Symbols of Honor: Heraldry and Family History in Shakespeare's England: a free exhibition with this title will run at the Folger Shakespeare Library, Washington DC, USA from 1 July to 26 October 2014. This exhibition, one of the largest and most comprehensive of its kind ever mounted in the USA, will feature a variety of armorial manuscripts and pedigrees, early printed books, and documents written by heralds. Exceptional treasures include the original drafts of William Shakespeare's own coat of arms lent by the College of Arms. It is curated by Dr Nigel Ramsay and Dr Heather Wolfe. Details can be found here.
A publication with the title Heralds and Heraldry in Shakespeare's England will coincide with the exhibition. Edited by Dr Nigel Ramsay, this is a significant work exploring the use of heraldry in early modern times. It includes contributions by Clive Cheesman, Richmond Herald, and Peter O'Donoghue, York Herald, alongside chapters from a number of other scholars; and it is to be published by Shaun Tyas of Paul Watkins Publishing.
Pedigree of Morris family: one important function of the College of Arms is to create and preserve pedigrees of families. Many of these are the result of genealogical research carried out by the heralds; and some are recorded to show the families of those receiving grants of coats of Arms. This example was registered in 1843. It shows the family of William Morris of Woodford Hall, Essex, who had been granted Arms by Letters Patent dated 15 April 1843, with the limitations extended to the other descendants of his late father, William Morris of the City of London. Included is his eldest son, also William Morris, who would become the famous artist, designer and author, a pioneer in the decorative arts. The Arms, which would later appear on tiles at the Red House, Bexley, are blazoned:
Arms: Azure a Horse's head erased Argent between three Horse Shoes Or.
Crest: On a Wreath of the Colours A Horse's head coupe Argent charged with three Horse Shoes in chevron Sable.
College references: 14D14/263 and Grants 46/298.
New Lord Lyon King of Arms
18 January 2014The Scottish Government has announced the appointment by Her Majesty The Queen of a new Lord Lyon King of Arms, Dr Joseph Morrow, on the recommendation of the First Minister of Scotland, in succession to David Sellar, M.V.O. Dr Morrow will serve as head of the authority for heraldry and state ceremony within Scotland and as judge of Lyon Court.
Dr Morrow is an Advocate, and First-Tier tribunal Judge, who in 2009 was appointed as a Vice Lord Lieutenant for the City of Dundee. He is an Incumbent of the Chapel of Glamis Castle. As well as being a student of heraldry, Dr Morrow has a special interest in ecclesiastical history and 35 years' experience of the practical application of ceremonial within a variety of settings including State, Civil, Military and Ecclesiastical areas of Scottish life.
The part-time appointment, made under section 3 of the Lyon King of Arms (Scotland) Act 1867, is based at Edinburgh's New Register House.
UNIVERSITY OF EAST LONDON: a grant of Arms, Crest and Supporters was made by Letters Patent of Garter, Clarenceux and Norroy and Ulster Kings of Arms dated 25 April 2013. The full achievement of Arms is illustrated left. The blazon is:
Arms: Azure a Torch enflamed Or enfiling an Annulet embattled on the outer edge Argent between two Keys in pile the wards upwards and outwards Or on a Chief wavy Argent three Acorns proper.
Crest: Upon a Helm with a Wreath Or and Azure Upon a pile of three Closed Books fesswise those at the top and bottom with their spines to the dexter and that in the middle with its spine to the sinister Azure edged and garnished Or a Kylix issuant therefrom a Phoenix Or the flames proper.
Supporters: On either side A Phoenix Or the flames proper gorged with an Annulet embattled on the outer edge Azure.
College reference: Grants 177/76.
Funeral of Nelson Mandela
14 December 2013Special instructions have been received by her Majesty's Government, that Union Flags be half-masted from 8 a.m. on Sunday, 15th December, until 8 p.m., the same day, to mark the funeral of the late South African President, Nelson Mandela.
Any other UK national flags flown alongside the Union Flag when it is at half-mast should also be at half-mast. If a flag of a foreign nation is normally flown on the same stand as the Union Flag, it should be removed – unless the South African flag is normally flown. If the South African flag is flown, it should be flown at half-mast.
Local authorities are not bound by this request but may wish to follow it for guidance. Devolved administrations are responsible for issuing instructions for the flying of the Union Flag on buildings in their estate and others as necessary.
Memorial Service of Nelson Mandela
09 December 2013Special instructions have been received to request that buildings of Her Majesty's Government fly the Union Flag at half-mast on 10 December 2013, from 8 a.m. until 8 p.m. This is to mark the memorial service of Nelson Mandela, former President of the Republic of South Africa.
