College of Arms

College of Arms

On the north side of Queen Victoria Street at No. 135 in Castle Baynard's Ward, west of St. Peter's Hill (P.O. Directory).

First mention: "Colledge of the Harroldes," 1587 (Lond. I. p.m. III. 108).

Other names: "Heralds' Office," 1670 (L. and P. Chas. II. 1669–70 p. 566). "Heralds' College," (Lockie, 1810). "College of Heralds" (Elmes, 1831). Given to the Heralds, 1555, by Queen Mary (S. 370).

Formerly called "Darby House" (q.v.) and "Garter House" (Strype, ed. 1720, I. iii. 225).

Burnt in the Fire and to be rebuilt. Records preserved (L. and P. Chas. II. 1669–70, p. 566).

Restored, 1877.

Roman wall found near the back entrance, 3 ft. 8 in. thick at the base, being rubble to the height of 3 ft. from the footing, which stood in the gravel and sand of the bed of the Thames, then courses of Roman bricks 3 ft. 10 in. high, then 2 ft. 2 in. of rubble. The top was 5 ft. 10 in. below the surface (Arch. XL. 48). A further portion was discovered on the northern side of the way in Great Knightrider Street. From here the wall tended to the exact line of the front wall of the parish church, a little to the east (ib. 49).

Heralds College or Office, is situate on the E. side of St. Bennet's Hill against Doctors Commons. This was formerly called Derby House, being about the Year 1470 built by — Stanley Earl of Derby, who married the Mother of Hen. the 7th. And in July 1555, Queen Mary gave this House with the Appurtenances to the 3 Kings at Arms, the Heralds and Pursuivants and their Successors, that they might confer together for the good Government of their Faculty, and for the more safe Custody of the Records, to which use it has been apply'd ever since. It is a spacious Building with a square Court in the middle; on the N. side whereof is the Court-Room where the Earl Mareschal sits to hear Causes lying in the Court of Honour, as all Differences about Arms, Atchievements, Titles of Honour, &c. all Patents for Arches coming out of this Office and are there Recorded. The Principal officer is the Earl Mareschal, who is the 8th great Officer of the Crown, an Office of great Antiquity, the first whereof was Tho. Moubray Earl of Nottingham, created E. Mareschal about the Year 1380, whose Posterity by the Mother's side have enjoy'd it ever since.

The present Earl Mareschal is Thomas Duke of Norfolk, Hereditary Earl Mareschal.

Henry Earl of Bindon, his Deputy.

The 3 Kings at Arms are,

Sir Henry St. George, Kt. Garter, principal King of Arms. John Vanbrug, Esq; Clarencieux. Peter Le Neve, Esq; Norry.

The first King at Arms was instituted by Henry the 5th. His Business is to attend at the Installment of Knights of the Garter, to carry the Garter to Foreign Princes, Mareschal the Solemnities of Coronations, Funerals, &c. of the Nobility.

Clarencieux, so called from the Duke of Clarence, by whose means this Office was first instituted. His business is to Mareschal Solemnities of Funerals, &c. of those under Peers Sd from the River Trent, as

Norry doth the like Nd of the Trent.

They were made a Corporation by a Charter of Richard the 3d, and their Privileges enlarged by Edward the 6th. …

The Building is neat and spacious fronting the Gate, and on the N. side 'tis adorned with Pilasters, Entablature and Pitched Pediments of the Ionick Order. The Court-Room is beautiful, embellished with the Pictures of King Cha. 2 late Duke of Norfolk and his Father; that of the Duke of Buckingham, who was killed by Felton, &c. in their proper Habits. Here is also a neat Ornamental Library, to which Ralph Sheldon, Esq; in 1684 contributed some and others more. A search here is 2 s. 6 d.

The College of Heralds.

This College, or Corporation, consists of a certain Number of Persons skilled in Coat Armour. This Business being for the granting of Arms to Persons of Wealth and Merit; for the Registring of Descents and Pedigrees at their Visitations or otherwise; for the regulating of Abuses in such as bear Arms, not belonging unto them, but perhaps to others. And they are made use of in publick Affairs of State for the proclaiming of Peace or War. They are to attend at Feasts of Kings or Princes, at Cavalcades, Coronations, Funerals, &c. of Kings, Queens, and Persons of Quality. And at these Times they are to be in their Heralds Coats. And generally what concerns Honour is their Care and Study.

