John Brooke-Little
Encyclopedia
John Philip Rudolph Dominic Derek Aloysius Mary Brooke-Little, CVO
, KStJ
, FSA
, FSG
, FHS
, FHG (Hon)
, FRHSC (Hon)
, FHSNZ, KM, GCGCO
(6 April 1927 – 13 February 2006) was an influential and popular British
writer on heraldic
subjects and a long-serving officer of arms
at the College of Arms
in London
. In 1947, while still a student, Brooke-Little founded the Society of Heraldic Antiquaries, now known as The Heraldry Society
and recognized as one of the leading learned societies in its field. He served as the society's chairman for 50 years and then as its President from 1997 until his death in 2006. In addition to the foundation of this group, Brooke-Little was involved in other heraldic groups and societies and worked for many years as an officer of arms; beginning as Bluemantle Pursuivant
, Brooke-Little rose to the second highest heraldic office in England: Clarenceux King of Arms
.
John Brooke-Little was born in Blackheath, London
. His mother, Constance Egan
, was the author
of many children's stories including the Epaminondas
books and the adventures of Jummy the Baby Elephant. In the 1920s, Egan was the editor
of Home Chat. This helped to prepare her for future editorial duties with The Heraldry Society's journal, The Coat of Arms in the 1950s. She was the second wife of Raymond Brooke-Little, who worked as an electrical engineer. His paternal ancestors, the Littles, came from Wiltshire
and may be traced in the parish
registers of Biddestone
back to the late seventeenth century. A pedigree
of his family appears in the 1972 edition of Burke’s Landed Gentry under the heading "Brooke-Little of Heyford House." Brooke-Little was educated at Clayesmore School
, a progressive co-educational public school
in Dorset
. The school remained an important part of Brooke-Little's life, and he later sent his own children there. He oversaw the process of granting a coat of arms
to the school while serving as chairman of its board of governors
from 1971 to 1983.
As a boy, Brooke-Little's first contact with the College of Arms
came when he went to see Sir Algar Henry Stafford Howard
, then Garter Principal King of Arms
. Howard was the head of the corporation of officers of arms at the College of Arms, and encouraged Brooke-Little's budding interest in the subject of heraldry
. While still a student, he founded a heraldry society with his friends. Brooke-Little went to New College
, Oxford
in 1949 and read history
. His college friends included Colin Cole, later Garter Principal King of Arms, with whom he refounded the dormant Oxford University Heraldry Society. The two men refounded it a second time in 1958. The Society was refounded in 2005 and currently holds one lecture per term.
Brooke-Little married Mary Pierce, daughter of JR Pierce, in 1960. The couple had three sons, Philip, Leo, and Merlin, and one daughter, Clare. In 2004, after having retired from the College of Arms, Brooke-Little lived at his Heyford House in Oxfordshire with the families of both Leo and Merlin.
Brooke-Little had a major stroke
in 1994. This incident left his mobility and speech partly impaired, though his mind was still quite sharp. He continued in his heraldic duties until his retirement three years later. He also continued to guide The Heraldry Society after this. He suffered a succession of minor strokes over his last years as an officer of arms and during his retirement. He was still able to make appearances at functions of The Heraldry Society, though his role was severely limited by debilitating arthritis
. It was a short series of several of these small strokes in quick succession which led to Brooke-Little's death on 13 February 2006 in Banbury
, Oxfordshire
, at the age of 78. He was one of the last surviving officers of arms to serve at the Coronation
of Queen Elizabeth II
. The funeral
took place on 23 February 2006, and the eulogy
was delivered by Henry Edgar Paston-Bedingfeld
, York Herald of Arms in Ordinary
at the College of Arms.
In 1952–3, Brooke-Little served on the staff assembled by the Earl Marshal
to plan the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II
. He was appointed a Gold Staff Officer for the Coronation and held a key co-ordination role during planning as well as on the day. It was his abiding interest in heraldry that led to this appointment, and this work with the Earl Marshal and the officers of arms led to his first heraldic appointment. He joined the College of Arms
as Bluemantle Pursuivant in Ordinary
in 1956. The rank of pursuivant
is the junior of the three levels an officer of arms can attain, and Brooke-Little related the story of his appointment in an editorial
. In 1956, Garter King of Arms Sir George Bellew
had recommended Brooke-Little and Colin Cole for the open position of Bluemantle. The two were asked to meet with the Earl Marshal
in London. The Earl Marshal was not usually faced with two candidates for an opening; he offered the position to Cole, who turned it down as his wife was expecting a child. Brooke-Little was made Bluemantle. Several months later when Sir Gerald Woods Wollaston
died, in the ensuing shuffle Cole was finally given his appointment as Portcullis Pursuivant of Arms in Ordinary
.
In 1967, Brooke-Little was advanced to the position of Richmond Herald of Arms in Ordinary
. On 7 July 1980, after almost thirty years of service to the Earl Marshal and the College of Arms, Brooke-Little was appointed to replace Sir Walter Verco
as Norroy and Ulster King of Arms
, with authority to grant coats of arms
in the territories of England
north of the River Trent
, as well as Northern Ireland
. While serving in that office, he enjoyed telling people that the commonly-held view that the Order of Saint Patrick was extinct was quite false. Brooke-Little believed that as the Ulster King of Arms – the capacity in which he handled grants from Northern Ireland – he remained ex officio an Officer of the Order. As the holder of that office, he and his successors would remain the Order's King of Arms, Registrar and Knight Attendant, until such time as the Sovereign should choose formally to abolish the office of Ulster King of Arms or to declare that these positions are not vested in the office. The fact that the last knight had died in 1974 was of little consequence to such a staunch traditionalist.
