English heraldry
arms of England" | |
Heraldic tradition | Gallo-British |
---|---|
Governing body | College of Arms |
Chief officer | David White, Garter Principal King of Arms |
English heraldry is the form of coats of arms and other heraldic bearings and insignia used in England. It lies within the so-called Gallo-British tradition. Coats of arms in England are regulated and granted to individuals by the English kings of arms of the College of Arms. An individual's arms may also be borne 'by courtesy' by members of the holder's nuclear family, subject to a system of cadency marks,[1] to differentiate those displays from the arms of the original holder. The English heraldic style is exemplified in the arms of British royalty, and is reflected in the civic arms of cities and towns, as well as the noble arms of individuals in England. Royal orders in England, such as the Order of the Garter, also maintain notable heraldic bearings.
Characteristics
Like many countries' heraldry, there is a classical influence within English heraldry, such as designs originally on Greek and Roman pottery.[citation needed] Many coats of arms feature charges related to the bearer's name or profession (e.g. Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon (The Queen Mother), depicting bows quartered with a lion), a practice known as "canting arms". Some canting arms make references to foreign languages, particularly French, such as the otter (loutre in French) in the arms of the Luttrel family.[2]
Representations in person of Saints or other figure are very rare, although there are however a few uses, mostly originating from
The lion is the most common charge, particularly in Royal heraldry.
The coat of arms of
History
King
For the rest of the medieval period, it was popular within the upper classes to have a distinctive family mark for competitions and tournaments, and it was popular (although not prevalent) within the lower classes. It found particular use with knights, for practice and in the
Religious influence on British Heraldry
Lion imagery became associated with the
Rolls of Arms
One of the first contemporary records of medieval heraldry is a
Court of the Earl Marshal
The position of herald in England was well defined, and so on January 5, 1420, William Bruges was appointed by King Henry V to be Garter King of Arms. No such position had been created in other countries.[19] A succession of different titles was introduced over the next four centuries for principal governor of arms, including King of Arms. Some were members of the College of Arms, some were not. Other holders of positions included the Falcon King of Arms, a position created under King Edward III. Other positions were created for important counties, such as the Lancastrian King of Arms, but the balance of power between them and those charged with larger regions remains unclear.[20]
During the Tudor period, grants of arms were made for significant contributions to the country by one of the Herald and Kings of Arms in a standard format, as in the case of Thomas Bertie, granted arms on 10 July 1550.[21] This was given as a passage read out by the herald. Although many are written in English,[21] it is possible they were also read out in Latin.[22]
The introduction in his case read:
To all noble and gentled the present letters reading hearing or seeing, Thomas Hawley alias Clarencieulx principal Herald and King of Arms of the south-east and west parts of this realm from the river Trent southward, sendeth humble commendation and greeting.
This seems to be the standard introduction, each herald using their name and position.
Nadir of English Heraldry
The early 18th century is often considered the nadir of English heraldry.
The situation slowly improved throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, with the number of new grants per year slowly rising—14 in 1747,
Timeline
12th century
- 1127: King Henry I presents Count Geoffrey of Anjou with "a badge" decorated with a lion.[32]
- by 1146: Gilbert de Clare, 1st Earl of Pembroke and Gilbert de Clare, 1st Earl of Hertford execute separate agreements with equestrian seals showing chevrony shields, among the earliest surviving examples of heraldry in England.[33]
- 1155-60: The coloured enamel created to mark the tomb of Geoffrey of Anjou displays a coat of arms, the first depicted for the royal family, perhaps granted him by Henry I in 1127.
- 1189: The Great Seal of King Richard the Lionheart depicts the first known royal arms.
- 1198: Richard introduces new royal arms, the three-lion shield that remains the arms of England to this day.[34]
13th century
- Early examples of arms in Wales: Prince David ap Llewellyn 1246 and John ap John of Grosmont in 1249.
- 1256: Walter le Vyelur, a painter, is an early example of a tradesman bearing arms.[35]
- c1276: The earliest reference to a Norroy King of Arms.
- 1290s: The earliest known diocesan arms, for the See of Ely.[36]
14th century
- 1334: The earliest reference to a Clarenceux King of Arms.
