OFFICIAL HERALDIC INSIGNIA
The armory of all other nations than our own is rich in heraldic emblems of
office. In France this was particularly the case, and France undoubtedly
for many centuries gave the example, to be followed by other civilised
countries, in all matters of honour and etiquette.
If English heraldry were entirely destitute of official heraldic ensigns,
perhaps the development elsewhere of this branch of armory might be
dismissed as an entirely foreign growth. But this is far from being the
case, as there are some number of cases in which these official emblems do
exist. In England, however, the instances are governed by no scale of
comparative importance, and the appearance of such tokens can only be
described as capricious. That a more extended usage might with advantage be
made no one can deny, for usage of this character would teach the general
public that armory had a meaning and a value, it would increase the
interest in heraldry, and also assist greatly in the rapidly increasing
revival of heraldic knowledge. The existence of these heraldic emblems
would manifestly tend towards a revival of the old and interestingly
excellent custom of regularly setting up in appropriate public places the
arms of those who have successively held various offices. The Inns of
Court, St. George's Chapel, the Public Office at the College of Arms, and
the halls of some of the Livery Companies are amongst the few places of
importance where the custom still obtains. And yet what an interesting
memorial such a series always becomes! The following list may not be
entirely complete, but it is fairly so as far as France is concerned, and I
think also complete as to England.
The following are from the Royal French Court:--
_The High Constable of France_: Two swords held on each side of the shield
by two hands in armour issuing from the clouds.
_The Chancellor_: In saltire behind his arms two great maces, and over his
helmet a mortier or cap sable crossed by two bands of gold lace and turned
up ermine; thereon the figure of a demi-queen as an emblem of France,
holding a sceptre in her right hand and the great seal of the kingdom in
her left. {581}
_The Marshal_: Two batons in saltire behind the arms azure, semé-de-lis or.
_The Admiral_: Two anchors in saltire behind the arms, the stocks of the
anchors in chief azure, semé-de-lis or.
_The General of the Galleys_: Two anchors in saltire behind the arms.
_Vice-Admiral_: One anchor in pale behind the arms.
_Colonel-General of the Infantry_: Under his arms in saltire six flags,
three on each side, white, crimson, and blue.
_Colonel of the Cavalry_: Over the arms four banners of the arms of France,
fringed, &c., two to the dexter and two to the sinister.
_Grand Master of the Artillery_: Two field-pieces of ordnance under the
arms, one pointing to the dexter and one to the sinister.
_The Superintendent of the Finance_: Two keys imperially crowned and
endorsed in pale, one on each side of the arms, the dexter or, the sinister
argent.
_Grand Master of the Household to the King_: Two grand batons of silver
gilt in saltire behind the arms.
_Grand Almoner_: Under his arms a blue book, on the cover the arms of
France and Navarre within the Orders of St. Michael and the Holy Ghost,
over the Orders the Crown.
_Grand Chamberlain_: Two keys, both imperially crowned or, in saltire
behind the arms endorsed, the wards-in-chief.
_Grand Esquire_: On each side of the shield a royal sword erect, the
scabbard azure, semé-de-lis, hilt and pommel or, the belts folded round the
scabbard azure, semé-de-lis or.
_Grand Pannetier_, who by virtue of his office had all the bakers of Paris
under his jurisdiction, and had to lay the king's cover at his table, bore
under his arms a rich cover and a knife and fork in saltire.
_Grand Butler or Cupbearer_: On each side of the base of the shield, a
grand silver flagon gilt, with the arms of the King thereon.
_Gamekeeper to the King_: Two bugle-horns appending from the ends of the
mantling.
_Grand Falconer_: Two lures appending from the ends of the mantling.
_Grand Wolf-hunter_: On each side of the shield a wolf's head caboshed.
_Captain of the King's Guards_: Two small batons sable, headed gold, like a
walking-cane.
_Captain of the Hundred Swiss Guards_: Two batons in saltire sable, headed
argent, and under the arms two black velvet caps with feathers.
_First Master of the Household_: Under his arms two batons in saltire.
_Grand Carver to His Majesty_: Under his arms a knife and fork in saltire
proper, the handles azure, semé-de-lis or. {582}
_Grand Provost of the Household_: Under his arms two Roman fasces or,
corded azure.
_Grand Quartermaster_: A mace and battle-axe in saltire.
_Captain of the Guards of the Gate_: Two keys in pale, crowned argent, one
on each side the arms.
