Court of the Lord Lyon
Encyclopedia
The Court of the Lord Lyon, also known as the Lyon Court, is a standing court
of law which regulates heraldry
in Scotland
. Like the College of Arms
in England
it maintains the register of grants of arms
, known as the Public Register of All Arms and Bearings in Scotland
, as well as records of genealogies.
The Lyon Court is a public body, and the fees for grants of arms are paid to HM Treasury
. It is headed by the Lord Lyon King of Arms
, who must be legally qualified, as he has criminal jurisdiction in heraldic matters, and the court is fully integrated into the Scottish legal system, including having a dedicated prosecutor, known in Scotland as a Procurator Fiscal
.
, the chief heraldic officer of Scotland is both a Great Officer of State as well as a Judge
in the Scottish judiciary
. The Lord Lyon's judicial duties concerning Scottish heraldic
business and heraldic laws are conducted through the machinery of the Court of the Lord Lyon. The Court exercises both civil and penal
jurisdiction under the old Common Law of Scotland
and the many Acts of Parliament
.
and pedigree
. These can include the granting and regranting of armorial bearings by Letters Patent
and various Birthbrieves, such as Diplomas of Nobility or of the Chiefship (Diploma Stemmatis). All of these actions must begin with a formal petition to the Court.
When sufficient evidence is attested to these rights, a judicial 'Interlocutor' or warrant will be issued by the Lord Lyon. This power of the Lord Lyon is derived from the monarch's royal prerogatives, which has been delegated to the office by law. The warrant will then authorise the Lyon Clerk and Keeper of the Records
to prepare Letters Patent of the particular coat of arms
or genealogy
to be recorded in the: Public Register of All Arms and Bearings in Scotland or in the Public Register of All Genealogies and Birthbrieves in Scotland. The fees on all of these procedures are payable to the Exchequer. This is in contrast to the College of Arms
in London
, which is an independent corporate body and not a government department, therefore all fees are reinvested into the corporation.
of the Court is concerned with the protection of the rights of both private individuals and of the Crown
(in the form of the Scottish Government) in Scottish armorial bearings. The Lord Lyon also has control over H.M. Messengers-at-arms
, judicial officers responsible for serving documents and enforcing legal orders throughout Scotland.
The protection of the rights to arms is of signal importance because of the fact that persons and corporation have paid fees to the Crown in return for exclusive rights to use those armorial bearings. A coat of arms can only belong to one particular person at a time. Without such protection, a coat of arms would be; useless as a form of identification and worthless as a piece of private property. Furthermore, a misappropriation or unauthorised use (displaying or usurping) of a man's coat of arms is still considered a 'real injury' under Scottish common law.
Accordingly an owner of a Scottish coat of arms may obtain a judicial order
in the Court against anybody using his arms. The Crown and the public have an interest in these cases. The Crown, because in Scotland all fees on the registration of armorial bearings and pedigrees are payable to H.M. Treasury. And the public, through the prevention; of fraud and of the misappropriation of property. Individual coats of arms are also considered legal evidence
, which means that they could be used in legal cases concerning the establishment of succession or identity.
, will therefore sometimes regard cases bought by the Procurator Fiscal similarly to those of the Inland Revenue
prosecution. Accordingly an armorial offender was viewed as sternly as any other evading national taxation.This is in contrast to the Court of Chivalry
in England
, which has similar powers to the Lord Lyon Court, but is a civil court, and has met only once in in the last 230 years, in 1954.
Historically the punishment for the usurpation of arms were severe. In Acts dated 1592 and 1672, the Court was given the full power to fine and imprison offenders. In 1669 the Court was given the power to issue Letters of horning
. As well as the full power: to erase unwarranted arms, to 'dash them furth of' stained-glass windows and to break unwarranted seals. Where the cases involve forfeiture, the Court could grant a warrant for the seizure of movable goods and gear where unwarranted arms are found.