Brooke-Little maintained an interest in Irish heraldry even after he was promoted from Norroy and Ulster to Clarenceux. After the Director of the National Library of Ireland was made the Chief Herald of Ireland, Brooke-Little wrote to the Daily Telegraph of the importance of maintaining a strong tradition of heraldic and genealogical expertise in the Irish Office of Arms.
When Sir Colin Cole retired from the office of Garter Principal King of Arms
in 1992, Brooke-Little was a leading candidate to replace him. This is the highest heraldic office in England; Garter is chairman of the Chapter of the College of Arms, as well as the King of Arms of the Order of the Garter
. Due to his convivial life style, though, Brooke-Little was not well suited to the managerial responsibilities of the office of Garter. Instead, the honor went to Sir Conrad Swan
. On 19 June 1995, Brooke-Little was appointed to the office of Clarenceux King of Arms
following the death of Sir Anthony Wagner
. This is the senior of the two provincial Kings of Arms and the holder of the office has jurisdiction over Wales and England south of the River Trent. The officers of arms had traditionally been appointed "for life on good behaviour", but Brooke-Little became Clarenceux shortly after compulsory retirement at age 70 was introduced, and he had to leave after only two years in this post. He ended his heraldic career without ever having attained the office of Garter King of Arms, or being honoured with a knighthood
.
In addition to his duties as a professional officer of arms, Brooke-Little held three administrative positions at the College of Arms. From 1974 until 1982, he served as Registrar, with responsibility to enter all new grants and confirmations of arms into the College records. Brooke-Little's signature
can be found on the reverse of the letters patent
for every grant made during this period. In addition, he served as the College's librarian
from 1974 until 1994 and the treasurer of the College of Arms from 1978 until 1995. He was also the director of the Heralds' Museum
at the Tower of London
from 1991 to 1997; this museum is no longer operating. Although Brooke-Little enjoyed prominence as a professional officer of arms and as an author on heraldic subjects, his role in founding The Heraldry Society
, and in guiding the society and editing its journal for many years, was perhaps his greatest contribution to the science of heraldry and armory.
In 1952, as John Brooke-Little was entering the world of heraldry as a Gold Staff Officer, he began exploring the origins of his own coat of arms. His family had been using a coat of arms that was blazon
ed Azure six Lioncels rampant Gules. Some research proved that the Brooke-Little family had no right to use these arms. John worked to apply for a grant on behalf of his father. When asked for input, his father noted that the lions previously used were improper and that he thought unicorn
s would be a good replacement. Red goutte
s allude to the family's former holding of the Manor of Slaughterford ('the ford where the sloeberries grow'). The arms were granted to Raymond Brooke-Little on 5 March 1952. The second and third quarters of Brooke-Little's arms show the arms of John's mother, Constance Egan. The whole shield of arms is blazoned Quarterly (1 and 4) Argent
goutté de sang three Unicorn
Heads erased
Sable
armed and crined Or
langued Azure
(2 and 3) Azure two Dolphin
s haurient and addorsed Or the Eyes Gules
between four Shamrocks slipped Or. The crest is blazoned A Demi-Unicorn rampant erased Sable armed crined and unguled Or langued Azure and collared gobony Or and Gules with a Chain Or reflexed over the back and attached with a Ring Or. At the same time, the motto of Recte Aut Nil (meaning 'Correctly or Not At All') was granted, as well as John Brooke-Little's well-used badge
, blazoned A Triquetra
Or interlaced by an Annulet
Argent.
in 1950. It was incorporated
in 1956 and is now a registered charity
. The principal object of the society is to extend interest in and knowledge of heraldry, genealogy
, precedence, and related disciplines. Brooke-Little served its chairman for fifty years. In 1997, as he was ending his career as an officer of arms, he changed roles in the Society to become its president. He served in this role until his death. Brooke-Little also served as the Honorary Editor of the society's scholarly journal, The Coat of Arms. From the first publication of the journal until the middle of 1965, his mother, Constance Egan
, served as the managing editor of The Coat of Arms, though Brooke-Little always had a guiding influence on the publication. It was not until 2005 that Brooke-Little finally handed complete control of the journal to two young officers of arms, Bluemantle Pursuivant of Arms in Ordinary
Peter O'Donaghue and Rouge Dragon Pursuivant of Arms in Ordinary
Clive Cheesman
.
, Fitzalan Pursuivant of Arms Extraordinary
, had previously suggested the same idea, proposing the name of 'The White Lion Society' after the heraldic supporters
of the College of Arms, which are two white lions (these allude to the supporters of the Mowbray
arms which the Earl Marshal inherited from his ancestors). Brooke-Little put the idea before the Chapter of the College shortly after and with its approval, the Society came into being in 1986.
(an honour now known as Lieutenant of the Royal Victorian Order) in 1969 for his services at the Investiture of the Prince of Wales
. This was followed by a promotion to Commander of the Royal Victorian Order
in the 1984 New Year Honours
. Though most kings of arms up to that time were knighted, that honour was never given to him. The closest that he came was in 1975 when he was made a Knight of Justice of the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem
, the British revival of the ancient Knights Hospitaller of Saint John
.
Brooke-Little was an Honorary Fellow of the Institute of Heraldic and Genealogical Studies
and a Chevalier of the Order of the Fleur de Lys. He was Master of the Scriveners' Company from 1985 until 1986, Chairman of the Harleian Society
, and President of the English Language Literary Trust for eleven years from 1985 until 1996. His heraldic involvement carried over as a trustee
of the Royal Air Force Heraldry Trust and an advisor on heraldry to the National Trust
from 1983 until his death.