- After claiming the French throne in 1340, King Edward III quarters the French and English royal arms. The French arms remain part of the English arms for 460 years.
- From 1340, the customary method of differencing the royal arms is a label (plain for the prince of Wales, bearing charges for other royals).
- 1345: The Court of Chivalryhears its first heraldry case.
- c1380: London assumes civic arms.
- 1385–90: The famous case of Scrope v Grosvenor in the Court of Chivalry.
- 1390s: Johannes de Bado Aureo publishes Tractatus de Armis.
15th century
- By 1410, "a non-armigerous gentlemen is a rarity needing explanation."[37]
- 1411: Thomas Arundel, Archbishop of Canterbury, is an early example of bishops impaling their personal arms with those of their sees.
- 1415: King Henry V establishes the office of Garter King of Arms, and makes him senior to the other kings of arms. William Brugesis the first Garter 1415–50.
- 1418: Henry V temporarily prohibits the bearing of self-assumed arms during his campaign in France; for some reason, this was later interpreted as a ban on self-assumed arms throughout England.
- The three kings of arms are authorised to grant coats of arms,[37] but self-assumption remains the norm.
- By 1423, St Bartholomew's Hospital in London has assumed arms – probably the oldest example of medical heraldry in the kingdom.
- 1439: Garter Bruges grants arms to the Worshipful Company of Drapers – the earliest known grant by a king of arms.[34]
- King Henry VI grants arms to King's College (Cambridge) in 1441 and Eton College in 1449 – the earliest examples of academic heraldry in England.
- 1484: King Richard III organises the royal kings of arms, heralds, and pursuivants into a College of Arms, under authority of the Earl Marshal.
- 1485: King Henry VII revokes the College of Arms' charter.
- c1500: Garter John Wrythe introduces a system of distinguishing younger sons by adding marks of cadency to their paternal arms.[34]
16th century
- In Wales, the bards attribute arms wholesale to the ancestors of the tribes. These are then "inherited" by their descendants.
- 1530: King Henry VIII introduces heraldic visitations to record arms in use and prohibit any that are usurped or are borne by men of inferior social status.
- 1538: Gloucester obtains a grant of arms, the first civic arms to be granted in England.
- 1555: Queen Mary I of England reincorporates the College of Arms with a new charter.
- 1561: The College of Arms rules that heraldic heiresses may not transmit their fathers' crests to their descendants.[34]
- 1562: Gerard Leigh publishes The Accedence of Armory.
- 1573: The University of Cambridge is granted arms.[38]
- 1574: Arms of the University of Oxford and its colleges are recorded in a visitation.[38]
17th century
- 1603: King James VIof Scotland inherits the English throne in 1603. The English and Scottish royal arms are combined, and a quartering depicting a harp is devised for Ireland.
- 1610: John Guillim publishes A Display of Heraldry.
- 1646: During its civil war again King Charles I, Parliament closes the Court of Chivalry and appoints its own kings of arms in place of those who have remained loyal to the king.
- 1649–60: While England is a republic ('Commonwealth'), the royal arms are replaced by new state arms.
- 1660: The monarchy is restored and King Charles II nullifies grants made by the Commonwealth heralds.
- 1667: The Court of Chivalryreopens.
- Garter Sir William Dugdale states that assumed arms that have been used in a family for around 80 years are allowed to be borne by prescription.[39]
- 1672: Charles II makes the office of Earl Marshal hereditary to the Dukes of Norfolk.
- 1673: The College of Arms opens a register of arms.[34]
- From 1673, the kings of arms require the Earl Marshal's authority for each grant of arms.[34]
- 1681–87: The last round of visitations is held. The system lapses after the 'Glorious Revolution' 1688–89.
18th century
- Garter Henry St George begins to undermine the principle of bearing self-assumed arms by prescription by refusing to confirm them without formally granting them.[39]
- 1707: England and Scotland unite to form the Kingdom of Great Britain, but retain their separate heraldry laws and authorities.
- 1737: The Court of Chivalry ceases to function.
- From 1741, gentlemen have to be "eminent" to be eligible for grants of arms.[34]
- 1780: Joseph Edmondson publishes A Complete Body of Heraldry.