HM Officers of Arms; who come under the control of the Lord Lyon and are members of the Royal Household in Scotland but are not officers of the Court of the Lord Lyon, carry out many ceremonial duties in Scotland, on State and Royal occasions and in connection with Scottish public life. They may act as professional consultants in the realms of heraldry and genealogy, like an advocate or a law agent, for members of the public and could appear for their clients before the Lyon Court as well as in the English Court of Chivalry.
Formerly there were: six Heralds of Arms
and six Pursuivant of Arms
in Ordinary (full time members) and at various times any number of Extraordinary officers. In 1867 an Act of Parliament reduced the number of Ordinary officers to just three of each rank. The Act also set out their salaries and reaffirmed their rights and duties. These officers of arms wears the tabard
of the Royal Arms of the United Kingdom
, with the Scottish quarter
taking precedence, made out of velvet and gold. They frequently appear in this uniform, when accompanying the monarch in royal ceremonies whilst she is in Scotland.
Other ceremonies in which the HM Officers of Arms take part include; the announcement of the dissolution of Parliament from the Mercat Cross
on the Royal Mile
in Edinburgh, the inauguration of the governors of Edinburgh Castle
, and the ceremonial opening of the annual meeting of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland
.
. There is also a Macer to the Lord Lyon who is a senior Messenger-at-Arms
. The Macer appears when the Court is sitting in public and when Proclamations are made by the Lord Lyon.
The composition of the Lord Lyon Court as of June 2011 are:
From time to time, others can be appointed temporarily or as a recognition of their work. These are styled Herald or Pursuivant Extraordinary. In this way the previous Lord Lyon, Sir Malcolm Innes of Edingight
, serves as Orkney Herald Extraordinary. Currently there are four Heralds of Arms Extraordinary.
In Scotland
there are also four private pursuivants who are independent of Lyon Court. These officers are employed by Scottish nobles
and chiefs
and perform duties relating to genealogical, heraldic, and ceremonial matters of clan members. For more information see Private Officer of Arms
.
Her Majesty's Officers of Arms as of June 2011 are:
Court
A court is a form of tribunal, often a governmental institution, with the authority to adjudicate legal disputes between parties and carry out the administration of justice in civil, criminal, and administrative matters in accordance with the rule of law...
of law which regulates heraldry
Heraldry
Heraldry is the profession, study, or art of creating, granting, and blazoning arms and ruling on questions of rank or protocol, as exercised by an officer of arms. Heraldry comes from Anglo-Norman herald, from the Germanic compound harja-waldaz, "army commander"...
in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. Like the College of Arms
College of Arms
The College of Arms, or Heralds’ College, is an office regulating heraldry and granting new armorial bearings for England, Wales and Northern Ireland...
in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
it maintains the register of grants of arms
Coat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
, known as the Public Register of All Arms and Bearings in Scotland
Public Register of All Arms and Bearings in Scotland
The Public Register of All Arms and Bearings in Scotland was established by Act of the Scottish Parliament in 1672. The register is held at the Court of the Lord Lyon and contains every grant of arms since that date. Bearings that are not matriculated in the Register may not be used in Scotland...
, as well as records of genealogies.
The Lyon Court is a public body, and the fees for grants of arms are paid to HM Treasury
HM Treasury
HM Treasury, in full Her Majesty's Treasury, informally The Treasury, is the United Kingdom government department responsible for developing and executing the British government's public finance policy and economic policy...
. It is headed by the Lord Lyon King of Arms
Lord Lyon King of Arms
The Lord Lyon King of Arms, the head of Lyon Court, is the most junior of the Great Officers of State in Scotland and is the Scottish official with responsibility for regulating heraldry in that country, issuing new grants of arms, and serving as the judge of the Court of the Lord Lyon, the oldest...