In addition to his honours in the United Kingdom
, Brooke-Little also served as Chancellor
of the British Association of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta from 1973 to 1977. He was first admitted to the Order as a Knight of Magistral Grace, and would eventually hold the rank of Knight Grand Cross of Grace and Devotion. He was also honoured with the Order of Merito Melitense in 1964 and was made a Knight Grand Cross of Grace of the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George
. In addition to these honours, he held the Cruz Distinguida (1st class) de San Raimundo de Penafort.
Royal Victorian Order
The Royal Victorian Order is a dynastic order of knighthood and a house order of chivalry recognising distinguished personal service to the order's Sovereign, the reigning monarch of the Commonwealth realms, any members of her family, or any of her viceroys...
, KStJ
Venerable Order of Saint John
The Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem , is a royal order of chivalry established in 1831 and found today throughout the Commonwealth of Nations, Hong Kong, Ireland and the United States of America, with the world-wide mission "to prevent and relieve sickness and...
, FSA
Society of Antiquaries of London
The Society of Antiquaries of London is a learned society "charged by its Royal Charter of 1751 with 'the encouragement, advancement and furtherance of the study and knowledge of the antiquities and history of this and other countries'." It is based at Burlington House, Piccadilly, London , and is...
, FSG
Society of Genealogists
The Society of Genealogists is a UK-based educational charity, founded in 1911 to "promote, encourage and foster the study, science and knowledge of genealogy". The Society's Library is the largest specialist genealogical library outside North America. Membership is open to any adult who agrees to...
, FHS
The Heraldry Society
The Heraldry Society is one of the leading organizations in the world devoted to studying heraldry. In 1947, a twenty year old John Brooke-Little founded the Society of Heraldic Antiquaries. This title was changed to The Heraldry Society in 1950. It was incorporated in 1956 and is now a registered...
, FHG (Hon)
Institute of Heraldic and Genealogical Studies
The United Kingdom's Institute of Heraldic and Genealogical Studies was founded in 1961 by Cecil Humphery-Smith. Its library was created by donations from Humphery-Smith, Aylmer Buesst and others....
, FRHSC (Hon)
Royal Heraldry Society of Canada
The Royal Heraldry Society of Canada is a Canadian organization that promotes the art of Canadian Heraldry. Founded as the Heraldry Society of Canada, the mission of the Royal Heraldry Society of Canada and its branches is to promote the art of heraldry, particularly Canadian heraldry, and to...
, FHSNZ, KM, GCGCO
Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George
The Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George is a Roman Catholic order of chivalry. It was fictively established by Constantine the Great, though in reality it was founded between 1520 and 1545 by two brothers of the Angeli Comneni family. Members of the Angeli Comneni family remained...
(6 April 1927 – 13 February 2006) was an influential and popular British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
writer on heraldic
Heraldry
Heraldry is the profession, study, or art of creating, granting, and blazoning arms and ruling on questions of rank or protocol, as exercised by an officer of arms. Heraldry comes from Anglo-Norman herald, from the Germanic compound harja-waldaz, "army commander"...
subjects and a long-serving officer of arms
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...
at the College of Arms
College of Arms
The College of Arms, or Heralds’ College, is an office regulating heraldry and granting new armorial bearings for England, Wales and Northern Ireland...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. In 1947, while still a student, Brooke-Little founded the Society of Heraldic Antiquaries, now known as The Heraldry Society
The Heraldry Society
The Heraldry Society is one of the leading organizations in the world devoted to studying heraldry. In 1947, a twenty year old John Brooke-Little founded the Society of Heraldic Antiquaries. This title was changed to The Heraldry Society in 1950. It was incorporated in 1956 and is now a registered...
and recognized as one of the leading learned societies in its field. He served as the society's chairman for 50 years and then as its President from 1997 until his death in 2006. In addition to the foundation of this group, Brooke-Little was involved in other heraldic groups and societies and worked for many years as an officer of arms; beginning as Bluemantle Pursuivant
Bluemantle Pursuivant
Bluemantle Pursuivant of Arms in Ordinary is a junior officer of arms of the College of Arms in London. The office is reputed to have been created by King Henry V to serve the Order of the Garter, but there is no documentary evidence of this. There is, however, mention of an officer styled...
, Brooke-Little rose to the second highest heraldic office in England: Clarenceux King of Arms
Clarenceux King of Arms
Clarenceux King of Arms is an officer of arms at the College of Arms in London. Clarenceux is the senior of the two provincial kings of arms and his jurisdiction is that part of England south of the River Trent. The office almost certainly existed in 1420, and there is a fair degree of...
.
Early and private life
Blackheath, London
Blackheath is a district of South London, England. It is named from the large open public grassland which separates it from Greenwich to the north and Lewisham to the west...
. His mother, Constance Egan
Constance Egan
Constance Egan was an English author and editor. She was the second wife of Raymond Brooke-Little, an electrical engineer, and mother ofJohn Brooke-Little....
, was the author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
of many children's stories including the Epaminondas
Epaminondas and His Auntie
Epaminondas and his Auntie is a book for young children written by Sara Cone Bryant and illustrated by Inez Hogan. It was first published by Buccaneer Books in 1907....
books and the adventures of Jummy the Baby Elephant. In the 1920s, Egan was the editor
Editing
Editing is the process of selecting and preparing written, visual, audible, and film media used to convey information through the processes of correction, condensation, organization, and other modifications performed with an intention of producing a correct, consistent, accurate, and complete...
of Home Chat. This helped to prepare her for future editorial duties with The Heraldry Society's journal, The Coat of Arms in the 1950s. She was the second wife of Raymond Brooke-Little, who worked as an electrical engineer. His paternal ancestors, the Littles, came from Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
and may be traced in the parish
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
registers of Biddestone
Biddestone
Biddestone is a small, rural and rather picturesque Cotswold village in north west Wiltshire, England, with a population of 457 in 2001. It is situated near Castle Combe, Corsham, Giddeahall and Chippenham....
back to the late seventeenth century. A pedigree
Pedigree chart
A pedigree chart is a diagram that shows the occurrence and appearance or phenotypes of a particular gene or organism and its ancestors from one generation to the next, most commonly humans, show dogs, and race horses....
of his family appears in the 1972 edition of Burke’s Landed Gentry under the heading "Brooke-Little of Heyford House." Brooke-Little was educated at Clayesmore School
Clayesmore School
Clayesmore School is an independent school for boys and girls of the English public school tradition in the village of Iwerne Minster, Dorset, England. It is a member of The Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference ....
