How about becoming a professional? College of Arms Job Advertisement

 The College of Arms are advertising for a Probationary Officer of Arms.

Organization

The College of Arms is the official heraldic authority for England, Wales, Northern Ireland and most of the Commonwealth realms. It is responsible for the granting of new coats of arms and the recording of pedigrees. The College also maintains official registers of arms and pedigrees. The officers of arms, in addition to their ceremonial duties, advise on matters relating to dignities, honours, precedence and official symbols, and undertake genealogical, historical and other research.

The College consists of up to thirteen officers of arms, also known as heralds, individually appointed by the Crown on the recommendation of the Earl Marshal.

Brief description

The College of Arms is seeking to recruit a new probationary officer of arms subject to a twelve-month training period. This role would suit someone with a genuine interest in British and Commonwealth history. The successful candidate will learn how to deal with heraldic and genealogical enquiries arising from members of the public and various organisations, how to process applications for new grants of arms and about other work undertaken by the College. Upon completion of this training period, the candidate will be assessed with a view to formal appointment as an officer of arms. If appointed, he or she will run an independent heraldic and genealogical practice within the College generating his or her own income.

Full details can be found on the College of Arms website:

https://www.college-of-arms.gov.uk/news-grants/news/item/241-probationary-officer-of-arms-job-advertisement

Good Luck.

A COLLECTION OF NINE PAINTED ARMORIAL CRESTS AND COATS OF ARMS

 On the 14th of January, a collection of nine painted armorial crests and coats of arms went up for auction with Woolley and Wallis Auctioneers. 

Described as A COLLECTION OF NINE PAINTED ARMORIAL CRESTS AND COATS OF ARMS EARLY 18TH CENTURY relating to the ancient family of Brereton, Cheshire and perhaps from Brereton Hall, the shields with the arms of Castle / Caerleon, Willoughby Baron Middleton, the Earls of Chester, Brereton, Malpas, Egerton, Corbet, Orreby possibly Strange and Clobery or Waller, some on a carved, painted and gilt scrolling strapwork mount (A lot)20.5cm high, 18cm wide (max).

I had to doctor the image as their photo had the quartered coat, bottom left, upside down. It is now righted.

With a guide price (estimate) of £300 to £400, the hammer fell at £1008.00 including buyer's premium.

One I missed from an auction 10th March 2021

 Here's one that I missed. Sold for £130 on the 10th March 2021 at Dominic Winter Auctions.

Lot 373

Heraldry - Edmondson (Joseph). Collection of 154 engraved plates of armorial bearings, late 18th c.

Sold for £130

Heraldry - Edmondson (Joseph). A collection of 154 engraved plates of armorial bearings, [London, circa 1764-1784?], manuscript title in red & black, two leaves of manuscript index, 154 engraved plates of armorial bearings (many after Batolozzi, including one double-page), light toning, margins with short closed tears, frayed and brittle margins, ownership label of Sir Bernard Burke of Tullamaine House, Dublin to front free marbled endpaper (label with acquisition date of 29th September, 1886), all loosely contained within contemporary half calf boards (detached), lacking spine, worn, folio (44.5 x 27.5 cm)

(Quantity: 1)

The plates appear to be from 'Baronagium Genealogicum: or the Pedigrees of the English Peers,' 6 vols. including Supplement, 1764-84, by Sir William Segar and Joseph Edmondson. Joseph Edmondson (d. 1786), was a coach-painter, often employed to emblazon arms on carriages, an activity which led to the study of heraldry and genealogy. A fellow of the Society of Antiquaries, in March 1764 Edmondson was created Mowbray Herald Extraordinary.

College of Arms Newsletter

 The College of Arms Newsletter for August 2024 is now online.

Removal of slave from coat of arms sparks backlash

 Reports are coming in over a purported "backlash" over the removal of a slave from a town's coat of arms.

The BBC have posted the following report on their website:

[Quote] 25 July 2024

A council has defended the disappearance of a slave from a town's coat of arms.

The figure was originally included to reflect the work of the abolitionist William Knibb, who was born in Kettering, Northamptonshire.

A griffin has also been removed from the design.

Kettering Town Council said the changes were the result of heraldry rules.

As first reported in the Northamptonshire Telegraph, external, a black man with a broken chain has been part of the Kettering coat of arms since 1938.

Both the slave, who was depicted holding up the right side of the shield, and a rampant griffin on the other side are known as "supporters" in heraldry.

Supporters had been part of the Kettering Borough Council coat of arms, but rules on heraldry, external meant the town council - which is legally a parish - cannot use them.

The authority agreed at its first meeting in May 2021 to have no supporters on its coat of arms, with one resident telling the meeting, external the image of the slave should have been consigned to history and "we have the chance to be creating something new".

The artwork for the new version has now been acquired.

On social media, Duncan Bain, a former mayor of Kettering, agreed with a George Orwell quote posted by another contributor: “Every record has been destroyed or falsified, every book has been rewritten, every picture has been repainted... History has stopped."

Another correspondent posted: "Stop eradicating history, it's there to learn from. The world has gone mad."

A spokesperson for the town council said: "The College of Arms, which created the new coat of arms, advised that parish councils’ coats of arms cannot include 'supporters' – which in Kettering’s case involved an image of a freed slave – so the resulting coat of arms agreed by them and the King is essentially the central shield and helm.

"It is sad that the William Knibb reference has been lost from the coat of arms, but it is not a reflection of the view that anyone on the town council has about his work. It is not something the town council had any choice over."

The spokesperson added that plans were being made to create a permanent artwork to celebrate Knibb's work. [End Quote]

The original arms were granted, by The College of Arms, to Kettering Borough Council on 26th September 1938

Arms: Sable a Pelt Or in chief a Cross Crosslet fitchy of the last between two Fountains each charged with a Martlet of the first. Crest: On a Wreath of the Colours issuant from a Circlet of Chain Flames proper. Supporters: On the dexter side a Griffin reguardant Or beaked and membered and gorged with a Chain reflexed over the back Azure and on the sinister side a Negro proper habited about the waist with a Cloth and his sinister wrist encircled with a Handcuff pendent therefrom a broken Chain Azure.

Motto 'PROGRESSIO ET CONCORDIA' - Progress and concord.

The new, Kettering Town Council arms are the same but without the supporters.

I have no problem with the alteration, simply because no one is attempting to erase history; the previous coat of arms will always remain on record as being that of the former Kettering Borough Council.

College of Arms Newsletter April 2024

 The latest College of Arms Newsletter for April 2024 is now online.

A free heraldry symposium courtesy of the Yorkshire Heraldry Society

 The Yorkshire Heraldry Society will be hosting a free heraldry symposium on Saturday 20th April 2024 at Bradford Grammar School.

You can download a copy of the application form here: Yorkshire Heraldry Symposium