A Practical Guide to Petitioning for a Grant of Arms’
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Welcome to Version 1.2 (20th September 2016) A Practical Guide to Petitioning for By Paul D Jagger a Grant of Arms 1 Welcome to ‘A Practical Guide to Petitioning for a Grant of Arms’. These materials support a face-to-face workshop on the subjects of heraldry and petitioning the Crown for arms in the Commonwealth realms, Crown Dependencies and Territories. For the sake of simplicity the following slides focus on the heraldic practices of HM College of Arms in the City of London covering England, Wales, Norther Ireland, the Crown Dependencies, Territories and the Commonwealth Realms other than Canada. Scotland has enjoyed its own heraldic authority since before the union of the crowns. Agenda An Introduction to Heraldry Petitioning for arms Displaying arms Preparing your petition Frequently Asked Questions Further reading and resources 2 Heraldry: An Introduction 3 We will now explore some of the concepts and terminology of heraldry, the law of arms and gain a brief insight in to blazon, the language of heraldry. The photo was taken by the author in the great hall at Queens’ College, Cambridge. Heraldic Myths Busted There is no such thing as a coat of arms for a surname The words crest, badge and coat of arms are not synonymous There are no fixed meaning for colours or symbols in heraldry You cannot buy your family coat of arms from a tourist shop or website You don’t have to be a Lord or a Knight to be granted arms 4 Before we proceed with the substance of this workshop it may be helpful to dispel a few common myths and misconceptions about heraldry and coats of arms. There are many websites and tourist shops that will offer to sell you your coat or arms, or worse ‘your family crest’ on all manner of objects from fridge magnets to tea towels. These retailers are engaged in a practice known as ‘bucket shop heraldry’. At best it’s a bit of innocent fun, at worst it’s a deliberate attempt to mislead the unwary and potentially commit heraldic fraud (which is a crime in the UK and Commonwealth Realms). It is not possible to buy your coat of arms from a shop, auction or website - no matter how convincing the authenticity of the offer may be. The reasons for this are explained further on in the presentation. The author tested one such website and managed to find arms for such family surnames as: Bogus, Liar, Fake and Charlatan - enough said. The Power to Grant Arms 5 In the United Kingdom and Commonwealth Realms the power to grant arms (coats of arms) derives from the Sovereign as Fount of Honour. A coat of arms is a mark of distinction granted by the crown, a form of honour. Despite being in her nineties our current monarch is still immensely active and busy, so she delegates her authority to grant arms to an officer of state known as the Earl Marshal. For many centuries the office of Earl Marshal has been an hereditary one held by the Dukes of Norfolk, the senior dukedom in the realm. The Duke of Norfolk exercises the power to grant arms for and on behalf of the Sovereign in respect of peers, baronets, knights, esquires, ladies and gentlemen. The Sovereign continues to exercise the right to grant arms to members of the Royal Family, most typically this occurs when a prince or princess reaches the age of majority. HM College of Arms Queen Victoria Street 6 Whilst the Earl Marshal exercises the authority to grant arms on behalf of the Sovereign, he may not be an expert in the law and customs of arms, the language of heraldry or the process of devising new armorial bearings (the elements of a coat of arms). The Earl Marshal is therefore aided by a number of professional ‘Officers of Arms’ going by various ancient titles and in three grades: Kings of Arms, Heralds and Pursuivants. Together these officers form the College of Arms based in the City of London. The College of Arms is also home to the Court of Chivalry where court cases involving misuse of arms may be tried. The College celebrated its 500th anniversary in 1984 but heralds have been in service to the crown since at least 1334. Despite being part of the royal household the College receives no funding from the government and the heralds wages have not risen for many centuries but they are permitted to charge a professional fee for their services. A visit to the College of Arms 7 An extract from the Channel 4 series ‘At Her Majesty’s Service’ screened in 2016. Dame Penelope Keith visits the College of Arms to meet Garter Principal Kings of Arms, Thomas Woodcock CVO DL and learn something of the work of the College. Note that Garter points out that Dame Penelope Keith is amply qualified to petition for arms as a former High Sheriff and Dame, viewers should not interpret that as a minimum standard for petitioners. This video clip may only be viewed by registering at channel4.com, search for ‘At Her Majesty’s Service’ episode 1. The Law of Arms Arms are granted to a named person or corporate bodies (towns, cities, companies, universities, charities) All arms must be unique Personal arms descend through the male line A woman may bear her father’s arms, be granted arms in her own right or unite with her husband’s arms Arms are a form of intellectual property protected in law 8 Arms are granted to either a named person or to a corporate body such as a University, County Council or Livery Company. Arms are not granted to whole families and most definitely not to surnames. Where confusion often arises is in the fact that arms are inherited in the male line and hence arms granted to Mr Edward Arthur Smith may be used (with appropriate marks of cadence) by his sons and his undifferenced arms may be used by his unmarried daughters. This does not mean that every Mr Smith may use the arms. Women may also be granted arms or unite their father’s arms with those of their husband if he is armigerous (has a right to arms). In the slide we see the shield of the arms granted to the author’s father in (top right) and those of The Worshipful Company of Information Technologists (bottom right). Coats of Arms Explained Torse Crest Helm Mantling Shield or Escutcheon Motto Esquires and Gentlemen 9 A coat of arms comprises various elements starting with the shield or escutcheon. Ladies may have their arms on an shield or more usually an oval or lozenge as shields are overtly war like. The shield is usually surmounted by a helm, the design and orientation of which indicates the rank of the armiger. On top of the helm we find the wreath or torse as it is sometimes known. Some depictions of coats of arms suggest the torse is like a striped rolling pin whereas it is a circle of twisted fabric. Appearing to eminent from the wreath is a three dimensional object called the crest. The crest is a distinct part of the arms and not synonymous for the whole coat of arms (i.e., there is no such thing as a ‘family crest’). Behind the helm there is a highly stylised fabric cover called mantling. It is believed mantling was originally a sun shade used by knights during the crusades - serving the same purpose as the white sun shades French Foreign Legion soldiers wore on their Kepi’s in North Africa. Lastly we come to the motto which does not form part of the legal grant (other than in Scotland) and may be changed from generation to generation. Mottos are often in latin, but may be in any language - short and simple statements of values are usually the best. Note: In Scotland the motto forms part of the legal grant and may not be changed without the authority of the Court of Lord Lyon. Arms of Women Unmarried Unmarried Married Peeress with OM* Married Lady with CBE* Married Royalty 10 A woman may be granted arms in her own right, or use her father’s arms while single. An unmarried woman’s arms will usually be displayed in a lozenge or oval hanging from a blue bow. A married woman may impale her own arms, or those of her father with her husband. Where a woman has been granted arms in her own right and is married to a man who does not have his own arms she displays a small blank shield on her own shield. Any man or woman who has a decoration* awarded by the Crown may optionally display that decoration hanging below their shield. The decoration does not form part of the arms and does not pass down the generations. The arms shown above are: Baroness Thatcher (centre), Wendy Mead OBE CC (top left) prior to the award of her OBE, Catherine Middleton prior to marriage (top right), Dame Fiona Woolf prior to being elevated to Dame (bottom left), HRH The Duchess of Cornwall (bottom right) Coats of Arms Explained Torse Crest Helm Circlet, Garter Mantling or Collar Shield or Supporters Escutcheon Compartment Motto 11 A more elaborate coat of arms may incorporate supporters holding the shield, a compartment upon which the supporters stand, and possibly a circlet, collar or garter around and behind the shield. These are the Royal Arms of Canada as used by the Queen of Canada.