, a progressive co-educational public school
Public School (UK)
A public school, in common British usage, is a school that is neither administered nor financed by the state or from taxpayer contributions, and is instead funded by a combination of endowments, tuition fees and charitable contributions, usually existing as a non profit-making charitable trust...
in Dorset
Dorset
Dorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester which is situated in the south. The Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch joined the county with the reorganisation of local government in 1974...
. The school remained an important part of Brooke-Little's life, and he later sent his own children there. He oversaw the process of granting a 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...
to the school while serving as chairman of its board of governors
Board of governors
Board of governors is a term sometimes applied to the board of directors of a public entity or non-profit organization.Many public institutions, such as public universities, are government-owned corporations. The British Broadcasting Corporation was managed by a board of governors, though this role...
from 1971 to 1983.
As a boy, Brooke-Little's first contact with the College of Arms
College of Arms
The College of Arms, or Heralds’ College, is an office regulating heraldry and granting new armorial bearings for England, Wales and Northern Ireland...
came when he went to see Sir Algar Henry Stafford Howard
Algar Howard
Sir Algar Henry Stafford Howard, KCB, KCVO, MC, TD was a long-serving officer of arms at the College of Arms in London...
, then Garter Principal 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...
. Howard was the head of the corporation of officers of arms at the College of Arms, and encouraged Brooke-Little's budding interest in the subject of heraldry
Heraldry
Heraldry is the profession, study, or art of creating, granting, and blazoning arms and ruling on questions of rank or protocol, as exercised by an officer of arms. Heraldry comes from Anglo-Norman herald, from the Germanic compound harja-waldaz, "army commander"...
. While still a student, he founded a heraldry society with his friends. Brooke-Little went to New College
New College, Oxford
New College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom.- Overview :The College's official name, College of St Mary, is the same as that of the older Oriel College; hence, it has been referred to as the "New College of St Mary", and is now almost always...
, Oxford
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
in 1949 and read history
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
. His college friends included Colin Cole, later Garter Principal King of Arms, with whom he refounded the dormant Oxford University Heraldry Society. The two men refounded it a second time in 1958. The Society was refounded in 2005 and currently holds one lecture per term.
Brooke-Little married Mary Pierce, daughter of JR Pierce, in 1960. The couple had three sons, Philip, Leo, and Merlin, and one daughter, Clare. In 2004, after having retired from the College of Arms, Brooke-Little lived at his Heyford House in Oxfordshire with the families of both Leo and Merlin.
Brooke-Little had a major stroke
Stroke
A stroke, previously known medically as a cerebrovascular accident , is the rapidly developing loss of brain function due to disturbance in the blood supply to the brain. This can be due to ischemia caused by blockage , or a hemorrhage...
in 1994. This incident left his mobility and speech partly impaired, though his mind was still quite sharp. He continued in his heraldic duties until his retirement three years later. He also continued to guide The Heraldry Society after this. He suffered a succession of minor strokes over his last years as an officer of arms and during his retirement. He was still able to make appearances at functions of The Heraldry Society, though his role was severely limited by debilitating arthritis
Arthritis
Arthritis is a form of joint disorder that involves inflammation of one or more joints....
. It was a short series of several of these small strokes in quick succession which led to Brooke-Little's death on 13 February 2006 in Banbury
Banbury
Banbury is a market town and civil parish on the River Cherwell in the Cherwell District of Oxfordshire. It is northwest of London, southeast of Birmingham, south of Coventry and north northwest of the county town of Oxford...
, Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire is a county in the South East region of England, bordering on Warwickshire and Northamptonshire , Buckinghamshire , Berkshire , Wiltshire and Gloucestershire ....
, at the age of 78. He was one of the last surviving officers of arms to serve at the Coronation
Coronation
A coronation is a ceremony marking the formal investiture of a monarch and/or their consort with regal power, usually involving the placement of a crown upon their head and the presentation of other items of regalia...
of Queen Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
. The funeral
Funeral
A funeral is a ceremony for celebrating, sanctifying, or remembering the life of a person who has died. Funerary customs comprise the complex of beliefs and practices used by a culture to remember the dead, from interment itself, to various monuments, prayers, and rituals undertaken in their honor...
took place on 23 February 2006, and the eulogy
Eulogy
A eulogy is a speech or writing in praise of a person or thing, especially one recently deceased or retired. Eulogies may be given as part of funeral services. However, some denominations either discourage or do not permit eulogies at services to maintain respect for traditions...
was delivered by Henry Edgar Paston-Bedingfeld
Henry Paston-Bedingfeld
Sir Henry Edgar Paston-Bedingfeld, 10th Baronet is an Officer-at-Arms of the College of Arms in London, EC4.He currently serves as Norroy and Ulster King of Arms, the junior of the two provincial Kings-at-Arms, to which office he was appointed 20 September 2010...
, York Herald of Arms in Ordinary
York Herald
York Herald of Arms in Ordinary is an officer of arms at the College of Arms. The first York Herald is believed to have been an officer to Edmund of Langley, Duke of York around the year 1385, but the first completely reliable reference to such a herald is in February of 1484, when John Water...
at the College of Arms.
