Scottish heraldry
Encyclopedia
Heraldry
in Scotland
, while broadly similar to that practised in England
and elsewhere in western Europe, has its own distinctive features. Its heraldic executive is separate from that of the rest of the United Kingdom
.
. The earliest reference to the Lyon, as such, dates to the reign of Robert the Bruce
in 1318, although with respect to certain of his functions he is considered the successor of royal officials dating to ancient Celtic times.
The Lord Lyon exercises general jurisdiction over all matters armorial in Scotland and serves as a Judge of the Realm. He also decides on questions relating to family representation, pedigrees and genealogies. In addition, he supervises all state, royal and public ceremonies in Scotland. The Lord Lyon also asserts the right to decide who is Head of the Clan
or Chief
of the Family or Name, although his authority to determine chiefships has been challenged.
In carrying out his duties, he has been assisted, in recent times, by a staff of three herald
s and pursuivant
s along with a Lyon Clerk
. The present Lyon Clerk, Elizabeth Roads
, MVO, who is also Carrick Pursuivant
, is the first woman ever to serve as an officer of arms in the United Kingdom.
Pursuant to Chapter 47 of the Act of 1672, the Lord Lyon is empowered to grant arms to "vertuous [virtuous] and well deserving persons." According to Innes of Learney: "A [Scottish] coat of arms is the outward indication of nobility and arms are officially described as 'Ensigns of Nobility'. A patent of arms is . . . a Diploma of Nobility . . . ." Clarifying this statement, a later writer on Scottish heraldry has noted: "Technically, a grant of arms from the Lord Lyon is a patent of nobility; the grantee is thereby 'enrolled with all nobles in the noblesse of Scotland'. This is does not constitute a peerage or any title. It is a social distinction, and has no legal privileges ."
, whether personal or corporate, is to symbolise the identity of the owner of the armorial bearings
.
In Scotland the Clan
, the Family, and the Name have survived as significant entities in the social organization of Scottish society.
In Scottish heraldry there is no such thing as a "family coat of arms". Junior members of a family are assigned specific and relevant differences to the armorial bearings of an ancestor.
Scottish heraldry operates under the proposition that all those who share the same surname are related, however distantly. Consequently, where a coat of arms for the head of a family already exists, new grants of arms to individuals with the same surname will generally be variations on those arms.
"[T]he salient feature of Scottish heraldry is that, as compared with England and other countries, the basic coats of arms are relatively few in number, but numerous differenced versions of each basic shield exist. The basic, or simple undifferenced arms and crest, are the property, not of the 'family', but of the 'Chief' of each clan or house …."
The earliest existing examples of Scots heraldry are Stewart coats of arms from seals of the last half of the 12th century and the first half of the 13th, and show the fess chequy, which is still a feature of 21st century Scots heraldry.
The Lord Lyon King of Arms has a vital and continuing influence on the family organization in Scotland. Depending on the terms of the original grant, armorial bearings are succeeded to by the heir—who may be the heir male, the heir female, or the heir by tailzie
(an heir nominated within the blood relationship).
, while a motto is usually illustrated in the patent of arms, with very rare exceptions, it is not included in the verbal grant of armorial bearings. Consequently, English mottoes may be changed at will.
, known as cadency
. English heraldry uses a series of small symbols, termed brisures, to differentiate between the senior representative of an armigerous family and junior lines known as "cadet branches"
. In Scotland, except for the line of the immediate heir, this function is served by a series of bordures (borders) surrounding the shield of varying, specified colors and designs, named the "Stodart" system. In Scottish practice brisures function only as "temporary house marks of cadency used by children . . . without formal authority of the Lyon Office, until they establish houses of their own."
s are treated differently in Scottish heraldic practice than in English armoury. A badge may be defined as "An armorial device, not part of the coat of arms, but . . . available to an armigerous person or corporation for the purpose of identification." Badges may consist of no more than a charge
from the shield of arms, but others were emblems adopted for their hidden meaning or in allusion to a name, title or office. In England, the granting of badges to armigers by the College of Arms
has become "commonplace" in recent years.
In Scottish heraldry, however, the grant of badges is limited to those categories of individuals who may be expected to have a "numerous following", that is to say a significant body of adherents or supporters. Generally badges are awarded only to peers
,
the baronage, clan chiefs
and chieftains
and the older landed houses
and only when the Lord Lyon is satisfied that the grant of a badge is warranted on practical grounds. Corporate bodies, such as local governments, schools, companies or sports clubs may also obtain badges as a means for their members to display their affiliation.
