June 2006 Newsletter (No. 9)

South Georgia and Sandwich Islands: the flag of this overseas territory, illustrated left, has been approved by Her Majesty and accordingly placed on record at the College of Arms, along with the flag of the commissioner of the territory. College reference: Standards 5/96, 97.

Welcome to the ninth 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.

News

Republic of Ireland: Genealogy and Heraldry Bill 2006: a Bill has been initiated in Seanad Éireann (the upp-er house of the Republic of Ireland) by Senator Brendan Ryan, which seeks to provide a legislative framework for the delivery of genealogical and heraldic services by the Irish state. This Bill, promoted by the Genealogical Society of Ireland, aims to clarify the legal and statutory basis on which the Office of the Chief Herald of Ireland makes grants of Arms to individuals and corporate bodies. It also provides for the creation of a National Inventory of Genealogical Records.

Recent Grants of Arms

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

BARHAM, Ronald, of Darwen, Lancashire and of the London Borough of Islington. Arms, Crest and Badge. Garter, Clarenceux and Norroy and Ulster Kings of Arms. 9/11/2005. College reference: Grants 171/100.

CLARK, Paul Nicholas Rowntree, of Charlbury, Oxfordshire and of Bramhope, West Yorkshire. Arms. Garter, Clarenceux and Norroy and Ulster Kings of Arms. 6/12/2005. College reference: Grants 171/118.

COOK, Thomas John, of the City of Sunderland, Tyne and Wear. Arms, Crest and Badge. Garter and Norroy and Ulster Kings of Arms. 21/7/2005. College reference: Grants 171/141.

CROCKFORD, Geoffrey Neil, of Colchester, Essex. Arms and Crest. Garter and Clarenceux Kings of Arms. 10/10/2005. College reference: Grants 171/60.

FAWCETT, Amelia Chilcott, of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, CBE. Arms and Badge. Garter and Clarenceux Kings of Arms. 5/12/2005. College reference: Grants 171/115.

FINLAY OF LLANDAFF, Ilora Gillian (Finlay), Baroness, of Llandaff, South Glamorgan. Arms, Badge and Supporters. Her husband Andrew Yule FINLAY of Llandaff received a grant of Arms and Crest in the same Patent. Garter and Clarenceux Kings of Arms. 27/10/2005. College reference: Grants 171/77.

GEORGE, Edward Alan John (George), Baron, of St Judy, Cornwall, GBE. Arms, Crest, Badge and Supporters. Garter King of Arms. 8/2/2006. College reference: Grants 171/159.

GERRARD-WRIGHT, Richard Eustace John, of Folkingham, Lincolnshire, CB. Arms and Crest. Garter and Clarenceux Kings of Arms. 2/12/2005. College reference: Grants 171/98.

HOLLAND, Sir John Anthony, of the City of London, Knight. Arms, Crest and Badge. Garter and Clarenceux Kings of Arms. 9/11/2005. College reference: Grants 171/81.

HUGHESDON, John Stephen, of the London Borough of Bexley. Arms, Crest and Badge. Garter and Clarenceux Kings of Arms. 28/9/2005. College reference: Grants 171/73.

HUNT, Sandra Pauline, of the London Borough of Camden, CBE. Arms. Garter and Clarenceux Kings of Arms. 31/12/2005. College reference: Grants 171/156.

MOIR, James William Charles, of the London Borough of Harrow, CBE, LVO. Arms, Crest and Badge. Garter and Clarenceux Kings of Arms. 9/7/2005. College reference: Grants 171/107

MILLER, Corbin Russell, of the City of New York, USA. Honorary Arms, Crest and Badge. Garter, Clarenceux and Norroy and Ulster Kings of Arms. 2/6/2005. College reference: Grants 171/75.

SOAMES, Mary (Soames), Baroness, LG, DBE. Supporters. Garter King of Arms. 30/11/2005. College reference: Grants 171/111.

Appointments

Norfolk Heraldry Society: Henry Paston-Bedingfeld, York Herald, has been appointed President of the Norfolk Heraldry Society, in the place of the late John Brooke-Little, CVO. Information about membership and the events of this society may be had from their website at www.norfolkheraldry.co.uk.

Appearances

The Order of the Garter: the annual service of the Order took place on 19 June in St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, in the presence of Her Majesty the Queen. Their Royal Highnesses the Duke of York and the Earl of Wessex were installed as Knights Companion of the Order. The Officers of Arms were in attendance.