_The President of the Parliament_: On his helmet a black cap with two bands
of gold lace.
Under the Empire (of France) the Vice-Connétable used arms holding swords,
as had been the case with the Constable of the Kingdom, but the swords were
sheathed and semé of golden bees. The Grand Chamberlain had two golden keys
in saltire, the bows thereof enclosing the imperial eagle, and the batons
of the Maréchaux de French were semé of bees instead of fleurs-de-lis.
The Pope bears a cross with three arms, an archbishop one with two arms, a
bishop one with a single arm. Besides this, two crossed keys appertain to
the Pope, the golden key to bind, in bend dexter, the silver key to loose,
in sinister bend. British archbishops and bishops will be presently
referred to. Ecclesiastical princes, who were at the same time sovereign
territorial princes, bore behind their shield a pedum or pastorale
(crosier), crossed with the sword of penal judicature. A bishop bears the
crosier with an outward bend, an abbot with an inward bend, thus
symbolising the range of their activity or dominion. The arch and
hereditary offices of the old German Empire had also their own attributes;
thus the "Erztruchsess," Lord High Steward (Palatinate-Bavaria), bore a
golden Imperial globe, which arose from a misinterpretation of the double
dish, the original attribute of this dignity. The Lord High Marshal of the
Empire (Saxony) expressed his office by a shield divided "per fess argent
and sable," bearing two crossed swords gules. The Hereditary
Standard-bearer (Würtemberg) bore: "Azure, a banner or, charged with an
eagle sable"; the Lord High Chamberlain (Brandenburg): "Azure, a sceptre
or," while the Hereditary Chamberlain (Hohenzollern) used: "Gules, two
crossed sceptres or."
In Italy the Duca de Savelli, as Marshal of the Conclave, hangs on either
side of his shield a key, the cords of which are knotted beneath his
coronet.
In Holland Admirals used the naval Crown, and added two anchors in saltire
behind the shield.
In Spain the Admirals of Castile and of the Indies placed an anchor in bend
behind the shield.
The instances I am aware of which have official sanction already in this
country are as stated in the list which follows:--
I have purposely (to make the list absolutely complete) included {583}
insignia which may possibly be more properly considered ensigns of rank,
because it is not particularly easy always to distinguish offices from
honours and from rank.
_The Kings of England_ (George I. to William IV.), as Arch Treasurers of
the Holy Roman Empire, bore: Upon an inescutcheon gules, in the centre of
the arms of Hanover, a representation of the Crown of Charlemagne.
_An Archbishop_ has: (1) His official coat of arms, which he impales
(placing it on the dexter side) with his personal arms; (2) his mitre,
which, it should be noted, is the same as the mitre of a Bishop, and _not_
having a coronet encircling its band; (3) his archiepiscopal staff (of
gold, and with two transverse arms), which is placed in pale behind his
escutcheon; (4) two crosiers in saltire behind the escutcheon. It is
curious to note that the pallium which occurs in all archiepiscopal coats
of arms (save that of York) is now very generally conceded to have been
more in the nature of an emblem of the _rank_ of Archbishop (it being a
part of his ecclesiastical costume) than a charge in a concrete impersonal
coat of arms for a defined area of archiepiscopal jurisdiction. In this
connection it is interesting to observe that the Archbishops of York
anciently used the pallium in lieu of the official arms now regularly
employed.
_A Bishop_ has: (1) His official coat of arms, (2) his mitre, (3) two
crosiers in saltire behind his escutcheon.
_The Bishop of Durham_ has: (1) His official coat of arms, (2) his
coronetted mitre, _which is peculiar to himself_, and (which is another
privilege also peculiar to himself alone) he places a _sword_ and a crosier
in saltire behind his arms. Reference should also be made to the chapter
upon Ecclesiastical Heraldry.
_A Peer_ has: (1) His coronet, (2) his helmet of rank; (3) his supporters,
(4) his robe of estate.
_A Scottish Peer_ has, in addition, the ermine lining to his mantling.
_A Baronet of England_, of Ireland, of Great Britain, or of the United
Kingdom has: (1) His helmet of rank, (2) his badge of Ulster upon an
inescutcheon or canton (argent, a sinister hand erect, couped at the wrist
gules).