This College is seated near Doctors Commons, betwixt St. Benet's Hill and St. Peter's Hill; and was the ancient House of Thomas Stanley, an Earl of Derby: given to their Society by Queen Mary; to the end they might reside together, for the better consulting the Affairs of the Office, and for the keeping their Books of Arms, Descents, &c. in an Office together. Since the Fire of London, Anno 1666, which consumed the whole House, it is fairly and conveniently rebuilt, with a large Room for keeping the Court of Honour; together with a Library, and Houses and Apartments for the Kings, Heralds and Pursuivants.

By their Charter, first granted them by King Richard III. and after by succeeding Kings, they have several Privileges allowed them, and are freed from all Tolls, Subsidies, and Offices of Trouble in the Kingdom. …

Heralds Office, or the College of Arms, is situated upon St. Bennet's hill, near Doctors Commons, at the south west end of St. Paul's cathedral. This office was destroyed by the dreadful conflagration in 1666, and rebuilt about three years after. It is a square, inclosed by regular brick buildings, which are extremely neat without expensive decorations. The floors are raised above the level of the ground, and there is an ascent to them by flights of plain steps. The principal front is in the lower story ornamented with rustic, upon which are placed four Ionic pilasters, that support an angular pediment. The sides which are conformable to this have arched pediments, that are also supported by Ionic pilasters. On the inside is a large room for keeping the court of honour; a library; with houses and apartments for the King's Heralds and Pursuivants. …

All these officers have apartments in the college, annexed to their respective offices. They have likewise a public hall, in which is a court for the Earl Marshal, where courts of chivalry are occasionally held, and the officers of arms attend in their tabarts, his Lordship being present. Their public library contains a large and valuable collection of original records of the pedigrees and arms of families, funeral certificates of the nobility and gentry, public ceremonials, and other branches of heraldry and antiquities; and there have been few works published, relating to the history and antiquities of this kingdom, in which the authors have not received some assistance from this library, where attendance is daily given by two officers for the public emolument. Instructions communicated by Stephen Martin Leake, Esq; Garter King of Arms, to Mr. Maitland.

Heralds-College, Doctors-Commons,—at 15, Bennet's hill, sixteen doors on the L. from 15, St. Paul's-church-yard, along Paul's chain, it extends to St. Peter's hill.

Heralds, the College of, is situated on the east side of Bennet's-hill, Doctors' Commons. The ancient building was destroyed by the great fire in 1666, and rebuilt, partly at the charge of the College, and partly by subscriptions, except the north-west corner, which was erected at the sole charge of Sir William Dugdale. The entire building was finished in November, 1683, and has been occupied by the members of the College ever since.

This corporation was founded in 1340, and consists of fifteen members, under the control of the Duke of Norfolk, Hereditary Earl Marshal of England, and President of the College. These members are three kings at arms, six heralds, four pursuivants and two heralds extraordinary, and their meetings are termed chapters.

The kings are Garter, Clarencieux and Norroy; and though their offices and titles are of great antiquity, little mention is made of them before the time of Edward III., when heraldry was in high esteem, and the king added many titles and offices, and instituted the noble order of the Garter. Henry V. instituted the office of Garter King at Arms; and at a chapter of the kings and heralds held during the siege of Rouen, in Normandy, on the 5th of January, 1420, they formed themselves into a regular society, with a common seal, and appointed Garter their chief. Richard II. gave them their first charter of incorporation, and assigned them a proper official residence. This charter was confirmed by Edward VI. and Queen Mary, who gave the mansion formerly belonging to the Earls of Derby, which was the building destroyed by the fire of London.

The present officers under the Earl Marshal, are the three kings at arms, namely; Sir George Nayler, Knt., Garter, who is sovereign, within the office of arms, over all the other officers, subject to the crown of England; Ralph Bigland, Esq., Clarencieux; and Edmund Lodge, Esq., F.S.A., Norroy. These two officers are called Provincial Kings, and have the whole kingdom of England divided between them. The province of Clarencieux comprises all from the river Trent southward, and that of Norroy all from the Duke of Clarence, the third son of Edward III., and Nor-roy is North King, from the situation of his province. …

All these officers have apartments in the College annexed to their respective offices. They have also a public hall, in which is a court for the Earl Marshal, where courts of chivalry are occasionally held, and the officers of arms attend in their tabards, his Grace being present. Their public library contains a large and valuable collection of original records of the pedigrees and arms of families, funeral certificates of the nobility and gentry, public ceremonials and other branches of heraldry and antiquities.