The Senate of North Carolina: On 10 and 11 May, Clive Cheesman, Rouge Dragon Pursuivant, visited Raleigh, state capital of North Carolina, to present the Senate with the coat of arms devised to it by the Kings of Arms. The arms were illustrated in the last number of this newsletter.

Lectures

Society for Court Studies: On 15 May Rouge Dragon joined Graham Kendall Norton in giving a lecture to the Society for Court Studies on the nobility and heraldry of the reign of Henry Christophe, king of Haiti. The lecture was illustrated by coats of arms from the 'Armorial général du royaume d'Hayti', the College of Arms manuscript which it is planned to publish later this year. Subscribers and donations to this publication project are still being actively sought.

Recently Recorded Pedigrees

BALLARD: a pedigree of four generations showing a descent from Charles John Ballard of Woodford Green, Essex (born 1878). Connected with AGUTTER and BURGESS. College reference: Surrey 31/221.

CARTER of Virginia and Massachusetts: a pedigree of eleven generations headed by Giles Carter of Henrico County, Virginia, who was aged 46 1680. College reference: Norfolk 51/30.

CONSTABLE: a pedigree of eight generations showing the descent from Edward Constable of Basford, Nottinghamshire (died 1860), to the Constable family of Illinois, USA. College reference: Norfolk 51/63.

ELLIS of Dewsbury, Yorkshire: five generations headed by Joshua Ellis of Ossett in the parish of Dewsbury, who married Sarah Wilson in 1682. Ends with the children of James Ellis, stonemason of Dewsbury (died 1835) and with the children of his brothers. Cross-referenced to Norfolk 44/167. College reference: Surrey 31/225.

GOSSELIN: a pedigree has been recorded which shows the children and grandchildren of Timothy Patrick Arnold Gosselin of the City of Westminster. Cross-referenced to Surrey 14/255. College reference: Norfolk 51/56.

KALE of North Carolina, USA: a pedigree of nine generations headed by William Kale of Rowan County, North Carolina (alive 1770), descending to the present day. College reference: Norfolk 51/32.

KAY (otherwise KILBOURNE KAY): a four-generation pedigree showing a descent from William Kay, known as William Kilbourne Kay, of Worcestershire (born 1856). College reference: Surrey 31/239.

TACON of Norwich, Norfolk: a pedigree of four generations showing a descent from Thomas Henry Warcup Tacon of Norwich (born 1890). Connected with DAVIES and MEDD. College reference: Surrey 31/232.

Elsewhere in the Records

Auditor General for Wales: following a petition, Arms were granted by Letters Patent dated 4 November 2005 for this office, which was established by the provisions of the Government of Wales Act 1998, to be borne by Jeremy Gye Colman, Auditor General for Wales, and by his successors in that office. Arms, Crest and Badge. Garter, Clarenceux and Norroy and Ulster Kings of Arms. The Arms (left) are blazoned Gules on each of three Pallets Or a Pallet Sable thereon a Leek Or. The Crest is Upon a Helm with a Wreath Or Gules and Sable A Dragon sejant affronty wings displayed Gules armed and langued Or the front feet supporting a Casket Sable banded Or. College reference: Grants 171/90.

Changes of Name: it is necessary for institutions to record at the College of Arms any alteration to their names, to ensure that their right to Arms is properly established and maintained. The following bodies are among those that have recently recorded such changes of name: The Institute of Plumbing became The Institute of Plumbing and Heating Engineers; James Cook University of North Queensland became James Cook University; the Territorial and Volunteer Reserve Association for Greater London became the Reserve Forces and Cadet Association for Greater London; the British Institute of Architectural Technologists became the Chartered Institute of Architectural Technologists.

Some of the Officers of Arms returning to the Upper Ward of Windsor Castle following the Garter Service (see above). Photograph courtesy Richard Worts.

Elsewhere in the Archives

New Accessions to the Archive

Appointment of Deputy Herald, 1688:

From the mid sixteenth century to the early eighteenth century, the provincial Kings of Arms appointed 'deputy heralds', without titles, to act for them locally, especially with regard to such matters as arms painting and heraldic funerals. In an essay published in 1976, Sir Anthony Wagner and George Squibb described the development of the office of deputy herald, giving lists of known deputies in appendices.

One of the sources for these lists was the collection of original letters of appointment held by the College of Arms. A new deputation can now be added to them - the appointment by Sir Henry St. George, Clarenceux, of Edward Pike of Exeter, painter-stainer, as his deputy for Devon, dated 14 August, 1688. This document, which is illustrated left, is the kind gift to the College of Arms of Mrs. Jeanne Francis, in memory of her father, the late Mr. George Hyde, from whom she inherited it. How it came to her father is not known.

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