_A Baronet of Nova Scotia_ has: (1) His helmet of rank, (2) his badge (an
orange tawny ribbon, whereon shall hang pendent in an escutcheon argent, a
saltire azure, thereon an inescutcheon of the arms of Scotland, with an
imperial crown over the escutcheon, and encircled with this motto, "Fax
Mentis Honestæ Gloria," pendent below the escutcheon).
_A Knight of the Garter_ has: (1) His Garter to encircle the shield, (2)
his collar and badge, (3) supporters. The Prelate of the Order of {584} the
Garter (an office held by the Bishops of Winchester) is entitled to
encircle his arms with the Garter. The Chancellor of the Order of the
Garter encircles his arms with the Garter. Formerly the Bishops of
Salisbury always held this office, but in 1836 when the county of Berks
(which of course includes Windsor, and therefore the chapel of the order)
was removed from the Diocese of Salisbury to the Diocese of Oxford, the
office of Chancellor passed to the Bishops of Oxford. The Dean of Windsor,
as Registrar of the Order, displays below his shield the ribbon and badge
of his office.
_A Knight of the Thistle_ has: (1) The ribbon or circlet of the order, (2)
his collar and badge, (3) supporters. The Dean of the Chapels Royal in
Scotland, as Dean of the Order, used the badge and ribbon of his office.
_A Knight of St. Patrick_ has: (1) The ribbon or circlet of the order, (2)
his collar and badge, (3) supporters. The Prelate of the Order of St.
Patrick was as such entitled to encircle his escutcheon with the ribbon or
circlet of that order, from which his official badge depends. The office,
of course, came to an end with the disestablishment of the Irish Church. It
was held by the Archbishops of Armagh. The Chancellor of the Order of St.
Patrick is as such entitled to encircle his escutcheon with the ribbon or
circlet of that order, from which his official badge depends. This office,
formerly held by the Archbishops of Dublin, has since the disestablishment
been enjoyed by the Chief Secretaries for Ireland. The Deans of St.
Patrick's were similarly Registrars of the Order, and as such used the
badge and ribbon of their office.
_Knights Grand Cross_ or _Knights Grand Commanders_ of the Orders of the
Bath, the Star of India, St. Michael and St. George, the Indian Empire, or
the Victorian Order, have: (1) The circlets or ribbons of their respective
Orders, (2) their collars and badges, (3) their helmets of degree, (4)
supporters, if they incline to pay the fees for these to be granted.
_Knights Commanders_ of the aforesaid Orders have: (1) The circlets or
ribbons of their respective Orders, (2) their badges pendent below the
shield, (3) their helmets of degree.
_Commanders_ of the Victorian Order have: (1) the circlet of the Order, (2)
the badge pendent below the shield.
_Companions_ of the aforesaid Orders, and Members of the Victorian Order,
as also Members of the Distinguished Service Order, the Imperial Service
Order, the Order of Merit, the Order of Victoria and Albert, the Order of
the Crown of India, and those entitled to the Victoria Cross, the Albert
Medal, the Edward Medal, the Conspicuous Service Cross, the Kaisar-i-Hind
Medal, the Royal Red Cross, the {585} Volunteer Officers' Decoration, the
Territorial Decoration, and the Decoration of the League of Mercy, are
entitled to suspend their respective decorations below their escutcheons.
The officers of these orders of knighthood are of course entitled to
display their badges of office. The Dean of Westminster is always Dean of
the Order of the Bath.
_Knights Grand Cross_ and_ Knights Commanders of the Bath, if of the
Military Division_, are also entitled to place a wreath of laurel round
their escutcheons.
_Knights of Justice of the Order of the Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem
in England_ are entitled to place upon their escutcheons a chief of the
arms of the Order (gules, a cross throughout argent, embellished in the
angles with a lion guardant and a unicorn, both passant or).
_Knights of Grace and other Members of the Order_ suspend whatever badge
they are entitled to wear below their shield from a black watered-silk
ribbon.
[Some members of the Order display their arms upon the Cross of the Order,
as was done by Knights of the original Order, from which the present Order
is copied, but how far the practice is sanctioned by the Royal Charter, or
in what manner it is controlled by the rules of the Order, I am not aware.]
_The Lord High Constable of England_ is entitled to place behind his
escutcheon two batons in saltire similar to the one which is delivered to
him for use at the Coronation, which is now the only occasion when the
office is enjoyed. As the office is only held temporarily, the existing
privilege does not amount to much.