- 1798: Annual licensing of coats of arms is introduced to raise money for the war with France. It is discontinued after the war.
19th century
- 1801: Great Britain and Ireland amalgamate to form the United Kingdom, but the English, Scottish and Irish heraldry authorities remain separate. The royal arms are altered to reflect the union, and the French arms are dropped.
- From 1806, an officer of the College of Arms is Inspector of Regimental Colours, to oversee British army heraldry.[40]
- 1815: The College of Arms confirms that only peers and knights of the Garter and the Bath are entitled to supporters to their arms.[34]
- 1823–1944: Annual licensing of coats of arms (whether they are officially recognised or not) is reintroduced.
- 1832: on the grounds that Lord Lyon's right to grant supporters according to the law and practice of Scotland was admitted and undoubted, the College of Arms reversed its resolution of 1812 which stated that 'in all future cases where arms certified by Lord Lyon were accompanied with supporters, the arms only be recorded unless the party be according to the Laws of Arms of England entitled to use such a distinction.' This means that supporters granted to commoners domiciled in Scotland, such as James Tennant, who was granted supporters in 1813, can be registered in England.[34]
- 1842: Bernard Burke publishes The General Armory.
- 1859: James Fairbairn publishes A Book of Crests.
- 1863: Charles Boutell publishes The Manual of Heraldry.
- 1889: West Sussex County Council obtains a grant of arms, the first to a county council.[36]
- 1889: Charles Elvin publishes A Dictionary of Heraldry.
- 1892: James Parker publishes A Glossary of Terms Used in Heraldry.
- 1894: Arthur Fox-Davies publishes The Book of Public Arms.
- 1895: Arthur Fox-Davies publishes Armorial Families.
- 1894: Mr Lloyd of Stockton registers personal arms containing 323 quarterings.[34]
20th century
- 1902: Joseph Foster publishes Some Feudal Coats of Arms.
- 1906: The Earl Marshal authorises the granting of badges to armigers of all ranks.[34]
- 1909: Arthur Fox-Davies publishes A Complete Guide to Heraldry.
- 1919: The Royal Navy introduces a standard system of ships' badges. HMS Warwick is the first to bear an official badge.
- 1924: The Royal Air Force College Cranwell obtains a grant of arms, the first to the RAF.[36][40]
- 1927: Bocking is the first parish council to obtain a grant of arms.[36]
- 1935: A standard pattern for Royal Air Force unit badges is introduced.[40]
- 1939: Anthony Wagner (Portcullis Pursuivant) publishes Historic Heraldry of Britain.
- 1943: King George VI transfers the office of Ulster King of Armsto the College of Arms and combines it with the office of Norroy, with jurisdiction limited to Northern Ireland.
- 1946: Anthony Wagner publishes Heraldry in England.
- 1947: The Society of Heraldic Antiquaries (later the Heraldry Society) is established. It launches a journal, The Coat of Arms, in 1950.
- 1950: The College of Arms introduces a mark of difference for the arms of divorced women.
- 1951: The first grants of arms to Northern Ireland: Londonderry and Tyrone.
- 1954: The Court of Chivalry is reactivated for a test case between the Manchester City Council and a local theatre.[40]
- 1960: The Earl Marshal authorises the kings of arms to devise arms, on request, for towns in the United States of America, subject to approval by the relevant state governors. This is extended to other corporate bodies in the US in 1962.[40]
- 1967: The Earl Marshal authorises ecclesiastical hats for the arms of Roman Catholic clergy.
- 1971: Geoffrey Briggs' Civic & Corporate Heraldry
- 1973: John Brooke-Little (Richmond Herald)'s An Heraldic Alphabet
- 1976: The Earl Marshal authorises ecclesiastical hats for the arms of Anglican clergy.
- 1988: Thomas Woodcock (Somerset Herald) and John Robinson (Fitzalan Pursuivant) publish The Oxford Guide to Heraldry.
- 1993: Peter Gwynn-Jones (York Herald) and Henry Paston-Bedingfeld (Rouge Croix Pursuivant) publish Heraldry.
