Pursuivant
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...
. Most pursuivants are attached to official 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"...
authorities, such as 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...
or the Court of the Lord Lyon
Court of the Lord Lyon
The Court of the Lord Lyon, also known as the Lyon Court, is a standing court of law which regulates heraldry in Scotland. Like the College of Arms in England it maintains the register of grants of arms, known as the Public Register of All Arms and Bearings in Scotland, as well as records of...
in Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
. In the mediaeval era, many great nobles employed their own officers of arms. Today, there still exist some private pursuivants that are not employed by a government authority. In Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, for example, several pursuivants of arms have been appointed by Clan Chiefs
Scottish clan
Scottish clans , give a sense of identity and shared descent to people in Scotland and to their relations throughout the world, with a formal structure of Clan Chiefs recognised by the court of the Lord Lyon, King of Arms which acts as an authority concerning matters of heraldry and Coat of Arms...
. These pursuivants of arms look after matters of heraldic and genealogical importance for clan members.
Some Masonic
Freemasonry
Freemasonry is a fraternal organisation that arose from obscure origins in the late 16th to early 17th century. Freemasonry now exists in various forms all over the world, with a membership estimated at around six million, including approximately 150,000 under the jurisdictions of the Grand Lodge...
Grand Lodge
Grand Lodge
A Grand Lodge, or "Grand Orient", is the usual governing body of "Craft", or "Blue Lodge", Freemasonry in a particular jurisdiction. The first Masonic Grand Lodge was established in England in 1717 as the Premier Grand Lodge of England....
s have an office known as the Grand Pursuivant. It is the Grand Pursuivant's duty to announce all applicants for admission into the Grand Lodge by their names and Masonic titles; to take charge of the jewels and regalia of the Grand Lodge; to attend all meetings of the Grand Lodge, and to perform such other duties as may be required by the Grand Master or presiding officer. The office is also at the local Masonic lodge level in the jurisdiction of the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania
Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania
The Right Worshipful Grand Lodge of the Most Ancient and Honorable Fraternity of Free and Accepted Masons of Pennsylvania and Masonic Jurisdiction Thereunto Belonging is the premier masonic organization in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania...
. In that jurisdiction it is the Pursuivant's duty to guard the door of the lodge, and announce and escort applicants for admission into the lodge. The office is generally unknown at the local level in other Masonic jurisdictions, where the equivalent role is named the Inner Guard.
English Pursuivants of Arms in Ordinary
- Bluemantle Pursuivant of Arms in OrdinaryBluemantle PursuivantBluemantle 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...
- Portcullis Pursuivant of Arms in OrdinaryPortcullis PursuivantPortcullis 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...
- Rouge Croix Pursuivant of Arms in OrdinaryRouge Croix PursuivantRouge Croix Pursuivant of Arms in Ordinary is a junior officer of arms of the College of Arms. The office is named after St George's Cross which has been a symbol of England since the time of the Crusades...
English Pursuivants of Arms Extraordinary
- Fitzalan Pursuivant of Arms ExtraordinaryFitzalan Pursuivant ExtraordinaryFitzalan 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...
- Howard Pursuivant of Arms ExtraordinaryHoward Pursuivant ExtraordinaryHoward Pursuivant of Arms Extraordinary is an officer of arms extraordinary in England. As such, Howard is a royal herald, but is not a member of the College of Arms in London....
Scottish Pursuivants of Arms in Ordinary
- Bute Pursuivant of Arms in OrdinaryBute PursuivantBute Pursuivant of Arms was a Scottish pursuivant of arms of the Court of the Lord Lyon.The title of the office derives from the Isle of Bute, which was the personal property of the Scottish monarchs....
- Carrick Pursuivant of Arms in OrdinaryCarrick PursuivantCarrick Pursuivant of Arms was a Scottish pursuivant of arms of the Court of the Lord Lyon.The title is derived from the Earl of Carrick, one of the titles borne by Robert the Bruce before his succession to the crown...
- Dingwall Pursuivant of Arms in OrdinaryDingwall PursuivantDingwall Pursuivant of Arms is a current Scottish pursuivant of arms of the Court of the Lord Lyon.Dingwall Pursuivant was formerly a private officer of arms in the service of the Lord of the Isles, but along with Kintyre Pursuivant, Ross Herald, and Islay Herald became an officer of arms to the...