Heraldic career
Earl Marshal
Earl Marshal is a hereditary royal officeholder and chivalric title under the sovereign of the United Kingdom used in England...
to plan the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
. He was appointed a Gold Staff Officer for the Coronation and held a key co-ordination role during planning as well as on the day. It was his abiding interest in heraldry that led to this appointment, and this work with the Earl Marshal and the officers of arms led to his first heraldic appointment. He joined the College of Arms
College of Arms
The College of Arms, or Heralds’ College, is an office regulating heraldry and granting new armorial bearings for England, Wales and Northern Ireland...
as Bluemantle Pursuivant in Ordinary
Bluemantle Pursuivant
Bluemantle Pursuivant of Arms in Ordinary is a junior officer of arms of the College of Arms in London. The office is reputed to have been created by King Henry V to serve the Order of the Garter, but there is no documentary evidence of this. There is, however, mention of an officer styled...
in 1956. The rank of pursuivant
Pursuivant
A pursuivant or, more correctly, pursuivant of arms, is a junior officer of arms. Most pursuivants are attached to official heraldic authorities, such as the College of Arms in London or the Court of the Lord Lyon in Edinburgh. In the mediaeval era, many great nobles employed their own officers of...
is the junior of the three levels an officer of arms can attain, and Brooke-Little related the story of his appointment in an editorial
Editorial
An opinion piece is an article, published in a newspaper or magazine, that mainly reflects the author's opinion about the subject. Opinion pieces are featured in many periodicals.-Editorials:...
. In 1956, Garter King of Arms Sir George Bellew
George Bellew
Sir George Rothe Bellew, KCB, KCVO, KStJ, FSA was a long-serving officer of arms at the College of Arms is London. An expert genealogist and armorist, Bellew was appointed to the office of Garter Principal King of Arms–the highest heraldic office in England and Wales.-Personal life:Bellew...
had recommended Brooke-Little and Colin Cole for the open position of Bluemantle. The two were asked to meet with the Earl Marshal
Bernard Fitzalan-Howard, 16th Duke of Norfolk
Bernard Marmaduke Fitzalan-Howard, 16th Duke of Norfolk, , styled Earl of Arundel and Surrey until 1917, was the eldest surviving son of Henry Fitzalan-Howard, 15th Duke of Norfolk, who died when Bernard was only 9 years old...
in London. The Earl Marshal was not usually faced with two candidates for an opening; he offered the position to Cole, who turned it down as his wife was expecting a child. Brooke-Little was made Bluemantle. Several months later when Sir Gerald Woods Wollaston
Gerald Wollaston
Sir Gerald Woods Wollaston, KCB, KCVO was a long-serving officer of arms at the College of Arms in London. Wollaston's family had a firm tradition at the College of Arms. Wollaston's great-grandfather was Sir William Woods, Garter Principal King of Arms from 1838 until his death in 1842...
died, in the ensuing shuffle Cole was finally given his appointment as Portcullis Pursuivant of Arms in Ordinary
Portcullis Pursuivant
Portcullis Pursuivant of Arms in Ordinary is a junior officer of arms at the College of Arms in London. The office is named after the Portcullis chained Or badge of the Beauforts, which was a favourite device of King Henry VII. King Henry's mother was Lady Margaret Beaufort. The office was...
.
In 1967, Brooke-Little was advanced to the position of Richmond Herald of Arms in Ordinary
Richmond Herald
Richmond Herald of Arms in Ordinary is an officer of arms of the College of Arms in England. From 1421 to 1485 Richmond was a herald to John, Duke of Bedford, George, Duke of Clarence, and Henry, Earl of Richmond, all of whom held the Honour of Richmond...
. On 7 July 1980, after almost thirty years of service to the Earl Marshal and the College of Arms, Brooke-Little was appointed to replace Sir Walter Verco
Walter Verco
Sir Walter John George Verco, KCVO was a long-serving officer of arms who served in many capacities at the College of Arms in London.-Biography:...
as Norroy and Ulster King of Arms
Norroy and Ulster King of Arms
Norroy and Ulster King of Arms is one of the senior Officers of Arms of the College of Arms, and the junior of the two provincial Kings of Arms. The current office is the combination of two former appointments...
, with authority to grant coats 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...
in the territories of England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
north of the River Trent
River Trent
The River Trent is one of the major rivers of England. Its source is in Staffordshire on the southern edge of Biddulph Moor. It flows through the Midlands until it joins the River Ouse at Trent Falls to form the Humber Estuary, which empties into the North Sea below Hull and Immingham.The Trent...
, as well as Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
. While serving in that office, he enjoyed telling people that the commonly-held view that the Order of Saint Patrick was extinct was quite false. Brooke-Little believed that as the Ulster King of Arms – the capacity in which he handled grants from Northern Ireland – he remained ex officio an Officer of the Order. As the holder of that office, he and his successors would remain the Order's King of Arms, Registrar and Knight Attendant, until such time as the Sovereign should choose formally to abolish the office of Ulster King of Arms or to declare that these positions are not vested in the office. The fact that the last knight had died in 1974 was of little consequence to such a staunch traditionalist.
Brooke-Little maintained an interest in Irish heraldry even after he was promoted from Norroy and Ulster to Clarenceux. After the Director of the National Library of Ireland was made the Chief Herald of Ireland, Brooke-Little wrote to the Daily Telegraph of the importance of maintaining a strong tradition of heraldic and genealogical expertise in the Irish Office of Arms.
