The 15th Baron Dudley

For the first time in ages I have had some time to "play" and today, being Easter Bank Holiday Monday, having caught up on those outstanding gardening jobs, I hid myself away for the afternoon and completed a project I have had on my desk for some time; the arms of The 15th Baron Dudley (Jim Anthony Hill Wallace) [The Rt Hon The Lord Dudley].

I was asked to provide a new image of the arms for the online Burke's Peerage & Baronetage because the one at present used is that of the late Baroness, mother of the present holder of the title. Lord Dudley has his father's arms and has brought in those of his mother's family in the scheme of quarterings which has been approved by Garter. The image for Burke's will be in grayscale but for the purposes of my weblog I have illustrated the arms in glorious colour.



Arms: Quarterly of six:
1st, Gules, semy of fleurs-de-lys Or a lion rampant Argent within a bordure company Azure and Argent (for WALLACE);
2nd, Azure, two bars nebuly Argent each charged with as many crescents Sable, a chief Or issuant therefrom a demi-lion of the third  (for DUDLEY);
3rd, Azure, two bars wavy Ermine a chief Or issuant therefrom a demi-lion Sable (for SMITH);
4th, Argent, on a pale between two leopards' faces Sable three crescents Or (for LEA);
5th, Chequy Or and Azure a bend Ermine (for WARD);
6th, Or a lion rampant Vert double queued (for SUTTON).

Crest: On a wreath Argent and Gules issuing from her nest a pelican in her piety wings inverted proper all within a laurel wreath Vert.

Supporters: Two lions rampant double-queued Vert, armed and langued Gules, ducally gorged and lined Or. Motto: Dieu Donne ('The Lord giveth'). Creation: B. (E) 15 Feb 1439/40.

Hark the Herald.

It has come to my ears, through a very reliable source, that Alastair Bruce of Crionaich, Fitzalan Extraordinary, etc, is contesting the Garter appointment. It had been thought that Norroy and Ulster would have a clear run but this does not appear to be so.



Photo courtesy of Parker Entertainments.

I've bin an' Done it.

In the process of re-jigging the images of the Visitations I found that I had inadvertently missed two of the blazons for Done of Utkinton. I've now added these images to the site and it has sparked a long dormant interest in the insignia of office of the Foresters of Delamere, the "Delamere Horn". This important piece of regalia possibly originates from the 12th century but it has later additions. The Chief Foresters of Delamere covered an area encompassing most of central Cheshire. The horn was handed down through the Done family and its descendants as hereditary Chief Foresters and it is now part of a collection in the Grosvenor Museum in the city of Chester.

Above is the image which, although now updated, was already on the web site. Below is the one I inadvertently missed!

It is quite plain to see that to all intents and purposes they tell the same story.

Also missed was a black and white image of a shield with crest and supporters and I have made a colour illustration:

http://cheshire-heraldry.org.uk/visitations/CV9.html