Scottish heraldry, however, also recognizes a unique form of badge, the crest badge. In the case of an armiger, this device is composed of his crest, encircled by a plain circle on which is inscribed the individual's motto. As a mark of allegiance to their chief, members of a clan are permitted to wear a clansmen's badge, consisting of their chief's crest surrounded by a strap and buckle device on which the chief's motto is inscribed.
Scottish practice favours a simplicity of design and permits each quarter to itself be quartered, but no more. A Scottish shield, therefore, is limited to sixteen quarterings.
1369-1388 preserved in Brussels - a European manuscript with a section on Scottish arms." The first truly Scottish armorial dates only from 1508.
Two of the oldest and most important works on the subject of Scottish heraldry are The Science of Herauldry by George Mackenzie of Rosehaugh, first published in 1680, and A System of Heraldry by Alexander Nisbet, first published in 1722. Mackenzie is regard as legal authority in matters of Scottish heraldry. Whether Nisbet is likewise regarded as of "institutional authority" is unclear, but "his work has been treated with very great respect since it appeared in 1722."
Perhaps the most celebrated work of Scottish heraldry is the Public Register of all Arms and Bearings in Scotland, known more simply as the Public Register or even Lyon Register. It has been said that: "There is no better evidence of the diversity and splendour of heraldic art anywhere in the world than is to be found in the [Lyon Register]. . . ." The work was created under the authority of the Statute of 1672, which provided that it record all arms properly registered with the Lord Lyon. The first volume was bound in 1677 and it has been faithfully maintained from that time. Each of the series of massive volumes contains 120 pages of vellum, and it includes the work of some of Scotland's greatest heraldic artists over nearly three and one-half centuries.
arms from the 15th century still in use in the 21st.
The earliest civic heraldry seems to have been the arms of Dundee which date back six hundred years.
In January 2008 a petition to matriculate armorial bearings
for the City of Inverness
was refused by Lord Lyon King of Arms
on the grounds that there is no legal persona to which arms can be granted.
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"...
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...
, while broadly similar to that practised in 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...
and elsewhere in western Europe, has its own distinctive features. Its heraldic executive is separate from that of the rest of 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...
.
Executive
The Scottish heraldic executive is separate from that of the remainder of the United Kingdom and is vested in the Lord Lyon King of ArmsLord Lyon King of Arms
The Lord Lyon King of Arms, the head of Lyon Court, is the most junior of the Great Officers of State in Scotland and is the Scottish official with responsibility for regulating heraldry in that country, issuing new grants of arms, and serving as the judge of the Court of the Lord Lyon, the oldest...
. The earliest reference to the Lyon, as such, dates to the reign of Robert the Bruce
Robert I of Scotland
Robert I , popularly known as Robert the Bruce , was King of Scots from March 25, 1306, until his death in 1329.His paternal ancestors were of Scoto-Norman heritage , and...
in 1318, although with respect to certain of his functions he is considered the successor of royal officials dating to ancient Celtic times.
The Lord Lyon exercises general jurisdiction over all matters armorial in Scotland and serves as a Judge of the Realm. He also decides on questions relating to family representation, pedigrees and genealogies. In addition, he supervises all state, royal and public ceremonies in Scotland. The Lord Lyon also asserts the right to decide who is Head of the Clan
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...
or Chief
Scottish clan chief
The Scottish Gaelic word clann means children. In early times, and possibly even today, clan members believed themselves to descend from a common ancestor, the founder of the Scottish clan. From its perceived founder a clan takes its name. The clan chief is the representative of this founder, and...
of the Family or Name, although his authority to determine chiefships has been challenged.
In carrying out his duties, he has been assisted, in recent times, by a staff of three herald
Herald
A herald, or, more correctly, a herald of arms, is an officer of arms, ranking between pursuivant and king of arms. The title is often applied erroneously to all officers of arms....
s and 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...
s along with a Lyon Clerk
Lyon Clerk and Keeper of the Records
Lyon Clerk and Keeper of the Records is an heraldic office in Scotland. The holder of this office is appointed by the Crown, and like the Lord Lyon King of Arms receives an annual salary...
. The present Lyon Clerk, Elizabeth Roads
Elizabeth Roads
Elizabeth Ann Roads, MVO is Snawdoun Herald of Arms in Ordinary and Lyon Clerk and Keeper of the Records for the Court of the Lord Lyon.-Personal life and education:...
, MVO, who is also Carrick Pursuivant
Carrick Pursuivant
Carrick 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...