Heralds' College, or Gollege of Arms, Doctors' Gommons. The formation of the street from the Mansion House has brought the front of the college to face Queen Victoria Street. The building, erected in place of that destroyed in the Great Fire, of red brick with stone quoins and dressings, is a good specimen of the civic architecture of the end of the 17th century. It was thoroughly restored in 1877, when the new street was formed. The principal room, the Great Hall, is on the left on entering. The apartments of Garter King at Arms, at the north-east corner, were built at the expense of Sir William Dugdale, Garter in the reign of Charles II.

And next adjoining is Derby House, sometime belonging to the Stanleys, for Thomas Stanley, first Earl of Derby of that name, who married the Lady Margaret, Countess of Richmond, mother to Henry VII., in his time built it. Queen Mary gave it [July 18th, 1555] to Gilbert Dethike, then Garter principal King of Arms of Englishmen ... and the other heralds and pursuivants at arms, and to their successors ... to the end that the said King of Arms, heralds, and pursuivants of arms and their successors, might at their liking dwell together, and at meet times to congregate, speak, confer, and agree among themselves for the good government of their faculty, and their records might be more safely kept.—Stow, p. 137.

Two escutcheons, one bearing the arms (and legs) of the Isle of Man, and the other the eagle's claw, ensigns of the House of Stanley, on the south side of the quadrangle, denote the site of old Derby House. Here is the Earl Marshal's office, once an important court, but now of little consequence. It was sometime called the Court of Honour, and took cognisance of words supposed to reflect upon the nobility. Sir Richard Granville was fined in it for having said that the Earl of Suffolk was a base lord; and Sir George Markham, in the sum of £10,000, for saying after he had horsewhipped the huntsman of Lord Darcy, that if his master justified his insolence he would serve him in the same manner. The appointment of heralds is in the gift of the Duke of Norfolk, as hereditary Earl Marshal.

Observe.—Sword, dagger, and turquoise ring, belonging to James IV. of Scotland, who fell at Flodden field.

They produce a hetter evidence of James's death than the iron-helt—the monarch's sword and dagger, which are still preserved in the Heralds' College in London.—Sir Walter Scott (note to Marmion).

Portrait of Talbot, Earl of Shrewsbury (the great warrior), from his tomb in old St. Paul's. Roll of the tournament holden at Westminster in honour of Queen Katherine, upon the birth of Prince Henry (1510), a most curious roll, engraved in the Monumenta Vetusta, vol. i. The Rous or Warwick roll: a series of figures of all the Earls of Warwick, from the Conquest to the reign of Richard III., executed by Rous, the antiquary of Warwick, at the close of the 15th century. Pedigree of the Saxon kings, from Adam, illustrated with many beautiful drawings in pen and ink (temp. Henry VIII.) of the Creation, Adam and Eve in Paradise, the Building of Babel, Rebuilding of the Temple, etc. MSS., consisting chiefly of Heralds' visitations; records of grants of arms and royal licenses; records of modern pedigrees (i.e. since the discontinuance of the visitations in 1687); a valuable collection of official funeral certificates; a portion of the Arundel MSS.; the Shrewsbury or Cecil papers, from which Lodge derived his Illustrations of British History; notes, etc. made by Glover, Vincent, Philipott, and Dugdale; a volume in the handwriting of the venerable Camden (Clarenceux); the collections of Sir Edward Walker, Secretary at War (temp. Charles I.)

The college consists of three kings—Garter, Clarenceux, and Norroy; of six heralds—Lancaster, Somerset, Richmond, Windsor, York, and Chester; and of four pursuivants—Rouge Croix, Bluemantle, Portcullis, and Rouge Dragon. The several appointments are in the gift of the Duke of Norfolk, as hereditary Earl Marshal

Celebrated Officers of the College.—William Camden, Clarenceux; Sir Waiiam Dugdale, Garter; Elias Ashmole, founder of the Ashmolean Museum at Oxford, Windsor Herald; Francis Sandford, author of the Genealogical History of England, Lancaster Herald; John Anstis, Garter; Sir John Vanbrugh, the poet, Clarenceux; Francis Grose, author of Grose's Antiquities, Richmond Herald; William 01dys, Norroy King at Arms, who died 1761 at his apartments in Heralds' College, and was buried in the neighbouring church of St. Benet's; Edmund Lodge (Lodge's Portraits, Clarenceux.