When Sir Colin Cole retired from the office of Garter Principal 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...
in 1992, Brooke-Little was a leading candidate to replace him. This is the highest heraldic office in England; Garter is chairman of the Chapter of the College of Arms, as well as the King of Arms of the Order of the Garter
Order of the Garter
The Most Noble Order of the Garter, founded in 1348, is the highest order of chivalry, or knighthood, existing in England. The order is dedicated to the image and arms of St...
. Due to his convivial life style, though, Brooke-Little was not well suited to the managerial responsibilities of the office of Garter. Instead, the honor went to Sir Conrad Swan
Conrad Swan
Sir Conrad Marshall John Fisher Swan, was a long-serving officer of arms at the College of Arms in London. Having been first appointed to work at the College in 1962, he rose to the office of Garter Principal King of Arms in 1992, a position he held until 1995...
. On 19 June 1995, Brooke-Little was appointed to the office of Clarenceux King of Arms
Clarenceux King of Arms
Clarenceux King of Arms is an officer of arms at the College of Arms in London. Clarenceux is the senior of the two provincial kings of arms and his jurisdiction is that part of England south of the River Trent. The office almost certainly existed in 1420, and there is a fair degree of...
following the death of Sir Anthony Wagner
Anthony Wagner
Sir Anthony Richard Wagner, KCB, KCVO, FSA was a long-serving officer of arms at the College of Arms in London. He served as Garter Principal King of Arms before retiring to the post of Clarenceux King of Arms...
. This is the senior of the two provincial Kings of Arms and the holder of the office has jurisdiction over Wales and England south of the River Trent. The officers of arms had traditionally been appointed "for life on good behaviour", but Brooke-Little became Clarenceux shortly after compulsory retirement at age 70 was introduced, and he had to leave after only two years in this post. He ended his heraldic career without ever having attained the office of Garter King of Arms, or being honoured with a knighthood
British honours system
The British honours system is a means of rewarding individuals' personal bravery, achievement, or service to the United Kingdom and the British Overseas Territories...
.
In addition to his duties as a professional officer of arms, Brooke-Little held three administrative positions at the College of Arms. From 1974 until 1982, he served as Registrar, with responsibility to enter all new grants and confirmations of arms into the College records. Brooke-Little's signature
Signature
A signature is a handwritten depiction of someone's name, nickname, or even a simple "X" that a person writes on documents as a proof of identity and intent. The writer of a signature is a signatory. Similar to a handwritten signature, a signature work describes the work as readily identifying...
can be found on the reverse of the 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...
for every grant made during this period. In addition, he served as the College's librarian
Librarian
A librarian is an information professional trained in library and information science, which is the organization and management of information services or materials for those with information needs...
from 1974 until 1994 and the treasurer of the College of Arms from 1978 until 1995. He was also the director of the Heralds' Museum
Heralds' Museum
The Heralds' Museum at the Tower of London opened in the old Waterloo Barracks within the Tower in 1981. It was run by the College of Arms Trust. The original idea came from Sir Anthony Wagner, Garter Principal King of Arms. Wagner hoped to establish a museum in which to display the treasures of...
at the Tower of London
Tower of London
Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress, more commonly known as the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London, England. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, separated from the eastern edge of the City of London by the open space...
from 1991 to 1997; this museum is no longer operating. Although Brooke-Little enjoyed prominence as a professional officer of arms and as an author on heraldic subjects, his role in founding The Heraldry Society
The Heraldry Society
The Heraldry Society is one of the leading organizations in the world devoted to studying heraldry. In 1947, a twenty year old John Brooke-Little founded the Society of Heraldic Antiquaries. This title was changed to The Heraldry Society in 1950. It was incorporated in 1956 and is now a registered...
, and in guiding the society and editing its journal for many years, was perhaps his greatest contribution to the science of heraldry and armory.
Coat of arms
Blazon
In heraldry and heraldic vexillology, a blazon is a formal description of a coat of arms, flag or similar emblem, from which the reader can reconstruct the appropriate image...
ed Azure six Lioncels rampant Gules. Some research proved that the Brooke-Little family had no right to use these arms. John worked to apply for a grant on behalf of his father. When asked for input, his father noted that the lions previously used were improper and that he thought unicorn
Unicorn
The unicorn is a legendary animal from European folklore that resembles a white horse with a large, pointed, spiraling horn projecting from its forehead, and sometimes a goat's beard...
s would be a good replacement. Red goutte
Goutte
A goutte is a droplet-shaped charge used in heraldry. Its name derives from the Old French for "droplet".A goutte may be blazoned by its tincture, as in a goutte argent...
s allude to the family's former holding of the Manor of Slaughterford ('the ford where the sloeberries grow'). The arms were granted to Raymond Brooke-Little on 5 March 1952. The second and third quarters of Brooke-Little's arms show the arms of John's mother, Constance Egan. The whole shield of arms is blazoned Quarterly (1 and 4) Argent
Argent
In heraldry, argent is the tincture of silver, and belongs to the class of light tinctures, called "metals". It is very frequently depicted as white and usually considered interchangeable with it...
goutté de sang three Unicorn
Unicorn
The unicorn is a legendary animal from European folklore that resembles a white horse with a large, pointed, spiraling horn projecting from its forehead, and sometimes a goat's beard...
Heads erased
Erasure (heraldry)
Erasure, in the language of heraldry, is the tearing off of part of a charge, leaving a jagged edge of it remaining. In blazons the concept is usually met with in the form of the adjective erased....