- 1995 and 1997: The College of Arms revises the rules for women's arms; inter alia, married women may now bear their arms on shields, with a mark of difference.[41]
21st century
- 2014: Garter, Clarenceux and Norroy and Ulster Kings of Arms issue impalement rules on same-sex marriages.[42]
Regulation
Heraldry in England is heavily regulated by the
Applications are open to anyone with a 'reputable status' (normally including a university degree, but officially down to the discretion of the college).
The College of Arms was incorporated in 1484 by King Richard III,
According to one source,[45] the number of grants of arms in each half-century was roughly as follows:
1550–1600 | 1600–1650 | 1650–1700 | 1700–1750 | 1750–1800 | 1800–1850 | 1850–1900 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2600 | 1580 | 780 | 560 | 1600 | 4600 | 3800 |
Although the accuracy of the figures is in doubt, the general trend is likely to be correct.[45] It is clear that heraldry saw a resurgence in England in the early 19th century.
Since 1797, no case of free assumption of arms has ever been successfully prosecuted in England.[13] The Court of Chivalry, the court of enforcement of such cases, has fallen into unimportance.[13]
Cadency
The English system of cadency allows
Wife | First son | Second son | Third son | Fourth son | Fifth son | Sixth son | Seventh son | Eighth son | Ninth son | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
family member | ||||||||||
label of three points
|
mullet |
annulet |
fleur-de-lys |
double quatrefoil†
|
†also known as an octofoil[46]
Women do not display the "war-like" crest. Daughters have no special brisures, and customarily bear their father's arms on a lozenge while they are unmarried.[47] The wife of an armigerous man may bear her husband's arms alone on a shield or banner differenced by a small lozenge.
If she bears arms in her own right, while she is married, a woman may marshal (combine) her or her father's arms with her husband's on a single shield,[1] normally by impalement.[48]
Upon becoming a widow, a woman may bear her late husband's arms alone on a lozenge, oval or similar vehicle of display, differenced by a lozenge and if she bears arms in her own right, returns to bearing her father's arms upon a lozenge, though now impaled with her late husband's arms.[47] Her husband's arms are borne on the dexter side and her father's arms on the sinister side.
Royal coat of arms
The royal coat of arms is the official
The shield is quartered, depicting in the first and fourth quarters the three lions passant guardant of
The crest is a lion statant guardant wearing the Tudor crown, itself standing upon another representation of that crown.
The dexter
The coat features both the
Coat of arms of the British Royal Family
Children and male-line grandchildren of a monarch are usually granted their own coats of arms. Although many are given peerage titles named for places in Wales or Scotland, the royal family follows English heraldic tradition; indeed, most coats of arms of the royal family are based on the royal arms as described above.
|
County families
The Heraldic Visitations of the several counties of England were instituted in the 16th century and required each family which displayed coat armour to report to the visiting heralds, generally holding court in the county capital during a certain period, to declare its pedigree to show it came from ancient gentry stock. This has given rise to well recorded armorials of the ancient gentry families from each county, which generally assumed amongst themselves the administration of the county on behalf of the monarch, filling such offices as Sheriff, Justice of the Peace, Commissioners, Knights of the Shire or Members of Parliament, and in the feudal era if tenants-in-chief fought in the royal army.
Civic armory
Almost every town council, city council and major educational establishment has an official armorial bearing (coat of arms), although the use of such arms varies wildly, due to the governance of the institution, and who uses the arms, particularly concerning unitary authorities. The College of Arms grants arms only to people or corporate bodies, and so coats of arms are attributed to Borough, District or Town councils, rather than to a place or its populace.[52] Mottoes are common but not universal. Arms of such councils may feature the historical ecclesiastical arms of a local
In local government, however, there has been a move away from traditional heraldic style designs to clean, streamlined ones, as in the case of London. Whether this is a good or bad thing is a matter of debate.[citation needed]
Often use is restricted to certain events and institutions within the town or city, its use superseded by the logo of the local
Educational Institutions
Many British educational establishments have arms dating back hundreds of years, but the College of Arms continues to grant new arms to schools, colleges and universities each year.[a] The arms of educational establishments often represent the aims of the institution and history of the establishment, town or major alumni.