, who must be legally qualified, as he has criminal jurisdiction in heraldic matters, and the court is fully integrated into the Scottish legal system, including having a dedicated prosecutor, known in Scotland as a Procurator Fiscal
Procurator Fiscal
A procurator fiscal is a public prosecutor in Scotland. They investigate all sudden and suspicious deaths in Scotland , conduct Fatal Accident Inquiries and handle criminal complaints against the police A procurator fiscal (pl. procurators fiscal) is a public prosecutor in Scotland. They...
.
The Lord Lyon
The Lord Lyon King of ArmsLord Lyon King of Arms
The Lord Lyon King of Arms, the head of Lyon Court, is the most junior of the Great Officers of State in Scotland and is the Scottish official with responsibility for regulating heraldry in that country, issuing new grants of arms, and serving as the judge of the Court of the Lord Lyon, the oldest...
, the chief heraldic officer of Scotland is both a Great Officer of State as well as a Judge
Judge
A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as part of a panel of judges. The powers, functions, method of appointment, discipline, and training of judges vary widely across different jurisdictions. The judge is supposed to conduct the trial impartially and in an open...
in the Scottish judiciary
Courts of Scotland
The civil, criminal and heraldic Courts of Scotland are responsible for the administration of justice. They are constituted and governed by Scots law....
. The Lord Lyon's judicial duties concerning Scottish heraldic
Scottish heraldry
Heraldry in Scotland, while broadly similar to that practised in England and elsewhere in western Europe, has its own distinctive features. Its heraldic executive is separate from that of the rest of the United Kingdom.-Executive:...
business and heraldic laws are conducted through the machinery of the Court of the Lord Lyon. The Court exercises both civil and penal
Scots law
Scots law is the legal system of Scotland. It is considered a hybrid or mixed legal system as it traces its roots to a number of different historical sources. With English law and Northern Irish law it forms the legal system of the United Kingdom; it shares with the two other systems some...
jurisdiction under the old Common Law of Scotland
Parliament of Scotland
The Parliament of Scotland, officially the Estates of Parliament, was the legislature of the Kingdom of Scotland. The unicameral parliament of Scotland is first found on record during the early 13th century, with the first meeting for which a primary source survives at...
and the many Acts of Parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
.
Rights to arms and pedigree
The Lord Lyon Court is directly responsible for the establishment of the rights to armsArmiger
In heraldry, an armiger is a person entitled to use a coat of arms. Such a person is said to be armigerous.-Etymology:The Latin word armiger literally means "armour-bearer". In high and late medieval England, the word referred to an esquire attendant upon a knight, but bearing his own unique...
and pedigree
Pedigree chart
A pedigree chart is a diagram that shows the occurrence and appearance or phenotypes of a particular gene or organism and its ancestors from one generation to the next, most commonly humans, show dogs, and race horses....
. These can include the granting and regranting of armorial bearings by Letters Patent
Letters patent
Letters patent are a type of legal instrument in the form of a published written order issued by a monarch or president, generally granting an office, right, monopoly, title, or status to a person or corporation...
and various Birthbrieves, such as Diplomas of Nobility or of the Chiefship (Diploma Stemmatis). All of these actions must begin with a formal petition to the Court.
When sufficient evidence is attested to these rights, a judicial 'Interlocutor' or warrant will be issued by the Lord Lyon. This power of the Lord Lyon is derived from the monarch's royal prerogatives, which has been delegated to the office by law. The warrant will then authorise the Lyon Clerk and Keeper of the Records
Lyon Clerk and Keeper of the Records
Lyon Clerk and Keeper of the Records is an heraldic office in Scotland. The holder of this office is appointed by the Crown, and like the Lord Lyon King of Arms receives an annual salary...
to prepare Letters Patent of the particular coat of arms
Coat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
or genealogy
Genealogy
Genealogy is the study of families and the tracing of their lineages and history. Genealogists use oral traditions, historical records, genetic analysis, and other records to obtain information about a family and to demonstrate kinship and pedigrees of its members...
to be recorded in the: Public Register of All Arms and Bearings in Scotland or in the Public Register of All Genealogies and Birthbrieves in Scotland. The fees on all of these procedures are payable to the Exchequer. This is in contrast to the College of Arms
College of Arms
The College of Arms, or Heralds’ College, is an office regulating heraldry and granting new armorial bearings for England, Wales and Northern Ireland...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, which is an independent corporate body and not a government department, therefore all fees are reinvested into the corporation.