_The Lord High Constable of Scotland_ is entitled to place behind his
escutcheon, in saltire, two silver batons tipped with gold at either end.
The arms of the Earl of Errol (Hereditary Lord High Constable of Scotland)
have only once, at an early period, been matriculated in Lyon Register, and
then without any official insignia, but there can be no doubt of the right
to the crossed batons.
_The Lord High Chamberlain of Scotland_ (I am not sure this office still
exists): Two golden keys in saltire behind the escutcheon.
_The Earl Marshal and Hereditary Marshal of England_ places two batons of
gold tipped with sable in saltire behind his arms.
[_A Deputy Earl Marshal_ places one similar baton in bend behind his
shield.]
_The Earl Marischal of Scotland_ (until the office was extinguished by
attainder) placed saltirewise behind his shield two batons gules, semé of
thistles, each ensigned on the top with an Imperial Crown or.
_The Hereditary Marshal of Ireland_ (an office for long past in abeyance)
used two batons in saltire behind his arms. According to {586} MS. Harl.
6589, f. 39: "Les armes des office du Mareschall d'Ireland sont de Goulz et
cinque fucelles bendes d'Argent." These certainly do not appear to be the
personal arms of those who held the office, but there is other record that
some such coat was used.
_The Hereditary Lord Great Seneschal of Ireland_ (the Earl of Shrewsbury)
places a white wand in pale behind his escutcheon.
_The Duke of Argyll_ places in saltire behind his arms: (1) In bend dexter,
a baton gules, semé of thistles or, ensigned with an Imperial Crown proper,
thereon the crest of Scotland (as Hereditary Great Master of the Household
in Scotland); (2) in bend sinister, a sword proper, hilt and pommel or (as
Hereditary Justice-General of Scotland) (_vide_ Plate III.).
_The Master-General of the Ordnance_ (by warrant of King Charles II.),
bears on each side of his arms a field-piece.
_The Lord Justice-Clerk of Scotland_ places two swords in saltire behind
his shield.
_The Lord Chief-Justice of England_ encircles his arms with his Collar of
SS.
_The Walker Trustees_ place behind their shield two batons in saltire, each
ensigned with a unicorn salient supporting a shield argent, the unicorn
horned or, and gorged with an antique crown, to which is affixed a chain
passing between the fore-legs and reflexed over the back of the last, for
the office of Heritable Usher of the White Rod of Scotland, now vested in
the said Trustees. Before the recent Court of Claims the claim was made to
exercise the office by deputy, and such claim was allowed.
_The Master of the Revels in Scotland_ has an official coat of arms:
Argent, a lady rising out of a cloud in the nombril point, richly
apparelled, on her head a garland of ivy, holding in her right hand a
poignard crowned, in her left a vizard all proper, standing under a veil or
canopy azure garnished or, in base a thistle vert.
_Serjeants-at-Arms_ encircle their arms with their Collars of SS.
_Garter King of Arms_ has: (1) His official coat of arms (argent, a gules,
on a chief azure, a ducal coronet encircled with a Garter, between a lion
passant guardant on the dexter, and a fleur-de-lis on the sinister, all
or); (2) his crown; (3) his Collar of SS (the collar of a King of Arms
differs from that of a Herald, inasmuch as it is of _silver-gilt_, and on
each shoulder a portcullis is inserted); (4) his badge as Garter pendent
below his shield. His sceptre of silver-gilt has been sometimes placed in
bend behind his escutcheon, but this has not been regularly done. The
practice has, however, been reverted to by the present Garter.
_Lyon King of Arms_ has: (1) His official coat of arms (argent, a lion
sejant, erect and affronté gules, holding in his dexter paw a thistle {587}
slipped vert, and in the sinister a shield of the second, on a chief azure
a St. Andrew's cross--_i.e._ a saltire--of the field); (2) his crown; (3)
two batons, representing that of his office in saltire behind his shield,
these being azure semé of thistles and fleurs-de-lis or, tipped at either
end with gold; (4) his Collar of SS; (5) his triple chain of gold, from
which depends his badge as Lyon King of Arms.
_Ulster King of Arms_ has: (1) His official coat of arms (or, a cross
gules, on a chief of the last a lion of England between a harp and a
portcullis, all of the first); (2) his crown; (3) his Collar of SS; (4) his
two staves in saltire behind the shield; (5) his chain and badge as Ulster
King of Arms; (6) his badge as Registrar of the Order of St. Patrick.
