College of Arms Guide, Meaning , Facts, Information and Description
The College of Arms is a British institution responsible for granting coats of arms in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. (Scottish heraldry is independently regulated by Lord Lyon King of Arms.) The College of Arms also grants arms to citizens of other Commonwealth countries that do not have their own heraldic authorities (currently only the United Kingdom, Canada and South Africa have heraldic authorities). The college is located on Queen Victoria Street in the City of London, south of St. Paul's cathedral.
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2 Grants and descent of arms 3 Name changes 4 See also 5 External link |
The Earl Marshal, a hereditary office held by the Duke of Norfolk, oversees and controls the College, though he is not a member of that body. A coat of arms may not be granted without the consent of the Earl Marshal. Furthermore, the Earl Marshal may, in theory, hear cases and controversies relating to the use of arms in the Court of Chivalry. In practice, however, the Earl Marshal usually leaves affairs to the professional heralds of the College.
These fall into three ranks: Kings of Arms, Heralds, and Pursuivants. Each member of the College holds one of the following traditional posts:
The officers
(The geographic titles of the Heralds are derived from peerages currently or formerly held by the Royal Family and the heraldic titles of the Pursuivants from various Royal Badges. Neither has more than symbolic meaning.)
The various heralds conduct their own private practice in heraldry and genealogy, receiving only nominal salaries as officers of the College (₤49.07 for the Garter Principal King of Arms, ₤20.25 for the other Kings of Arms, ₤17.80 for the Heralds, and ₤13.95 for the Pursuivants.) They serve in rota as the 'officer of the day' to handle walk-in business.
(Beyond these 'Heralds in Ordinary' who make up the college, there have been from time to time certain 'Heralds Extraordinary' who are appointed for special occasions or who assist the Earl Marshal personally. They include
- Arundel Herald Extraordinary
- Beaumont Herald Extraordinary
- Maltravers Herald Extraordinary
- New Zealand Herald Extraordinary
- Norfolk Herald Extraordinary
- Wales Herald Extraordinary
- Fitzalan Pursuivant Extraordinary)
The Kings of Arms grant coats of arms by letters patent. Before they can even consider the granting of arms, an application must be made to the Earl Marshal, and a fee paid. If the Earl Marshal finds the application satisfactory (there are no specific criteria), he may grant a Warrant authorising the Kings of Arms to proceed with the designing of arms. One of the heralds then works with the applicant to devise arms pleasing to him as well as heraldically correct. Once a final form is reached, the Kings of Arms grant letters patent (colourfully illuminated and decorated) authorising the use the arms blazoned therein to the grantee and his heirs.
They, or a differenced version of them, will be inherited by all of the legitimate children of an individual and such children may bear the arms (or a differenced version of them) from the moment of birth: they do not (as with other inheritance) have to wait for the death of the previous generation. Although daughters and sons inherit the right to bear arms for themselves personally, the right passes only through the male line: hence, a son transmits the arms to his children, but a daughter, while bearing them for herself, does not transmit them to her children. A partial exception to this rule is the case of a woman who has no brothers, or whose brothers have no issue; such a woman is called a heraldic heiress and may transmit the arms to her children and their descendants as a quartering with their own arms.
For the system used to differentiate arms among different members of the same family, see cadency.
The costs involved are quite substantial; but it should be noted that in theory the applicant does not "buy" a coat of arms: the arms themselves are freely given, but fees must be paid to the heralds and artists involved as professionals, and to support the buildings and other running costs of the College since (aside from the heralds' traditional nominal salaries given above), the College of Arms is not taxpayer-financed.
The College of Arms is also responsible for recording the changes of the names. In order to change one's name, one must apply for a deed poll to be entered on the College's registers and published in the London Gazette. (The deed poll is not entered on the registers, but is still published, if the name change does not amend the surname.)
Alternatively, when a Royal Licence is granted for a transfer of arms, the change of the surname of the transferee to that of the transferer may be permitted by the Licence itself, without the need for a deed poll.
This is an Article on College of Arms. Page Contains Information, Facts Details or Explanation Guide About College of Arms Grants and descent of arms
Name changes
See also
External link