Protection of arms
The penal aspectCriminal justice
Criminal Justice is the system of practices and institutions of governments directed at upholding social control, deterring and mitigating crime, or sanctioning those who violate laws with criminal penalties and rehabilitation efforts...
of the Court is concerned with the protection of the rights of both private individuals and of the Crown
Monarchy of the United Kingdom
The monarchy of the United Kingdom is the constitutional monarchy of the United Kingdom and its overseas territories. The present monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, has reigned since 6 February 1952. She and her immediate family undertake various official, ceremonial and representational duties...
(in the form of the Scottish Government) in Scottish armorial bearings. The Lord Lyon also has control over H.M. Messengers-at-arms
Messenger-at-arms
A messenger-at-arms is an officer of the Scottish Court of Session, responsible for serving documents and enforcing court orders throughout Scotland. Messengers-at-arms must have a commission as a sheriff officer although, unlike sheriff officers, the jurisdiction of a messenger-at-arms is not...
, judicial officers responsible for serving documents and enforcing legal orders throughout Scotland.
The protection of the rights to arms is of signal importance because of the fact that persons and corporation have paid fees to the Crown in return for exclusive rights to use those armorial bearings. A coat of arms can only belong to one particular person at a time. Without such protection, a coat of arms would be; useless as a form of identification and worthless as a piece of private property. Furthermore, a misappropriation or unauthorised use (displaying or usurping) of a man's coat of arms is still considered a 'real injury' under Scottish common law.
Accordingly an owner of a Scottish coat of arms may obtain a judicial order
Court order
A court order is an official proclamation by a judge that defines the legal relationships between the parties to a hearing, a trial, an appeal or other court proceedings. Such ruling requires or authorizes the carrying out of certain steps by one or more parties to a case...
in the Court against anybody using his arms. The Crown and the public have an interest in these cases. The Crown, because in Scotland all fees on the registration of armorial bearings and pedigrees are payable to H.M. Treasury. And the public, through the prevention; of fraud and of the misappropriation of property. Individual coats of arms are also considered legal evidence
Evidence (law)
The law of evidence encompasses the rules and legal principles that govern the proof of facts in a legal proceeding. These rules determine what evidence can be considered by the trier of fact in reaching its decision and, sometimes, the weight that may be given to that evidence...
, which means that they could be used in legal cases concerning the establishment of succession or identity.
Punishment
The Lyon Court, like all Scottish courts has a public prosecutor; styled 'Procurator Fiscal to Lyon Court', who is independently appointed by the Scottish Ministers. He raises proceedings, when necessary, against those who improperly usurp armorial bearings. The punishment for this offence is set out in several Scottish statutes acts. The court has the power to fine and to ensure items bearing the offending Arms are removed, destroyed or forfeited. In lieu of the financial interests of the Treasury, the High Court of JusticiaryHigh Court of Justiciary
The High Court of Justiciary is the supreme criminal court of Scotland.The High Court is both a court of first instance and a court of appeal. As a court of first instance, the High Court sits mainly in Parliament House, or in the former Sheriff Court building, in Edinburgh, but also sits from time...
, will therefore sometimes regard cases bought by the Procurator Fiscal similarly to those of the Inland Revenue
Inland Revenue
The Inland Revenue was, until April 2005, a department of the British Government responsible for the collection of direct taxation, including income tax, national insurance contributions, capital gains tax, inheritance tax, corporation tax, petroleum revenue tax and stamp duty...
prosecution. Accordingly an armorial offender was viewed as sternly as any other evading national taxation.This is in contrast to the Court of Chivalry
Court of Chivalry
Her Majesty's High Court of Chivalry of England and Wales is a civil court in England. It has had jurisdiction in cases of the misuse of heraldic arms since the fourteenth century....
in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, which has similar powers to the Lord Lyon Court, but is a civil court, and has met only once in in the last 230 years, in 1954.
