John Brooke-Little
John Philip Brooke Brooke-Little
In addition to the foundation of this group, Brooke-Little was involved in other heraldic groups and societies and worked for many years as an officer of arms; beginning as Bluemantle Pursuivant, Brooke-Little rose to the second highest heraldic office in England: Clarenceux King of Arms.
Early and private life
John Brooke-Little was born in
As a boy, Brooke-Little's first contact with the College of Arms came when he went to see
Brooke-Little married Mary Pierce, daughter of John Raymond Pierce, in 1960. The couple had three sons, Philip, Leo, and Merlin, and one daughter, Clare.[8] In 2004, after having retired from the College of Arms, Brooke-Little lived at his Heyford House in Oxfordshire with the families of both Leo and Merlin.[9]
Brooke-Little had a major stroke in 1994. This incident left his mobility and speech partly impaired, though his mind was still quite sharp. He continued in his heraldic duties until his retirement three years later. He also continued to guide the Heraldry Society after this. He suffered a succession of minor strokes over his last years as a herald and during his retirement. He was still able to make appearances at functions of the Heraldry Society, though his role was severely limited by debilitating
Heraldic career
In 1952–3, Brooke-Little served on the staff assembled by the Earl Marshal to plan the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. He was appointed a Gold Staff Officer for the Coronation and held a key co-ordination role during planning as well as on the day.[11] It was his abiding interest in heraldry that led to this appointment, and this work with the Earl Marshal and the officers of arms led to his first heraldic appointment. He joined the College of Arms as Bluemantle Pursuivant in 1956.[12] The rank of pursuivant is the junior of the three levels an officer of arms can attain, and Brooke-Little related the story of his appointment in an editorial. In 1956, Sir George Bellew, the Garter King of Arms, had recommended Brooke-Little and Colin Cole for the open position of Bluemantle. The two were asked to meet with the Earl Marshal in London. The Earl Marshal was not usually faced with two candidates for an opening; he offered the position to Cole, who turned it down as his wife was expecting a child. Brooke-Little was made Bluemantle. Several months later when Sir Gerald Wollaston died, in the ensuing shuffle Cole was finally given his appointment as Portcullis Pursuivant.[13]
In 1967, Brooke-Little was advanced to the position of
Brooke-Little maintained an interest in Irish heraldry even after he was promoted from Norroy and Ulster to Clarenceux. After the Director of the
When Sir Colin Cole retired from the office of Garter King of Arms in 1992, Brooke-Little was a leading candidate to replace him. This is the highest heraldic office in England; Garter is chairman of the Chapter of the College of Arms, as well as the king of arms of the Order of the Garter. Due to his convivial life style, though, Brooke-Little was not well suited to the managerial responsibilities of the office of Garter.[4] Instead, the honour went to Sir Conrad Swan. On 19 June 1995, Brooke-Little was appointed to the office of Clarenceux King of Arms following the death of Sir Anthony Wagner.[17] This is the senior of the two provincial kings of arms and the holder of the office has jurisdiction over England and Wales south of the Trent. The heralds had traditionally been appointed "for life on good behaviour", but Brooke-Little became Clarenceux shortly after compulsory retirement at age 70 was introduced, and he had to leave after only two years in this post.[18] He ended his heraldic career without ever having attained the office of Garter King of Arms, or being honoured with a knighthood.
In addition to his duties as a professional herald, Brooke-Little held three administrative positions at the College of Arms. From 1974 until 1982, he served as registrar, with responsibility to enter all new grants and confirmations of arms into the college records. Brooke-Little's signature can be found on the reverse of the letters patent for every grant made during this period. In addition, he served as the college's librarian from 1974 until 1994 and the treasurer of the College of Arms from 1978 until 1995. He was also the director of the Heralds' Museum at the Tower of London from 1991 to 1997; this museum is no longer operating.
Although Brooke-Little enjoyed prominence as a professional officer of arms and as an author on heraldic subjects, his role in founding the Heraldry Society, and in guiding the society and editing its journal for many years, was perhaps his greatest contribution to the science of heraldry.
Other heraldic work
Arms
In 1952, as John Brooke-Little was entering the world of heraldry as a Gold Staff Officer, he began exploring the origins of his own arms. His family had been using the arms Azure, six lioncels rampant gules,[19] but some research proved that the Brooke-Littles had no right to these arms. John worked to apply for a grant on behalf of his father. When asked for input, his father noted that the lions previously used were improper and that he thought unicorns would be a good replacement. Red gouttes (droplets) alluded to the family's former holding of the Manor of Slaughterford. The arms were granted to Raymond Brooke-Little on 5 March 1952. John quartered these arms with those of his mother, Constance Egan. The whole shield of arms is blazoned Quarterly: I and IV, argent, goutté de sang three unicorns' heads erased sable armed and crined or langued azure (Brooke-Little); II and III, azure, two dolphins haurient and addorsed or, the eyes gules, between four shamrocks slipped or.[20] The crest is blazoned a demi-unicorn rampant erased sable, armed, crined and unguled or, langued azure and collared gobony or and gules, with a chain or reflexed over the back and attached with a ring or. At the same time, the motto of Recte Aut Nil (meaning 'correctly or not at all') was granted, as well as John Brooke-Little's well-used badge, blazoned a triquetra or interlaced by an annulet argent.