_Clarenceux King of Arms_ has: (1) His official coat of arms (argent, a
cross gules, on a chief of the second a lion passant guardant or, crowned
of the last); (2) his crown; (3) his Collar of SS.
_Norroy King of Arms_ has: (1) His official coat of arms (argent, a cross
gules, on a chief of the second a lion of England passant guardant or,
crowned with an open crown, between a fleur-de-lis on the dexter and a key
on the sinister of the last); (2) his crown; (3) his Collar of SS.
_Bath King of Arms_ has: (1) His crown; his Collar of SS.
I am not aware that any official arms have been assigned to Bath up to the
present time; but if none exist, there would not be the slightest
difficulty in obtaining these.
_An English Herald_ encircles his shield with his Collar of SS.
_A Scottish Herald_ is entitled to do the same, and has also his badge,
which he places below the escutcheon pendent from a ribbon of blue and
white.
An _Irish Herald_ has his Collar of SS, and his badge suspended from a
sky-blue ribbon. An _Irish Pursuivant_ has a similar badge.
_The Regius Professors (or "Readers") in the University of Cambridge_, for
"Phisicke," "Lawe," "Devinity," "Hebrew," and "Greke," have official arms
as follows (see grant by Robert Cooke, Clarenceux, 1590, _Genealogical
Magazine_, vol. ii. p. 125):--
_Of Phisicke_: Azure, a fesse ermines (? ermine) between three lozenges or,
on a chief gules a lion passant guardant of the third, charged on the side
with the letter M sable. Crest: on a wreath or and azure, a quinquangle
silver, called "simbolum sanitatis." Mantling gules and argent.
_Of Lawe_: Purpure, a cross moline or, on a chief gules, a lion passant
guardant of the second, charged on the side with the letter L sable. Crest:
on a wreath "purple and gold," a bee volant or. Mantling gules and argent.
_Of Devinity_: Gules, on a cross ermine, between four doves argent, {588} a
book of the first, the leaves or, charged in the midst with the Greek
letter [theta] (Theta) sable. Crest: on a wreath "silver and gules," a dove
volant argent, with an olive-branch vert in his beak. Mantling gules,
double argent.
_Of Hebrew_: Argent, the Hebrew letter [Hebrew: T] (Tawe) sable, on a chief
gules, a lion passant guardant or, charged on the side with the letter H
sable. Crest: on a wreath "silver and sables," a turtle-dove azure.
Mantling gules, double argent.
_Of Greke_: Per chevron argent and sable, in chief the two Greek letters
[Alpha] (Alpha) and [Omega] (Omega) of the second, and in base a "cicado"
or grasshopper of the first, on a chief gules, a lion passant guardant or,
charged on the side with the letter G sable. Crest: on a wreath "silver and
sables," an owl argent, legs, beak, and ears or. Mantling gules and argent.
The following insignia of office I quote subject to the reservation that I
am doubtful how far they enjoy official sanction:--
_The Lord Chancellor of England_: Two maces in saltire (or one in pale)
behind the shield and the purse containing the Great Seal below it.
_The Lord Great Chamberlain of England_: Two golden keys in saltire; and
_The Lord Chamberlain of the Household_: A golden key in pale behind the
shield.
At Exeter the Dean, Precentor, Chancellor, and Treasurer have used official
arms impaled with their own insignia. These were:--
_The Dean_: Azure, a stag's head caboshed and between the horns a cross
patée fitchée argent.
_The Precentor_: Argent, on a saltire azure a fleur-de-lis or.
_The Chancellor_: Gules, a saltire argent between four crosslets or.
_The Treasurer_: Gules, a saltire between four leopards' heads or.
The Dean of the Chapel Royal, Savoy, may perhaps employ the complicated
coat of the chapel to impale his personal arms, placing the escutcheon on
the breast of an eagle sable, crowned or.
Many English Deaneries claim to possess arms which presumably the occupant
may use to impale his own coat with, after the example of the Dean of
Exeter. Such are London, Winchester, Lincoln, Salisbury, Lichfield, Durham,
which all difference the arms of the see with a letter D of gold or sable.
St. David's reverses the tinctures of the arms of the see.
Norwich and Carlisle carry: Argent, a cross sable.
Canterbury: Azure, on a cross argent the monogram
sable.
York differences the arms of the see by changing the crown into a mitre,
and adding three plates in flanks and base. {589}