Historically the punishment for the usurpation of arms were severe. In Acts dated 1592 and 1672, the Court was given the full power to fine and imprison offenders. In 1669 the Court was given the power to issue Letters of horning
Letters of horning
Letters of horning : a document issued by civil authorities that publicly denounce a person as a rebel. The document was issued against persons who had not paid their debts....
. As well as the full power: to erase unwarranted arms, to 'dash them furth of' stained-glass windows and to break unwarranted seals. Where the cases involve forfeiture, the Court could grant a warrant for the seizure of movable goods and gear where unwarranted arms are found.
Heralds and Pursuivants
Formerly there were: six Heralds of Arms
Herald
A herald, or, more correctly, a herald of arms, is an officer of arms, ranking between pursuivant and king of arms. The title is often applied erroneously to all officers of arms....
and six Pursuivant of Arms
Pursuivant
A pursuivant or, more correctly, pursuivant of arms, is a junior officer of arms. Most pursuivants are attached to official heraldic authorities, such as the College of Arms in London or the Court of the Lord Lyon in Edinburgh. In the mediaeval era, many great nobles employed their own officers of...
in Ordinary (full time members) and at various times any number of Extraordinary officers. In 1867 an Act of Parliament reduced the number of Ordinary officers to just three of each rank. The Act also set out their salaries and reaffirmed their rights and duties. These officers of arms wears the tabard
Tabard
A tabard is a short coat, either sleeveless, or with short sleeves or shoulder pieces, which was a common item of men's clothing in the Middle Ages, usually for outdoors. It might be belted, or not...
of the Royal Arms of the United Kingdom
Royal coat of arms of the United Kingdom
The Royal coat of arms of the United Kingdom is the official coat of arms of the British monarch, currently Queen Elizabeth II. These arms are used by the Queen in her official capacity as monarch of the United Kingdom, and are officially known as her Arms of Dominion...
, with the Scottish quarter
Royal coat of arms of Scotland
The royal coat of arms of Scotland was the official coat of arms of the monarchs of Scotland, and was used as the official coat of arms of the Kingdom of Scotland until the Acts of Union of 1707...
taking precedence, made out of velvet and gold. They frequently appear in this uniform, when accompanying the monarch in royal ceremonies whilst she is in Scotland.
Other ceremonies in which the HM Officers of Arms take part include; the announcement of the dissolution of Parliament from the Mercat Cross
Mercat cross
A mercat cross is a market cross found in Scottish cities and towns where trade and commerce was a part of economic life. It was originally a place where merchants would gather, and later became the focal point of many town events such as executions, announcements and proclamations...
on the Royal Mile
Royal Mile
The Royal Mile is a succession of streets which form the main thoroughfare of the Old Town of the city of Edinburgh in Scotland.As the name suggests, the Royal Mile is approximately one Scots mile long, and runs between two foci of history in Scotland, from Edinburgh Castle at the top of the Castle...
in Edinburgh, the inauguration of the governors of Edinburgh Castle
Edinburgh Castle
Edinburgh Castle is a fortress which dominates the skyline of the city of Edinburgh, Scotland, from its position atop the volcanic Castle Rock. Human habitation of the site is dated back as far as the 9th century BC, although the nature of early settlement is unclear...
, and the ceremonial opening of the annual meeting of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland
General Assembly of the Church of Scotland
The General Assembly of the Church of Scotland is the sovereign and highest court of the Church of Scotland, and is thus the Church's governing body[1] An Introduction to Practice and Procedure in the Church of Scotland, A Gordon McGillivray, 2nd Edition .-Church courts:As a Presbyterian church,...
.
