On 23 March the outgoing and incoming secretaries each had the honour of an audience with Her Majesty the Queen at Buckingham Palace, and respectively surrendered and received the badge of office.

Common Council of the City of London. In March William Hunt (Windsor Herald) was one of the seven common councilmen elected for the ward of Castle Baynard (in which the College of Arms stands).

The Heraldry Society. On 5 May David White (Rouge Croix) was elected Deputy Chairman of the Society.

The Armorial of Haiti. Heraldry enthusiasts and others who know of the remarkable manuscript 'L'Armorial Général du Royaume d'Hayti', which has been in the possession of the College of Arms since the mid-nineteenth century, will be delighted to learn that the decision has been taken to publish it in full. The College receives regular requests for photographs of individual pages from the manuscript and it is certain that the publication will arouse great interest in various circles. As with many such publishing ventures, however, the book needs to be largely sold before it can be produced, and subscribers are cordially invited to put their names down for copies. The book, which will be published in 2005, will cost £45; but advance subscribers will pay £29.50 (plus package and posting); if they wish, their names will appear in a subscribers' list in the book itself. A subscription form will shortly be available on the website at and we would be delighted to send a copy of the leaflet to anyone who requests it by sending us an e-mail to the usual College enquiry address, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

'Despatches' magazine. An article on the work of the College of Arms by Peter O'Donoghue, a research assistant at the College, appears in the April 2004 number of Despatches, the Magazine of the Friends of the Imperial War Museum, at pages 4-7.