For instance the
In the arms of
Heraldists
English heraldists include:
- Arthur Charles Fox-Davies, author of The Art of Heraldry, A Complete Guide to Heraldry and the controversial The Right to Bear (published under the pseudonym "X").
- Charles Boutell, heraldic author and writer about antiques[56]
- Constance Egan, an English heraldist, as managing editor of the Heraldry Society's journal The Coat of Arms.
- John Brooke-Little, son of the above and writer.
- .
- Cecil Humphery-Smith, OBE, FSA, a British genealogist and heraldist who founded the Institute of Heraldic and Genealogical Studies in Canterbury.
- Guy Stair Sainty, English antiquary, art dealer, expert on chivalric orders and heraldry; author of World Orders of Knighthood and Merit, and other books.
Order of the Garter
Members of the Order of the Garter may encircle their arms with the Garter and, if they wish, with a depiction of the collar as well.[57] However, the Garter is normally used alone, and the more elaborate version is seldom seen. Stranger Knights and Ladies do not embellish the arms they use in their countries with English decorations.
Knights and Ladies Companion are also entitled to receive heraldic
On January 5, 1420,
See also
Heraldry of English county families:
Notes
- ^ Universities in Scotland, however, must, by Scots law, have their coats of arms matriculated by the Lord Lyon King of Arms before they can be used.
- ^ a b "The Arms of Women, a Decree". 2018-03-02.
- ^ Boutell (1914), p. 76.
- ^ Fox-Davies (1909), p. 158.
- ^ Fox-Davies (1909), p. 161.
- ^ Fox-Davies (1909), p. 174.
- ^ Boutell (1914), p.92.
- ^ Turnbull (1985), The Book of the Medieval Knight.
- The Dictionary of the Middle Ages, Volume III.
- ^ a b Boutell (1914), p. 9.
- ^ a b Boutell (1914), p. 2.
- ^ "English etymology of Heraldry". myEtymology. Jim Sinclair. Archived from the original on 2009-07-26. Retrieved 2009-04-16.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ Illustrated in Boutell (1914), pp. 10–11.
- ^ a b c François R. Velde. "Regulation of Heraldry in England". Heraldica. Archived from the original on 2008-09-15. Retrieved 2009-01-04.
- ISBN 978-8763507882.
- ISBN 978-0-521-29037-1.
- ^ Kurin, Richard. "THE SILK ROAD: CONNECTING PEOPLE AND CULTURES". Smithsonian Folklife Festival. Smithsonian. Retrieved 7 January 2021.
- ^ Feltham, Heleanor. "Here be lions: an investigation into the origin, distribution, meaning and transformation of lion imagery". Open Publications of UTS Scholars. Retrieved 7 January 2021.
- ^ The Falkirk Rolls Archived 2009-02-04 at the Wayback Machine, sourced at Studies in Heraldry by Brian Timms based on Gerard J Brault, Eight Thirteenth Century Rolls of Arms, Pennsylvania State University Press (1973). Original held at the British Museum, MS Harl 6589, f9-9b. Accessed 2009-01-04.
- ^ Fox-Davies (1909), p. 28.
- ^ Fox-Davies (1909), pp. 28–34.
- ^ a b Williams (1967), p. 261.
- ^ Noble (1804), Appendix, p. viii.
- ^ a b Bedingfeld (1993), Heraldry, p. 67.
- ^ Wagner (1967), p. 318.
- ^ a b Woodcock & Robinson (1988), p. 43.
- ^ Wagner (1967), pp. 315–6.
- ^ Wagner (1967), pp. 329–30.
- ^ Wagner (1967), p. 342.
- ^ Bedingfeld (1993), pp. 68–71.
- ^ Woodcock & Robinson (1988), pp. 44–46.
- ^ Wagner (1946), p. 23.