The Heraldry Society
In 1947, a twenty-year-old Brooke-Little founded the Society of Heraldic Antiquaries, which was renamed the Heraldry Society in 1950. It was
The White Lion Society
Brooke-Little was integral to the foundation of the White Lion Society. In 1984, at a meeting of the Heraldry Society, it was suggested to Brooke-Little, then Norroy and Ulster King of Arms, that it would be appropriate to found a "Society of Friends" of the College of Arms.
Honours and appointments
Brooke-Little garnered many honours and awards during his time of service to the Crown. He was appointed a 4th Class Member of the
Brooke-Little was an Honorary Fellow of the
In addition to his honours in Britain, Brooke-Little also served as Chancellor of the British Association of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta from 1973 to 1977. He was first admitted to the Order as a Knight of Magistral Grace, and would eventually hold the rank of Knight Grand Cross of Grace and Devotion. He was also honoured with the Order of Merito Melitense in 1964 and was made a Knight Grand Cross of Grace of the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George.[30] In addition to these honours, he held the Cruz Distinguida (1st class) de San Raimundo de Penafort.
Published works
Brooke-Little was the author or editor of at least ten books including:
- Boutell's Heraldry (editor of the editions from 1963 to 1983, ISBN 0-7232-3093-5).
- Royal Arms [ISBN missing]
- Royal London (Pitkin, 1953, ASIN B0000CIJW3)
- The University City of Oxford (Pitkin, 1955, ASIN B0000CJ3SY)
- Knights of the Middle Ages (Evelyn, 1966, ASIN B0000CN6TZ)
- An Heraldic Alphabet (Macdonald, 1973, ISBN 1-86105-077-1, 0-86051-320-3)
- Beasts in Heraldry (1974) [ISBN missing]
- The British Monarchy in Colour (Blandford, 1976, ISBN 0-7137-0774-7)
- Royal Heraldry: Beasts and Badges of Britain (Pilgrim Press, 1977, ISBN 0-900594-37-3)
- Royal Ceremonies of State (Country Life, 1980, ISBN 0-600-37628-1)
- Fox Davies' Complete Guide to Heraldry (revised edition, ISBN 0-7232-2096-4)
References
- ^ "John Philip Brooke-Little" The Coat of Arms. Third Series Vol II No 212, (2006) 77.
- ^ "John Brooke-Little—Comment—Obituaries—Timesonline". The Times. London. 17 February 2006. Retrieved 11 May 2007.
- ^ "The Heraldry Society". The Heraldry Society. n.d. Archived from the original on 27 April 2007. Retrieved 11 May 2007.
- ^ a b "John Brooke-Little | Obituaries | News | Telegraph". The Daily Telegraph. 16 February 2006. Archived from the original on 23 March 2008. Retrieved 11 May 2007.
- ^ Mark Elvins. "Oxford University Heraldry Society." The Coat of Arms, New Series Vol IV No 119 (1981), 419.
- ^ Notes about Oxford University Heraldry Society from the Cambridge University Heraldic and Genealogical Society.
- ^ The College of Arms Newsletter. The edition of the newsletter includes mention of William Hunt's lecture for the Society on 23 February 2006.
- ^ Obituary Archived 1 October 2007 at the Wayback Machine (The Independent, 21 February 2006).
- ^ a b Correspondence with Old Clayesmorian Society Archived 27 October 2006 at the Wayback Machine found here Archived 13 March 2007 at the Wayback Machine.
- ^ Gordon Casely. "John Brooke-Little Last survivor of the English heralds at the 1953 Coronation." The Herald. (Glasgow, UK: 17 February 2006), 37.
- ISBN 0-9537845-1-7
- ^ "No. 40932". The London Gazette. 23 November 1956. p. 6634.
- ^ John Brooke-Little. "Editorial." The Coat of Arms. New Series Vol XV No 203, (2003) 90.
- ^ "No. 44298". The London Gazette. 27 April 1967. p. 4677.
- ^ "No. 48249". The London Gazette. 10 July 1980. p. 9831.
- ^ Hood, Susan (2002). Royal Roots, Republican Inheritance: The Survival of the Office of Arms. Dublin: Woodfield Press. p. 247.
- ^ "No. 54085". The London Gazette. 27 June 1995. p. 8847.
- ^ Campbell-Kease, John, ed. (2000). Tribute to an Armorist: Essays for John Brooke-Little to Mark the Golden Jubilee of 'The Coat of Arms'. London: The Heraldry Society.
- ^ The White Lion Society Archived 23 August 2006 at the Wayback Machine.
- ^ The Heraldry Society Archived 19 February 2006 at the Wayback Machine.
- ^ a b Stephen Friar, Ed. A Dictionary of Heraldry (Harmony Books, New York: 1987).
- ^ The Coat of Arms. Third Series Volume 1, No 209: Spring 2005.
- ^ The White Lion Society Archived 21 April 2017 at the Wayback Machine.
- ^ "No. 44888". The London Gazette (Supplement). 3 July 1969. p. 6967.
- ^ "No. 49583". The London Gazette (Supplement). 30 December 1983. p. 4.
- ^ "No. 46760". The London Gazette. 11 December 1975. p. 15751.
- ^ "No. 43547". The London Gazette. 12 January 1965. p. 405.
- ^ Michael Powell Siddons. Visitations by the Heralds in Wales (The Harleian Society, London: 1996).
- ^ The RAF Heraldry Trust.
- ^ The American College of Heraldry.