Any other UK national flags flown alongside the Union Flag when it is at half-mast should also be at half-mast. If a flag of a foreign nation is normally flown on the same stand as the Union Flag, it should be removed – unless the South African flag is normally flown. If the South African flag is flown, it should be flown at half-mast.
Local authorities are not bound by this request but may wish to follow it for guidance. Devolved administrations are responsible for issuing instructions for the flying of the Union Flag on buildings in their estate and others as necessary.
Death of Nelson Mandela, former President of South Africa
06 December 2013Learning with regret of the death of Nelson Mandela, former President of the Republic of South Africa on 5 December, special instructions have been received requesting that all Union Flags on buildings of her Majesty's Government be flown at half-mast from 8 a.m. this morning until 8 p.m. this evening, 6 December 2013.
Any other UK national flags flown alongside the Union Flag when it is at half-mast should also be at half-mast. If a flag of a foreign nation is normally flown on the same stand as the Union Flag, it should be removed.
Local authorities are not bound by this request but may wish to follow it for guidance. Devolved administrations are responsible for issuing instructions for the flying of the Union Flag on buildings in their estate and others as necessary.
From the Archives
07 October 2013Over the years the College has received many donations of manuscripts, photographs and some artefacts from retiring College employees, Officers of Arms, or their families. These will not go on to form part of the College's official records, but are nonetheless worthy of preservation in its archives. Modern computer systems make listing and sorting these items much more straightforward, and this work is currently being undertaken as part of a larger project to address some of the issues around storing an expanding archive in a finite space. Some of the items rediscovered in the course of this work are particularly valuable for those interested in the history of the College in the early twentieth century. For more information about the archives of the College of Arms see here.
Artist's work book
This page of an artist's sketch book dates to 1931 and is an excellent example of the stages through which a design progressed - the initial sketch, another with annotations giving further details to be executed, and the finished item sent to the commissioning Officer for approval. The colours in which the Indian pheasant are depicted are particularly beautiful.
Artist's account ledger
These accounts ledgers show the work of the College from the point of view of the artists who were commissioned to realise the designs devised by Officers of Arms for their clients. This page, from 1922, is headed with the name of the Officer commissioning the work (A G B Russell, who was created Lancaster Herald in the same year) and shows the amount charged for different types of work, and the names of clients for whom the work was intended. On this page these include HRH The Prince of Wales, the Inner Temple, the Borough of Southport, the Duchess of Albany, and Westmoreland County Council.
Silver cigarette case belonging to Keith W Murray, Caernarvon Pursuivant of Arms (1860-1922).
This silver cigarette case was presented to Keith Murray, Caernarvon Pursuivant, by Sir Alfred Scott-Gatty, Garter King of Arms, in 1910. Rather than having their names inscribed on the case, Scott-Gatty chose to use Murray's crest and motto and Garter's achievement of arms instead.
Conjugal arms of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge
27 September 2013
Released today are the conjugal Arms of Their Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, which were approved in February this year by Her Majesty The Queen. Conjugal Arms are those that show the separate shields of a husband and wife, side by side. In this case, the two Shields are the Duke's on the left and the Duchess's on the right with both supported by the Duke of Cambridge's Supporters of the Royal Lion and Unicorn, which is made to look different from The Queen's by adding his white label of three points around their necks with the central point charged with a red escallop shell taken from the Duke of Cambridge's mother's Arms of Spencer.
For the full heraldic story, stretching back to the announcement of the engagement between Prince William of Wales and Miss Catherine Middleton, see here.
A grant of Arms, Crest and Badge (illustrated left) was made to Heston Marc Blumenthal of Bray in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead, OBE, by Letters Patent of Garter and Clarenceux Kings of Arms dated 18 June 2013. College reference: Grants 177/132. The blazon is:
Arms: Sable issuant in pall three dexter cubit Arms vested Or each charged with a Rose Gules and cuffed Argent the hands appaumy proper between in chief an Apple slipped and leaved and in base two Lyres Or.
Crest: A Duck wings elevated and addorsed Or holding in the dexter foot a Magnifying-glass proper the frame and handle Gules and in the beak three Stems of Lavender flowered proper tied Gules.
Badge: A Duck's Leg erased à la quise Or.
The design of the Arms and Crest represents the five senses, which the distinguished chef and food scientist Heston Blumenthal considers should all contribute to the enjoyment of food. The hands stand for touch, the apple for taste, the lyre for hearing, the lavender for smell, and the magnifying glass for sight and scientific examination. The duck in the Crest and the duck's foot in the Badge allude to Heston Blumenthal's restaurant The Fat Duck and the three roses recall its three Michelin stars.