- ^ Wagner, A. (1946). Heraldry in England
- ^ J. H. Round, "The Introduction of Armorial Bearings into England", The Archaeological Journal, volume 51, pp 43-48 [1]
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Woodcock, T. & Robinson, J.M. (1988). The Oxford Guide to Heraldry
- ^ Velde, F. (1999) [Commoners' Arms in England | http://www.heraldica.com Archived 2010-08-31 at the Wayback Machine]
- ^ a b c d Briggs, C. (1970). Civic and Corporate Heraldry
- ^ a b Wagner, A. (1939). Historic Heraldry of Britain
- ^ a b Fox-Davies, A.C. (1915). The Book of Public Arms
- ^ a b Pine, L.G. (1952). The Story of Heraldry
- ^ a b c d e Friar, S. (Ed) (1987). A New Dictionary of Heraldry
- ^ [Cheshire Heraldry | http://www.cheshire-heraldry.org.uk Archived 2010-08-23 at the Wayback Machine]
- ^ "Same-sex marriages - College of Arms". www.college-of-arms.gov.uk. Retrieved 2021-08-27.
- ^ "Frequently Asked Questions". College of arms website. Archived from the original on 2009-04-13. Retrieved 2009-04-16.
- ^ "The history of the Royal heralds and the College of Arms". College of arms website. Archived from the original on 2009-04-13. Retrieved 2009-04-16.
- ^ a b François Velde. "Number of Grants by the English Kings of Arms". Archived from the original on 2008-12-05. Retrieved 2009-01-04.
- ^ "Heraldry Examination". Royal Heraldry Society of Canada. Archived from the original on 2009-08-27. Retrieved 2008-08-30.
- ^ a b Fox-Davies (1909), pp. 533–4.
- ^ Fox-Davies (1909), p. 531.
- ^ a b c d e "British Monarchy Symbols: Coat of Arms". Official British Monarchy Website. Archived from the original on 2013-03-08. Retrieved 2009-03-29.
- ^ a b c d Boutell & Brooke-Little (1978), pp. 205–222.
- ^ "Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Sussex: Coat of Arms". The Royal Family. May 25, 2018. Retrieved May 25, 2018.
- ^ "Civ heraldry (homepage)". Civic heraldry of England and Wales. Robert Young. Archived from the original on 2009-04-03. Retrieved 2009-04-17.
- ^ Compare Coat of arms of St. Edmundsbury Borough Council Archived 2008-09-26 at the Wayback Machine on Civil Heraldry by Robert Young and the coat of arms of Saint Edmund Archived 2013-08-17 at the Wayback Machine (both accessed 2009-01-06).
- ^ a b One such example, Carlisle Archived 2009-07-26 at the Wayback Machine on the City Council website. Accessed 2009-01-05.
- ^ "At the heart of the city and the region". Archived from the original on 2011-08-11. Retrieved 2010-08-30.
- ^ Lee, Colin (2004). "Charles Boutell:Oxford Biography Index Entry". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Archived from the original on 2008-12-02. Retrieved 2009-03-29.
- ^ a b Paul Courtenay. "The Armorial Bearings of Sir Winston Churchill". The Churchill Centre. Archived from the original on 4 October 2006. Retrieved 1 January 2009.
- ^ "The origin and history of the various heraldic offices". College of Arms. 2004-04-10. Archived from the original on 2010-07-29. Retrieved 2009-01-06.
References
- Bedingfeld, Henry; Gwynn-Jones, Peter (1993). Heraldry. Leicester: Magna Books. ISBN 1-85422-433-6.
- ISBN 0-7232-3093-5.
- Boutell, Charles (1914). Fox-Davies, Arthur Charles (ed.). The Handbook to English Heraldry. London: Reeves & Turner. LCCN 25023105.
- ISBN 0-517-26643-1.
- OCLC 12772481.
- Turnbull, Stephen R. (1985). The Book of the Medieval Knight. London: Arms and Armour. ISBN 0-85368-715-3.
- OCLC 1178344.
- Wagner, Anthony R. (1946). Heraldry in England. London: Penguin Books. OCLC 20557263.
- Williams, C.H., ed. (1967). English Historical Documents. Vol. 5. London: ISBN 0-413-23320-0.
- Woodcock, Thomas; Robinson, John Martin (1988). The Oxford Guide to Heraldry. Oxford: University Press. LCCN 88023554.
External links
- College of Arms
- Barron, Oswald (1911). . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 13 (11th ed.). pp. 311–330.