Officers of the Lord Lyon Court
The officers of the Court are the judge of the Lyon Court who is the Lord Lyon King of Arms and the Lyon Clerk and Keeper of the Records whose appointments are made by the Royal sign-manual, and the Procurator Fiscal who is independently appointed by the Scottish Ministers. All registered in the Edinburgh GazetteEdinburgh Gazette
The Edinburgh Gazette, along with the London Gazette and the Belfast Gazette, is an official newspaper of the United Kingdom government...
. There is also a Macer to the Lord Lyon who is a senior Messenger-at-Arms
Messenger-at-arms
A messenger-at-arms is an officer of the Scottish Court of Session, responsible for serving documents and enforcing court orders throughout Scotland. Messengers-at-arms must have a commission as a sheriff officer although, unlike sheriff officers, the jurisdiction of a messenger-at-arms is not...
. The Macer appears when the Court is sitting in public and when Proclamations are made by the Lord Lyon.
The composition of the Lord Lyon Court as of June 2011 are:
| Court of the Lord Lyon | |||
| Insignia | Office | Name (Date of appointment) |
|
|---|---|---|---|
Lord Lyon King of Arms The Lord Lyon King of Arms, the head of Lyon Court, is the most junior of the Great Officers of State in Scotland and is the Scottish official with responsibility for regulating heraldry in that country, issuing new grants of arms, and serving as the judge of the Court of the Lord Lyon, the oldest... |
David Sellar William David Hamilton Sellar is a Scottish solicitor and officer of arms. He graduated from the University of Oxford with a degree in history and the University of Edinburgh with a degree in law. He qualified as a solicitor in 1966. In 1968 he joined the Faculty of Law at the University of... (7 March 2008) |
||
Lyon Clerk and Keeper of the Records Lyon Clerk and Keeper of the Records is an heraldic office in Scotland. The holder of this office is appointed by the Crown, and like the Lord Lyon King of Arms receives an annual salary... |
Elizabeth Roads Elizabeth Ann Roads, MVO is Snawdoun Herald of Arms in Ordinary and Lyon Clerk and Keeper of the Records for the Court of the Lord Lyon.-Personal life and education:... (also Snawdoun Herald) (25 March 1986) |
||
Procurator Fiscal A procurator fiscal is a public prosecutor in Scotland. They investigate all sudden and suspicious deaths in Scotland , conduct Fatal Accident Inquiries and handle criminal complaints against the police A procurator fiscal (pl. procurators fiscal) is a public prosecutor in Scotland. They... |
M.Theol (Hons), LL.B, LL.M, M.Litt. (3 August 2010) |
||
| Other officials | |||
(also Dingwall Pursuivant) (10 January 2005) |
|||
Her Majesty's Officers of Arms
Currently there are two Heralds of Arms in Ordinary and three Pursuivants of Arms in Ordinary. This brings the number of the Ordinary officers to five, short of the maximum of six.From time to time, others can be appointed temporarily or as a recognition of their work. These are styled Herald or Pursuivant Extraordinary. In this way the previous Lord Lyon, Sir Malcolm Innes of Edingight
Malcolm Innes of Edingight
Sir Malcolm Rognvald Innes of Edingight, KCVO, WS, FSA Scot. was Lord Lyon King of Arms of Scotland from 1981 until 2001.The third son of Sir Thomas Innes of Learney and Lady Lucy Buchan, third daughter of the 18th Earl of Caithness, he was educated at Edinburgh Academy and at the University of...
, serves as Orkney Herald Extraordinary. Currently there are four Heralds of Arms Extraordinary.
In Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
there are also four private pursuivants who are independent of Lyon Court. These officers are employed by Scottish nobles
Peerage of Scotland
The Peerage of Scotland is the division of the British Peerage for those peers created in the Kingdom of Scotland before 1707. With that year's Act of Union, the Kingdom of Scotland and the Kingdom of England were combined into the Kingdom of Great Britain, and a new Peerage of Great Britain was...
and chiefs
Scottish clan chief
The Scottish Gaelic word clann means children. In early times, and possibly even today, clan members believed themselves to descend from a common ancestor, the founder of the Scottish clan. From its perceived founder a clan takes its name. The clan chief is the representative of this founder, and...
and perform duties relating to genealogical, heraldic, and ceremonial matters of clan members. For more information see Private Officer of Arms
Private Officer of Arms
A private officer of arms is one of those heralds and pursuivants appointed by great noble houses to handle all heraldic and genealogical questions.-History:...
.
Her Majesty's Officers of Arms as of June 2011 are:
| Heralds of Arms in Ordinary | |||
| Insignia | Office | Name (Date of appointment) |
|
|---|---|---|---|
Rothesay Herald Rothesay Herald of Arms in Ordinary is a current Scottish herald of arms in Ordinary of the Court of the Lord Lyon.The office was created after 1398 when the dukedom of Rothesay was conferred on David, eldest son of King Robert III, on 28 April 1398... |
(1 August 1986) |
||
Elizabeth Roads Elizabeth Ann Roads, MVO is Snawdoun Herald of Arms in Ordinary and Lyon Clerk and Keeper of the Records for the Court of the Lord Lyon.-Personal life and education:... (also Lyon Clerk and Keeper of the Records) (17 December 2010) |
|||
| Pursuivants of Arms in Ordinary | |||
Unicorn Pursuivant Unicorn Pursuivant of Arms in Ordinary is a current Scottish pursuivant of arms in Ordinary of the Court of the Lord Lyon.The title was created after 1381, and derived from the unicorn... |
Adam Bruce -Career:Formerly a solicitor in Edinburgh, Adam Bruce now works in the environmental power industry, having been UK Chief Executive of Airtricity and the Chairman of the British Wind Energy Association, now RenewableUK. He is currently Global Head of Corporate Affairs at Mainstream Renewable Power... (1 October 2008) |
||
Ormond Pursuivant Ormond Pursuivant of Arms in Ordinary is a current Scottish pursuivant of arms in Ordinary of the Court of the Lord Lyon.... |
(1 June 2009) |
||
(also Herald Painter) (20 June 2011) |
|||
| Heralds of Arms Extraordinary | |||
Orkney Herald Orkney Herald of Arms Extraordinary is a current Scottish herald of arms in Extraordinary of the Court of the Lord Lyon.The title is locative in origin, from the Orkney Isles or the creation of the Earls of Orkney... |
Malcolm Innes of Edingight Sir Malcolm Rognvald Innes of Edingight, KCVO, WS, FSA Scot. was Lord Lyon King of Arms of Scotland from 1981 until 2001.The third son of Sir Thomas Innes of Learney and Lady Lucy Buchan, third daughter of the 18th Earl of Caithness, he was educated at Edinburgh Academy and at the University of... (9 February 2001) |
||
Angus Herald Angus Herald of Arms in Extraordinary is a current Scottish herald of arms in Extraordinary of the Court of the Lord Lyon.The name of the office is derived from the noble title of the Earl of Angus . The office was active from 1490 to 1513.The badge of office is A salamander Vert encircled with... |
Robin Blair Robin Orr Blair, CVO, WS , former Lord Lyon King of Arms of Scotland, is a retired solicitor, and was a partner with Dundas & Wilson CS and later with Turcan Connell. From 1988 until his appointment as Lord Lyon, he held the post of Purse Bearer to the Lord High Commissioner to the General Assembly... (17 March 2008) |
||
Islay Herald Islay Herald of Arms Extraordinary is a current Scottish herald of arms Extraordinary of the Court of the Lord Lyon.The office was first mentioned in 1493. Islay is an island off the west coast of Scotland and was the headquarters of the Lord of the Isles... |
