The College Of Arms
What are the origins of the College of Arms?
The College of Arms was first founded in 1484. The heralds in the king's service had been meeting regularly since the beginning of the 15th century, and they first received a charter incorporating them as a corporate body in 1484 under Richard III. Unfortunately, Richard III met a bit of a sticky end the following year, Bosworth, when he was replaced by Henry VII. The first thing Henry VII did was rescind all the charters granted by his predecessor. The College of Arms had its charter revoked, and it became homeless in 1485. We then had another charter in 1555 from Queen Mary, granting us the site that we're on in the city of London.
How old is it and why was it formed?
The College of Arms is about 520 years old, and it was formed because the Tudor kings, and Richard III slightly before them, wanted to bring heraldry and questions of status more closely under the Crown's control. So as part of the centralizing instinct that you see at the end of the Middle Ages when the Crown gets more and more control over heraldry, status, and retaining of private armies, and all of those issues.
How can it help someone looking for their Coat of Arms?
The College of Arms answers thousands of enquiries each year about coats of arms and we can help everybody. We can advise them on exactly what to do and what would be available with their own particular inquiry. Of course, each inquiry is different. It's difficult to generalize, but broadly speaking it would involve gaining some knowledge of the history of the family, and doing some research in our registers, our records, to find out what might be on record about that family.
What is Ecclesiastical heraldry?
Ecclesiastical heraldry refers to the coats of arms used by Bishops and clergymen, and also by Bishoprics and abbeys and priories and other conventional bodies. In medieval times, the church was one of the greatest landowners, and as such it took part in land transactions all the time, issued documents, and all of them had to be sealed and authenticated. So, the priories, abbeys and bishoprics all had coats of arms. The incumbents of Bishoprics also had coats of arms, so all the bishops and archbishops would have had coats of arms as well, which they used to signify their own personal identity.
Would you find Heraldry throughout the world?
Heraldry of one kind or another can be found throughout, remarkably widely in the world. In the main, it's found in places where western European, medieval and early modern culture have been influential. So western Europe itself, former colonies, North America, Australia, New Zealand, and places like that. You don't see heraldry particularly in Asia, or particularly in South America, because it's not indigenous to those areas, and it wasn't taken there by colonial powers.
Whom or what is the Garter King of Arms?
Garter King of Arms is the senior and most important herald at the College of Arms. His job was created in 1415 by Henry V just before he set sail for Agincourt. Garter is an interesting herald because he's also the King of Arms for the Order of the Garter, as well as being the most important herald of the College of Arms.
Whom or what is the Clarenceux King of Arms?
Clarenceux King of Arms takes his name from Clarence, the domain of the Honor of Clare. We first know about the King of Arms with that name in about 1334. He is the King of Arms with jurisdiction over the sudden province of England and Wales, south of the River Trent.
Whom or what is the Norroy and Ulster King of Arms?
There has been a Norroy King of Arms since at least the late 13th century, and he takes his title from the word meaning Northern Kingdom or north of the kingdom or northern man. He has jurisdiction north of the River Trent in Wales. He is called Norroy and Ulster King of Arms because since 1943, he has also had jurisdiction over Northern Ireland.
Whom or what is the Richmond Herald?
Richmond Herald is associated with the honor of Richmond in Yorkshire and dates from at least the 15th century.
Where do the heralds get their names?
The heralds at the College of Arms can be divided into three categories. There are three Kings of Arms, who are Garter, the most important, then Clarenceux King of Arms with jurisdiction over the southern half of England and Wales south of the Trent, and Norroy and Ulster King of Arms with jurisdiction over the area of England and Wales north of the Trent and over Northern Ireland. And they both date from the early medieval times. There are then six heralds, who take their names in the main from royal dukedoms assimilated by the Crown during the medieval times, with the exception of Windsor Herald, who of course is named after the castle. At the bottom of the hierarchy are four pursuivants, who take their names from royal badges. Two, namely Portcullis and Rouge Dragon, take their names from badges used by Henry VII. And two, namely Rouge Croix and Bluemantle, take their names from badges associated with the Order of the Garter.