Sable
Sable
The sable is a species of marten which inhabits forest environments, primarily in Russia from the Ural Mountains throughout Siberia, in northern Mongolia and China and on Hokkaidō in Japan. Its range in the wild originally extended through European Russia to Poland and Scandinavia...
armed and crined Or
Or (heraldry)
In heraldry, Or is the tincture of gold and, together with argent , belongs to the class of light tinctures called "metals". In engravings and line drawings, it may be represented using a field of evenly spaced dots...
langued Azure
Azure
In heraldry, azure is the tincture with the colour blue, and belongs to the class of tinctures called "colours". In engraving, it is sometimes depicted as a region of horizontal lines or else marked with either az. or b. as an abbreviation....
(2 and 3) Azure two Dolphin
Dolphin
Dolphins are marine mammals that are closely related to whales and porpoises. There are almost forty species of dolphin in 17 genera. They vary in size from and , up to and . They are found worldwide, mostly in the shallower seas of the continental shelves, and are carnivores, mostly eating...
s haurient and addorsed Or the Eyes Gules
Gules
In heraldry, gules is the tincture with the colour red, and belongs to the class of dark tinctures called "colours". In engraving, it is sometimes depicted as a region of vertical lines or else marked with gu. as an abbreviation....
between four Shamrocks slipped Or. The crest is blazoned A Demi-Unicorn rampant erased Sable armed crined and unguled Or langued Azure and collared gobony Or and Gules with a Chain Or reflexed over the back and attached with a Ring Or. At the same time, the motto of Recte Aut Nil (meaning 'Correctly or Not At All') was granted, as well as John Brooke-Little's well-used badge
Heraldic badge
A heraldic badge is an emblem or personal device worn as a badge to indicate allegiance to or the property of an individual or family. Medieval forms are usually called a livery badge, and also a cognizance...
, blazoned A Triquetra
Triquetra
Triquetra originally meant "triangle" and was used to refer to various three-cornered shapes. Nowadays, it has come to refer exclusively to a particular more complicated shape formed of three vesicae piscis, sometimes with an added circle in or around it...
Or interlaced by an Annulet
Annulet
Annulet can refer to:* Annulet , a mark in distinction* Annulet , a fillet or ring encircling a column* The Annulet, Charissa obscurata, a species of moth in the family Geometridae...
Argent.
The Heraldry Society
In 1947, a twenty-year-old Brooke-Little founded the Society of Heraldic Antiquaries, which was renamed The Heraldry SocietyThe Heraldry Society
The Heraldry Society is one of the leading organizations in the world devoted to studying heraldry. In 1947, a twenty year old John Brooke-Little founded the Society of Heraldic Antiquaries. This title was changed to The Heraldry Society in 1950. It was incorporated in 1956 and is now a registered...
in 1950. It was incorporated
Incorporation (business)
Incorporation is the forming of a new corporation . The corporation may be a business, a non-profit organisation, sports club, or a government of a new city or town...
in 1956 and is now a registered charity
Charitable organization
A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization . It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization (NPO). It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A...
. The principal object of the society is to extend interest in and knowledge of heraldry, genealogy
Genealogy
Genealogy is the study of families and the tracing of their lineages and history. Genealogists use oral traditions, historical records, genetic analysis, and other records to obtain information about a family and to demonstrate kinship and pedigrees of its members...
, precedence, and related disciplines. Brooke-Little served its chairman for fifty years. In 1997, as he was ending his career as an officer of arms, he changed roles in the Society to become its president. He served in this role until his death. Brooke-Little also served as the Honorary Editor of the society's scholarly journal, The Coat of Arms. From the first publication of the journal until the middle of 1965, his mother, Constance Egan
Constance Egan
Constance Egan was an English author and editor. She was the second wife of Raymond Brooke-Little, an electrical engineer, and mother ofJohn Brooke-Little....
, served as the managing editor of The Coat of Arms, though Brooke-Little always had a guiding influence on the publication. It was not until 2005 that Brooke-Little finally handed complete control of the journal to two young officers of arms, Bluemantle Pursuivant of Arms in Ordinary
Bluemantle Pursuivant
Bluemantle Pursuivant of Arms in Ordinary is a junior officer of arms of the College of Arms in London. The office is reputed to have been created by King Henry V to serve the Order of the Garter, but there is no documentary evidence of this. There is, however, mention of an officer styled...
Peter O'Donaghue and Rouge Dragon Pursuivant of Arms in Ordinary
Rouge Dragon Pursuivant
Rouge Dragon Pursuivant of Arms in Ordinary is a junior officer of arms of the College of Arms, named after the red dragon of Wales.The most recent Rouge Dragon Pursuivant was Clive Edwin Alexander Cheesman, whose replacement has yet to be announced....
Clive Cheesman
Clive Cheesman
Clive Edwin Alexander Cheesman is an officer of arms at the College of Arms in London, and is currently Richmond Herald, having been appointed on 7 April 2010. Cheesman was formerly a curator in the Department of Coins and Medals in the British Museum. He was Rouge Dragon Pursuivant of Arms in...
.
The White Lion Society
Brooke-Little was integral to the foundation of the White Lion Society. In 1984, at a meeting of The Heraldry Society, it was suggested to Brooke-Little, then Norroy and Ulster King of Arms, that it would be appropriate to found a "Society of Friends" of the College of Arms. Brooke-Little explained that the late Charles Wilfrid Scott-GilesWilfrid Scott-Giles
Charles Wilfred Scott-Giles was an English officer of arms.Charles Wilfrid Giles was educated at Emanuel School and Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge, where he read history between 1919 and 1922...
, Fitzalan Pursuivant of Arms Extraordinary
Fitzalan Pursuivant Extraordinary
Fitzalan Pursuivant of Arms Extraordinary is a current officer of arms in England. As a pursuivant extraordinary, Fitzalan is a royal officer of arms, but is not a member of the corporation of the College of Arms in London...