, is the first woman ever to serve as an officer of arms in the United Kingdom.
Pursuant to Chapter 47 of the Act of 1672, the Lord Lyon is empowered to grant arms to "vertuous [virtuous] and well deserving persons." According to Innes of Learney: "A [Scottish] coat of arms is the outward indication of nobility and arms are officially described as 'Ensigns of Nobility'. A patent of arms is . . . a Diploma of Nobility . . . ." Clarifying this statement, a later writer on Scottish heraldry has noted: "Technically, a grant of arms from the Lord Lyon is a patent of nobility; the grantee is thereby 'enrolled with all nobles in the noblesse of Scotland'. This is does not constitute a peerage or any title. It is a social distinction, and has no legal privileges ."
Principles
The principal function of heraldryHeraldry
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"...
, whether personal or corporate, is to symbolise the identity of the owner of the armorial bearings
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 Scotland the Clan
Clan
A clan is a group of people united by actual or perceived kinship and descent. Even if lineage details are unknown, clan members may be organized around a founding member or apical ancestor. The kinship-based bonds may be symbolical, whereby the clan shares a "stipulated" common ancestor that is a...
, the Family, and the Name have survived as significant entities in the social organization of Scottish society.
In Scottish heraldry there is no such thing as a "family coat of arms". Junior members of a family are assigned specific and relevant differences to the armorial bearings of an ancestor.
Scottish heraldry operates under the proposition that all those who share the same surname are related, however distantly. Consequently, where a coat of arms for the head of a family already exists, new grants of arms to individuals with the same surname will generally be variations on those arms.
"[T]he salient feature of Scottish heraldry is that, as compared with England and other countries, the basic coats of arms are relatively few in number, but numerous differenced versions of each basic shield exist. The basic, or simple undifferenced arms and crest, are the property, not of the 'family', but of the 'Chief' of each clan or house …."
The earliest existing examples of Scots heraldry are Stewart coats of arms from seals of the last half of the 12th century and the first half of the 13th, and show the fess chequy, which is still a feature of 21st century Scots heraldry.
The Lord Lyon King of Arms has a vital and continuing influence on the family organization in Scotland. Depending on the terms of the original grant, armorial bearings are succeeded to by the heir—who may be the heir male, the heir female, or the heir by tailzie
Tailzie
-Definition:Tailzie : The feudal concept of the inheritance of immovable property according to an arbitrary course that has been laid out, such as in a document known as a "deed of tailzie"....
(an heir nominated within the blood relationship).
Mottoes
One of the most obvious visual distinctions of Scottish heraldry from heraldic styles used elsewhere is that the scroll on which the motto is displayed is almost always positioned above the crest in Scottish bearings, as depicted in the illustration of the Royal Coat of Arms of Scotland above. This difference is more than merely visual, however. In Scottish heraldry mottoes are considered a component of the grant of arms and can be altered only by re-matriculating the arms. In English heraldryEnglish heraldry
English heraldry is the form of coats of arms and other heraldic bearings and insignia used in England. It lies within the Gallo-British tradition. Coats of arms in England are regulated and granted to individuals by the College of Arms. They are subject to a system of cadency to distinguish...
, while a motto is usually illustrated in the patent of arms, with very rare exceptions, it is not included in the verbal grant of armorial bearings. Consequently, English mottoes may be changed at will.
Cadency
Another difference between Scottish and English heraldry that may be discerned from the appearance of the shield itself lies in the systems employed to distinguish younger sons of an armigerArmiger
In heraldry, an armiger is a person entitled to use a coat of arms. Such a person is said to be armigerous.-Etymology:The Latin word armiger literally means "armour-bearer". In high and late medieval England, the word referred to an esquire attendant upon a knight, but bearing his own unique...
, known as cadency
Cadency
In heraldry, cadency is any systematic way of distinguishing similar coats of arms belonging to members of the same family. Cadency is necessary in heraldic systems in which a given design may be owned by only one person at once...
. English heraldry uses a series of small symbols, termed brisures, to differentiate between the senior representative of an armigerous family and junior lines known as "cadet branches"
Cadet branch
Cadet branch is a term in genealogy to describe the lineage of the descendants of the younger sons of a monarch or patriarch. In the ruling dynasties and noble families of much of Europe and Asia, the family's major assets – titles, realms, fiefs, property and income – have...
. In Scotland, except for the line of the immediate heir, this function is served by a series of bordures (borders) surrounding the shield of varying, specified colors and designs, named the "Stodart" system. In Scottish practice brisures function only as "temporary house marks of cadency used by children . . . without formal authority of the Lyon Office, until they establish houses of their own."