- Kintyre Pursuivant of Arms in OrdinaryKintyre PursuivantKintyre Pursuivant of Arms was a Scottish pursuivant of arms of the Court of the Lord Lyon.The Kintyre Pursuivant was formerly a private officer of arms in the service of the Lord of the Isles, but along with Dingwall Pursuivant, Ross Herald, and Islay Herald became an officer of arms to the...
- Ormond Pursuivant of Arms in OrdinaryOrmond PursuivantOrmond Pursuivant of Arms in Ordinary is a current Scottish pursuivant of arms in Ordinary of the Court of the Lord Lyon....
- Unicorn Pursuivant of Arms in OrdinaryUnicorn PursuivantUnicorn Pursuivant of Arms in Ordinary is a current Scottish pursuivant of arms in Ordinary of the Court of the Lord Lyon.The title was created after 1381, and derived from the unicorn...
Scottish Pursuivants of Arms Extraordinary
- Linlithgow Pursuivant of Arms ExtraordinaryLinlithgow Pursuivant ExtraordinaryLinlithgow Pursuivant of Arms was a Scottish pursuivant of arms of the Court of the Lord Lyon.This title is locative in origin, and is derived from the name of a royal burgh of Linlithgow and palace of the same name...
- Falkland Pursuivant of Arms ExtraordinaryFalkland Pursuivant ExtraordinaryFalkland Pursuivant of Arms was a Scottish pursuivant of arms of the Court of the Lord Lyon.The title was first mentioned in 1493 and it is derived from the Royal Palace of the same name located in Fife...
- March Pursuivant of Arms ExtraordinaryMarch Pursuivant ExtraordinaryMarch Pursuivant of Arms was a Scottish pursuivant of arms of the Court of the Lord Lyon.The office was first mentioned in 1515 and it is associated with the part of the Border area that was known as the Marches, i.e...
Welsh Pursuivants of Arms in Ordinary
- Rouge Dragon Pursuivant of Arms in OrdinaryRouge Dragon PursuivantRouge 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....
Privately Appointed Pursuivants
- Slains Pursuivant of ArmsSlains PursuivantSlains Pursuivant of Arms is a private officer of arms appointed by the Chief of the Name and Arms of Hay – presently the Earl of Erroll, Lord High Constable of Scotland. It is believed that the Hay family had an officer of arms since the time that the office of Lord High Constable was forfeited by...
- Garioch Pursuivant of ArmsGarioch PursuivantGarioch Pursuivant of Arms is a private officer of arms appointed by the Chief of the Name and Arms of Mar – presently Margaret of Mar, 31st Countess of Mar. From 1975 - 1986 the post was filled by John George Esq. From 1986 to 2008 the post was filled by David Lumsden, Baron of Cushnie Lumsden who...
- Endure Pursuivant of ArmsEndure PursuivantEndure Pursuivant of Arms is a private officer of arms appointed by the Chief of the Name and Arms of Lindsay—presently the Earl of Crawford & Balcarres. The current Endure Pursuivant is the Earl's younger son, The Honorable Alexander Walter Lindsay....
- Finlaggan Pursuivant of ArmsFinlaggan PursuivantFinlaggan Pursuivant of Arms is the private officer of arms of the Clan Donald in Scotland.The office of Finlaggan Pursuivant is held by Thomas Miers, who was appointed at a ceremony in Edinburgh on 25 July 2009. Mr Miers succeeds the Hon. Adam Robert Bruce following his appointment as Unicorn...
See also
- HeraldryHeraldryHeraldry 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"...
- Officer of ArmsOfficer of armsAn 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...
- Private Officer of ArmsPrivate Officer of ArmsA private officer of arms is one of those heralds and pursuivants appointed by great noble houses to handle all heraldic and genealogical questions.-History:...
- The College of ArmsCollege of ArmsThe College of Arms, or Heralds’ College, is an office regulating heraldry and granting new armorial bearings for England, Wales and Northern Ireland...
- The Court of the Lord LyonCourt of the Lord LyonThe Court of the Lord Lyon, also known as the Lyon Court, is a standing court of law which regulates heraldry in Scotland. Like the College of Arms in England it maintains the register of grants of arms, known as the Public Register of All Arms and Bearings in Scotland, as well as records of...
- The Canadian Heraldic AuthorityCanadian Heraldic AuthorityThe Canadian Heraldic Authority is part of the Canadian honours system under the Queen of Canada, whose authority is exercised by the Governor General. The Authority is responsible for the creation and granting of new coats of arms , flags and badges for Canadian citizens, permanent residents and...