, had previously suggested the same idea, proposing the name of 'The White Lion Society' after the heraldic supporters
Supporters
In heraldry, supporters are figures usually placed on either side of the shield and depicted holding it up. These figures may be real or imaginary animals, human figures, and in rare cases plants or inanimate objects...
of the College of Arms, which are two white lions (these allude to the supporters of the Mowbray
Mowbray
Mowbray is an Anglo-Norman baronial house, derived from Montbrai in Normandy. From this village came Geoffrey de Montbrai who came to be Bishop of Coutances and accompanied Duke William of Normandy at the Conquest of England in 1066....
arms which the Earl Marshal inherited from his ancestors). Brooke-Little put the idea before the Chapter of the College shortly after and with its approval, the Society came into being in 1986.
Honours and appointments
Brooke-Little garnered many honours and awards during his time of service to the crown. He was appointed a Member of the Royal Victorian Order (4th class)Royal Victorian Order
The Royal Victorian Order is a dynastic order of knighthood and a house order of chivalry recognising distinguished personal service to the order's Sovereign, the reigning monarch of the Commonwealth realms, any members of her family, or any of her viceroys...
(an honour now known as Lieutenant of the Royal Victorian Order) in 1969 for his services at the Investiture of the Prince of Wales
Prince of Wales
Prince of Wales is a title traditionally granted to the heir apparent to the reigning monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the 15 other independent Commonwealth realms...
. This was followed by a promotion to Commander of the Royal Victorian Order
Royal Victorian Order
The Royal Victorian Order is a dynastic order of knighthood and a house order of chivalry recognising distinguished personal service to the order's Sovereign, the reigning monarch of the Commonwealth realms, any members of her family, or any of her viceroys...
in the 1984 New Year Honours
New Year Honours
The New Year Honours is a part of the British honours system, being a civic occasion on the New Year annually in which new members of most Commonwealth Realms honours are named. The awards are presented by the reigning monarch or head of state, currently Queen Elizabeth II...
. Though most kings of arms up to that time were knighted, that honour was never given to him. The closest that he came was in 1975 when he was made a Knight of Justice of the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem
Venerable Order of Saint John
The Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem , is a royal order of chivalry established in 1831 and found today throughout the Commonwealth of Nations, Hong Kong, Ireland and the United States of America, with the world-wide mission "to prevent and relieve sickness and...
, the British revival of the ancient Knights Hospitaller of Saint John
Knights Hospitaller
The Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem of Rhodes and of Malta , also known as the Sovereign Military Order of Malta , Order of Malta or Knights of Malta, is a Roman Catholic lay religious order, traditionally of military, chivalrous, noble nature. It is the world's...
.
Brooke-Little was an Honorary Fellow of the Institute of Heraldic and Genealogical Studies
Institute of Heraldic and Genealogical Studies
The United Kingdom's Institute of Heraldic and Genealogical Studies was founded in 1961 by Cecil Humphery-Smith. Its library was created by donations from Humphery-Smith, Aylmer Buesst and others....
and a Chevalier of the Order of the Fleur de Lys. He was Master of the Scriveners' Company from 1985 until 1986, Chairman of the Harleian Society
Harleian Society
The Harleian Society was founded in 1869 for the purpose of publishing manuscripts of the heraldic visitations of the counties of England and Wales, and other unpublished manuscripts relating to genealogy, armory, and heraldry in its widest sense...
, and President of the English Language Literary Trust for eleven years from 1985 until 1996. His heraldic involvement carried over as a trustee
Trustee
Trustee is a legal term which, in its broadest sense, can refer to any person who holds property, authority, or a position of trust or responsibility for the benefit of another...
of the Royal Air Force Heraldry Trust and an advisor on heraldry to the National Trust
National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty
The National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, usually known as the National Trust, is a conservation organisation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland...
from 1983 until his death.
In addition to his honours in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, Brooke-Little also served as Chancellor
Chancellor
Chancellor is the title of various official positions in the governments of many nations. The original chancellors were the Cancellarii of Roman courts of justice—ushers who sat at the cancelli or lattice work screens of a basilica or law court, which separated the judge and counsel from the...
of the British Association of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta from 1973 to 1977. He was first admitted to the Order as a Knight of Magistral Grace, and would eventually hold the rank of Knight Grand Cross of Grace and Devotion. He was also honoured with the Order of Merito Melitense in 1964 and was made a Knight Grand Cross of Grace of the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George
Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George
The Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George is a Roman Catholic order of chivalry. It was fictively established by Constantine the Great, though in reality it was founded between 1520 and 1545 by two brothers of the Angeli Comneni family. Members of the Angeli Comneni family remained...
. In addition to these honours, he held the Cruz Distinguida (1st class) de San Raimundo de Penafort.
Published works
Brooke-Little was the author or editor of at least ten books including:- Boutell's Heraldry (editor of the editions from 1963 to 1983, ISBN 0-7232-3093-5).
- Royal Arms
- Royal London (Pitkin, 1953, ASIN B0000CIJW3)
- The University City of Oxford (Pitkin, 1955, ASIN B0000CJ3SY)
- Knights of the Middle Ages (Evelyn, 1966, ASIN B0000CN6TZ)
- An Heraldic Alphabet (Macdonald, 1973, ISBN 0-356-08112-5; Robson, 1998, ISBN 1-86105-077-1, ISBN 0-86051-320-3)
- Beasts in Heraldry (1974)
- The British Monarchy in Colour (Blandford, 1976, ISBN 0-7137-0774-7)
- Royal Heraldry: Beasts and Badges of Britain (Pilgrim Press, 1977, ISBN 0-900594-37-3)
- Royal Ceremonies of State (Country Life, 1980, ISBN 0-600-37628-1)
- Fox Davies' Complete Guide to Heraldry (revised edition, ISBN 0-7232-2096-4)