Alastair Lorne Campbell of Airds Alastair Lorne Campbell of Airds is a Scottish officer of arms and author. Campbell of Airds was appointed Unicorn Pursuivant of Arms in Ordinary in 1987. In 2008 he was appointed Islay Herald Extraordinary.He is the son of Lorne MacLaine Campbell of Airds.... (1 September 2008) |
||
Ross Herald Ross Herald of Arms Extraordinary is a current Scottish herald of arms Extraordinary of the Court of the Lord Lyon. The office is however held in Extraordinary after the retirement of the last holder in Ordinary.... |
Charles Burnett (officer of arms) Charles John Burnett is a Scottish antiquarian and former officer of arms.Burnett was born in 1940 and educated at Gray's School of Art in Aberdeen, and the University of Edinburgh... (4 January 2011) |
||
Vacant offices
| Heralds of Arms | |||
| Insignia | Office | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|
Albany Herald Albany Herald of Arms was a Scottish herald of arms of the Court of the Lord Lyon.The office was first mentioned in a diplomatic mission from Scotland to England in 1401. The office was probably instituted on the creation of Robert Stewart, son of King Robert II, as Duke of Albany, on 28 April 1398... |
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Marchmont Herald Marchmont Herald of Arms is one of the titles used for a Scottish herald of arms of the Court of the Lord Lyon... |
|||
| Pursuivants of Arms | |||
Bute Pursuivant Bute Pursuivant of Arms was a Scottish pursuivant of arms of the Court of the Lord Lyon.The title of the office derives from the Isle of Bute, which was the personal property of the Scottish monarchs.... |
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Carrick Pursuivant Carrick Pursuivant of Arms was a Scottish pursuivant of arms of the Court of the Lord Lyon.The title is derived from the Earl of Carrick, one of the titles borne by Robert the Bruce before his succession to the crown... |
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| (Often used for a temporary Pursuivant Extraordinary) | |||
Kintyre Pursuivant Kintyre Pursuivant of Arms was a Scottish pursuivant of arms of the Court of the Lord Lyon.The Kintyre Pursuivant was formerly a private officer of arms in the service of the Lord of the Isles, but along with Dingwall Pursuivant, Ross Herald, and Islay Herald became an officer of arms to the... |
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| (Often used for a temporary Pursuivant Extraordinary) | |||
| A badge has not yet been devised for this office. | |||
See also
- Bureau of Heraldry (South Africa)Bureau of Heraldry (South Africa)The Bureau of Heraldry is the South African heraldic authority, established in Pretoria on 1 June 1963. It is headed by a National Herald and its functions are to register arms, badges, flags and seals , to keep a public register, to issue registration certificates and, since 1980, to advise the...
- Canadian Heraldic AuthorityCanadian Heraldic AuthorityThe Canadian Heraldic Authority is part of the Canadian honours system under the Queen of Canada, whose authority is exercised by the Governor General. The Authority is responsible for the creation and granting of new coats of arms , flags and badges for Canadian citizens, permanent residents and...
- College of ArmsCollege of ArmsThe College of Arms, or Heralds’ College, is an office regulating heraldry and granting new armorial bearings for England, Wales and Northern Ireland...
(London) - Flemish Heraldic CouncilFlemish Heraldic CouncilThe Flemish Heraldic Council or Vlaamse Heraldische Raad advises the Flemish Government on all matters relating to heraldry. It currently operates as the fifth division of the Royal Commission of Monuments and Sites or Koninklijke Commissie voor Monumenten en Landschappen.The Council was created on...
- Office of the Chief Herald of IrelandOffice of the Chief Herald of IrelandThe Genealogical Office is an office of the Government of Ireland containing genealogical records. It includes the Office of the Chief Herald of Ireland , the authority in the Republic of Ireland for heraldry. The Chief Herald authorises the granting of arms to Irish bodies and Irish people,...
Statutory Acts
- Lyon King of Arms Act 1592
- Lyon King of Arms Act 1669
- Lyon King of Arms Act 1672
- Lyon King of Arms Act 1867