Blanc Coursier Herald
Encyclopedia
Officer of arms
An officer of arms is a person appointed by a sovereign or state with authority to perform one or more of the following functions:*to control and initiate armorial matters*to arrange and participate in ceremonies of state...
in England in the 18th and 19th centuries, associated with the Order of the Bath
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
. The name of the office derives from the white horse in the arms of the Hanoverian monarchs.
One of the main motivations for the foundation of the Order of the Bath in 1725 was the ability it provided the then Prime Minister
Prime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
Sir Robert Walpole
Robert Walpole
Robert Walpole, 1st Earl of Orford, KG, KB, PC , known before 1742 as Sir Robert Walpole, was a British statesman who is generally regarded as having been the first Prime Minister of Great Britain....
to show political patronage. This was afforded not only through appointments to the Order but also in the appointment of the officers of the Order. The original statutes provided for seven officers, Registrar, Secretary, Messenger, Dean, King of Arms, Usher and Genealogist, which were to be sinecure
Sinecure
A sinecure means an office that requires or involves little or no responsibility, labour, or active service...
s supported by annual fees from the members of the Order. However these offices were held at the pleasure of the Great Master of the Order, which meant the holders could be stripped of them at any time. To 'improve' this situation John Anstis
John Anstis
John Anstis was an English officer of arms and antiquarian. He rose to the highest heraldic office in England and became Garter King of Arms in 1718 after years of plotting.-Early life:...
, Garter King of Arms
Garter Principal King of Arms
The Garter Principal King of Arms is the senior King of Arms, and the senior Officer of Arms of the College of Arms. He is therefore the most powerful herald within the jurisdiction of the College – primarily England, Wales and Northern Ireland – and so arguably the most powerful in the world...
(who was responsible for proposing the Order and drafting the statutes) was able to get the another statute passed which would attach heraldic offices to three of the above positions — the Genealogist would also become Blanc Coursier Herald, the Usher would also become Brunswick Herald, and the King of Arms of the Order of the Bath
King of Arms of the Order of the Bath
-Kings of Arms:*1725–1745: Grey Longueville*1745–?: Edward Younge *?–1757: William Woodley*1757–1771: Samuel Horsey*1771–1800: Sir Thomas Cullum, 7th Baronet*1800–1829: John Palmer Cullum, Esq. *1829–1864: Algernon Frederick Greville...
would also become Gloucester King of Arms, with heraldic jurisdiction over Wales. The advantage of this was that appointments to heraldic offices were 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...
under the Great Seal
Great Seal of the Realm
The Great Seal of the Realm or Great Seal of the United Kingdom is a seal that is used to symbolise the Sovereign's approval of important state documents...
from the King and were for life.
The office of Blanc Coursier Herald was created and "inseparably annexed, united and perpetually consolidated with the Office of Genealogist of [the Order of the Bath
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
]" by a Statute of the Order of the Bath dated January 14 1726. Blanc Coursier was to have all the rights and privileges enjoyed by a Royal herald, or by a herald of any prince or peer
Peerage
The Peerage is a legal system of largely hereditary titles in the United Kingdom, which constitute the ranks of British nobility and is part of the British honours system...
of the blood royal or by a herald of any nobleman. In addition he is described as being "Our Herald of Arms with Our dear entirely beloved grandson Prince William
Prince William Augustus, Duke of Cumberland
Prince William , was a younger son of George II of Great Britain and Caroline of Ansbach, and Duke of Cumberland from 1726. He is generally best remembered for his role in putting down the Jacobite Rising at the Battle of Culloden in 1746, and as such is also known as "Butcher" Cumberland...
, First and Principal Companion of Our Said Most Honourable Order, and with the First and Principal Companion thereof for the time being". Blanc Coursier was therefore both a Royal herald ("Our Herald of Arms"), and also a 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:...
as personal herald of the Principal Companion of the Order. As such, the 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...
emblazoned on his 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...
was that of Prince William.
George II of Great Britain
George II was King of Great Britain and Ireland, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg and Archtreasurer and Prince-elector of the Holy Roman Empire from 11 June 1727 until his death.George was the last British monarch born outside Great Britain. He was born and brought up in Northern Germany...
had succeeded his father as king. Prince William's arms then had a label of only three points (as the son of a Sovereign, rather than the five points of a grandson), the center point charged with a cross gules. The arms on his tabard also show a differenced version of the Hanover quarter.
The first person to hold the office of Blanc Coursier was the son of John Anstis
John Anstis
John Anstis was an English officer of arms and antiquarian. He rose to the highest heraldic office in England and became Garter King of Arms in 1718 after years of plotting.-Early life:...
, also named John
John Anstis, younger
John Anstis was an officer of arms at the College of Arms in London. Anstis was born in St Clement Danes, Westminster, and was the seventh child and eldest son of John Anstis and his wife, Elizabeth. He was educated at Westminster School and privately by Michael Maittaire. He graduated from Corpus...
, who had been appointed Genealogist of the Order of the Bath at its inception, presumably because of the role his father had played in the Order's foundation.
When the Royal Guelphic Order
Royal Guelphic Order
The Royal Guelphic Order, sometimes also referred to as the Hanoverian Guelphic Order, is a Hanoverian order of chivalry instituted on 28 April 1815 by the Prince Regent . It has not been conferred by the British Crown since the death of King William IV in 1837, when the personal union of the...
was established in 1815 it originally had no officer of arms. Blanc Coursier at the time, Sir George Nayler
George Nayler
Sir George Nayler, KH was a long-serving officer of arms at the College of Arms in London....
, was able to have an additional statute passed appointing him King of Arms of the Order. His successor as Blanc Coursier, Walter Blount
Walter Blount
Walter Aston Edward Blount Esq. FSA was a long-serving officer of arms at the College of Arms in London. He was born the eldest son of Edward Blount...
also held this position.
The office of Blanc Coursier was abolished in 1857 as part of a revision of the Statutes of the Order of the Bath.
Holders of the Office
- 1725–1754 John Anstis, youngerJohn Anstis, youngerJohn Anstis was an officer of arms at the College of Arms in London. Anstis was born in St Clement Danes, Westminster, and was the seventh child and eldest son of John Anstis and his wife, Elizabeth. He was educated at Westminster School and privately by Michael Maittaire. He graduated from Corpus...
- 1755–1757 Sackville Fox
- 1757–1792 John Suffield Brown
- 1792–1831 Sir George NaylerGeorge NaylerSir George Nayler, KH was a long-serving officer of arms at the College of Arms in London....
- 1831–1857 Walter BlountWalter BlountWalter Aston Edward Blount Esq. FSA was a long-serving officer of arms at the College of Arms in London. He was born the eldest son of Edward Blount...
Office abolished in 1857