Badges
Heraldic badgeHeraldic 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...
s are treated differently in Scottish heraldic practice than in English armoury. A badge may be defined as "An armorial device, not part of the coat of arms, but . . . available to an armigerous person or corporation for the purpose of identification." Badges may consist of no more than a charge
Charge (heraldry)
In heraldry, a charge is any emblem or device occupying the field of an escutcheon . This may be a geometric design or a symbolic representation of a person, animal, plant, object or other device...
from the shield of arms, but others were emblems adopted for their hidden meaning or in allusion to a name, title or office. In England, the granting of badges to armigers by 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...
has become "commonplace" in recent years.
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...
,
the baronage, clan chiefs
Scottish clan chief
The Scottish Gaelic word clann means children. In early times, and possibly even today, clan members believed themselves to descend from a common ancestor, the founder of the Scottish clan. From its perceived founder a clan takes its name. The clan chief is the representative of this founder, and...
and chieftains
Scottish clan chief
The Scottish Gaelic word clann means children. In early times, and possibly even today, clan members believed themselves to descend from a common ancestor, the founder of the Scottish clan. From its perceived founder a clan takes its name. The clan chief is the representative of this founder, and...
and the older landed houses
and only when the Lord Lyon is satisfied that the grant of a badge is warranted on practical grounds. Corporate bodies, such as local governments, schools, companies or sports clubs may also obtain badges as a means for their members to display their affiliation.
Scottish heraldry, however, also recognizes a unique form of badge, the crest badge. In the case of an armiger, this device is composed of his crest, encircled by a plain circle on which is inscribed the individual's motto. As a mark of allegiance to their chief, members of a clan are permitted to wear a clansmen's badge, consisting of their chief's crest surrounded by a strap and buckle device on which the chief's motto is inscribed.
Crests
In English heraldic practice the crest, the device or emblem that appears above the helmet or chapeau in a full coat of arms, should not duplicate any crest previously granted. Just as each shield should be unique, so too should each crest. In Scotland, however, it is permissible, and not uncommon, for two or more different families to bear the same crest. As Scottish heraldry joins the crest and motto in the crest badge, however, the combination of crest and motto should, in each case, be unique.Heiresses
In traditional heraldic practice coats of arms pass through the male line. Where a woman's father bears arms and, at his death, there are no surviving sons or surviving children of sons, the woman is an heraldic heiress and can transmit her father's arms to her descendants. In England, if there is more than one surviving daughter, each transmits her father's arms on equal terms. In Scotland, only the eldest surviving daughter transmits her father's undifferenced arms to her offspring.Quarterings
In heraldry a basic shield can be divided into four, essentially equal, sections or quarterings. In recent times this typically occurs as the result of the marriage of an armiger to an heraldic heiress. English heraldry appears to put no limit on such divisions, which continue to be termed "quarterings" no matter how many more are added.,Scottish practice favours a simplicity of design and permits each quarter to itself be quartered, but no more. A Scottish shield, therefore, is limited to sixteen quarterings.
Important works
"Scotland has no ancient rolls of arms as in England and its earliest document of any importance is the Armorial de GelréGelre Armorial
The Gelre Armorial is an armorial composed between 1370 and 1414 in the Duchy of Guelders. The book displays some 1,700 coats-of-arms from all over Europe, in colour. Most historians claim that the book was written by the herald Claes Heinenszoon. It is now located at the Royal Library of Belgium....
1369-1388 preserved in Brussels - a European manuscript with a section on Scottish arms." The first truly Scottish armorial dates only from 1508.
Two of the oldest and most important works on the subject of Scottish heraldry are The Science of Herauldry by George Mackenzie of Rosehaugh, first published in 1680, and A System of Heraldry by Alexander Nisbet, first published in 1722. Mackenzie is regard as legal authority in matters of Scottish heraldry. Whether Nisbet is likewise regarded as of "institutional authority" is unclear, but "his work has been treated with very great respect since it appeared in 1722."
Perhaps the most celebrated work of Scottish heraldry is the Public Register of all Arms and Bearings in Scotland, known more simply as the Public Register or even Lyon Register. It has been said that: "There is no better evidence of the diversity and splendour of heraldic art anywhere in the world than is to be found in the [Lyon Register]. . . ." The work was created under the authority of the Statute of 1672, which provided that it record all arms properly registered with the Lord Lyon. The first volume was bound in 1677 and it has been faithfully maintained from that time. Each of the series of massive volumes contains 120 pages of vellum, and it includes the work of some of Scotland's greatest heraldic artists over nearly three and one-half centuries.
Civic heraldry
Scotland's civic heraldry is particularly rich with burghBurgh
A burgh was an autonomous corporate entity in Scotland and Northern England, usually a town. This type of administrative division existed from the 12th century, when King David I created the first royal burghs. Burgh status was broadly analogous to borough status, found in the rest of the United...
arms from the 15th century still in use in the 21st.
The earliest civic heraldry seems to have been the arms of Dundee which date back six hundred years.
In January 2008 a petition to matriculate armorial bearings
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...
for the City of Inverness
Inverness
Inverness is a city in the Scottish Highlands. It is the administrative centre for the Highland council area, and is regarded as the capital of the Highlands of Scotland...
was refused by Lord Lyon King of Arms
Lord Lyon King of Arms
The Lord Lyon King of Arms, the head of Lyon Court, is the most junior of the Great Officers of State in Scotland and is the Scottish official with responsibility for regulating heraldry in that country, issuing new grants of arms, and serving as the judge of the Court of the Lord Lyon, the oldest...
on the grounds that there is no legal persona to which arms can be granted.
Works referenced
- Agnew of Lochnaw, Sir Crispin. "Heraldic Bibliography." The Highlander. (March/April 1991).
- Brooke-Little, J.P. (revisor). Boutell's Heraldry. Frederick Warne & Co., Ltd., London, 1970.
- Burnett, Charles J and Dennis, Mark D. Scotland's Heraldic Heritage; The Lion Rejoicing The Stationery Office, Edinburgh, 1997.
- Cox, Noel. "Commonwealth Heraldic Jurisdiction." The Coat of Arms (Autumn 2005).
- Dennis, Mark. Scottish Heraldry: An Invitation Heraldry Society of Scotland, Edinburgh, 1999.
- Fox-Davies, A.C. A Complete Guide to Heraldry. (revised, Brooke-Little, J.P.) Orbis Publishing Limited, London, 1985 (originally published 1909). (of dubious authority and accuracy in matters Scots)
- Friar, Stephen (editor). A Dictionary of Heraldry. Harmony Books, New York, 1987.
- Friar, Stephen and Ferguson, John. Basic Heraldry. The Herbert Press, London, 1993.
- Innes of Learney, Sir Thomas (revisor Innes of Edingight, Malcolm R.). Scots Heraldry. Third edition. Johnston & Bacon, London & Edinburgh, 1978 (originally published 1934).
- Innes-Smith, Robert. An Outline of Heraldry in England and Scotland. Pilgrim Press Ltd., Derby, 1980.
- Nisbet, Alexander A System of Heraldry. T & A Constable, Edinburgh, 1984, first published 1722.
- Slater, Stephen. The Complete Book of Heraldry. Lorenz Books, London, 2002.
- Way of Plean, George and Squire, Romilly. Collins Scottish Clan and Family Encyclopedia. HarperCollins, Glasgow, 1994
Additional bibliography
- Mackenzie of Rosehaugh, G. Scotland's Herauldrie: the Science of Herauldrie treated as a part of the Civil law and Law of Nations. Heir of Andrew Anderson, Edinburgh, 1680
- Moncreiffe of Easter Moncrieffe, Iain (Kintyre Pursuivant) & Pottinger, Don (Herald Painter). Simple Heraldry - Cheerfully Illustrated. Thomas Nelson and Sons, Edinburgh and London, 1953
- Paul, Sir James BalfourJames Balfour PaulSir James Balfour Paul, KCVO was the Lord Lyon King of Arms, the officer responsible for heraldry in Scotland, from 1890 until the end of 1926....
(Lord Lyon King of Arms). An Ordinary of Arms Contained in the Public Register of All Arms and Bearings in Scotland. Edinburgh: W. Green & Sons, 1903 - Reid of Robertland, David and Wilson, Vivien. An Ordinary of Arms, volume 2 [1902-1973], Lyon Office, Edinburgh 1977
- Schweitzer, Leslie A and Hunter of Montlawan, David. Annotated Bibliography of Scottish Heraldic Materials - see at
- Urquhart, R M. Scottish Burgh and County Heraldry Heraldry Today, London, 1973; Scottish Civic Heraldry: Regional - Islands - District Heraldry Today, London, 1979; Scottish Civic Heraldry 2 Scottish Library Association, Hamilton, 2001