KINGS OF ARMS


Garter King of Arms.  The principal English king of arms.  The office was instituted by King Henry V in 1415.  Garter has no province but is first among the English officers of arms and has special duties in connection with the Order of the Garter. 
      1550—1584 Sir Gilbert Dethick
      1584—1586 (Robert Cooke, Clarenceux appointed Acting Garter.)
      1586—1606 Sir William Dethick (son of Gilbert)
      1607—1633 Sir William Segar
      1633—1643 Sir John Borough
      1643—1644 Sir Henry St George (son of Sir Richard, Clarenceux)

Clarenceux King of Arms.  The senior of the two English provincial kings of arms.  His province since 1420 has been the area south of the River Trent. 
      1536—1557 Thomas Hawley
      1557—1567 William Hervy
      1567—1593 Robert Cooke
      1594—1597 Richard Lee or Leigh
      1597—1623 William Camden
      1623—1635 Sir Richard St George
      1635—1646 Sir William Le Neve

Norroy King of Arms.  The junior of the two provincial English kings of arms.  His province since 1464 has been the area north of the River Trent. 
      1550—1557 William Hervy (subsequently Clarenceux)
      1557—1561 Laurence Dalton
      1562—1588 William Flower
      1588—1592 vacancy
      1592—1593 Edmund Knight
      1593—1597 vacancy
      1597—1604 William Segar (subsequently Garter)
      1604—1623 Richard St George (subsequently Clarenceux)
      1623—1633 John Borough (Subsequently Garter)
      1633—1635 William Le Neve (subseqently Clarenceux)
      1635—1643 Sir Henry St George (subsequently Garter)
      1643—1645 Edward Walker (subsequently Garter)

HERALDS OF ARMS


Chester Herald.  Chester is said to have been instituted by Edward III as herald to his son Edward (the Black Prince), Prince of Wales.  Richard II attached the office to the Principality of Chester, which was a perquisite of the then Prince of Wales.  The title was in abeyance for a time under Henry VIII, but since 1525 Chester has been one of the heralds in ordinary to the crown. 
      1540—1561 William Flower
      1562—1566 Robert Cooke
      1566—1574 John Hart
      1574—1592 Edmund Knight
      1592—1603 James Thomas
      1603—1617 William Penson
      1617—1618 Thomas Knight
      1618—1637 Henry Chitting
      1638—1644 Edward Walker
      1644—1660 William Dugdale

Lancaster Herald.  Since the time of Henry VII, Lancaster has been one of the six heralds in ordinary to the crown, though the office existed earlier as part of the household of the dukes of Lancaster. 
      1536—1553 Thomas Milner
      1553—1559 Nicholas Tubman
      1559—1588 John Cocke
      1588—1602 Nicholas Paddy
      1602—1609 Francis Thynne
      1609—1613 Nicholas Charles
      1613—1637 William Penson
      1637—1641 Thomas Thompson
      1641—1658 William Ryley

Richmond Herald.  Originally herald to the incumbents of the Honour of Richmond.  In 1510 Henry VIII made Richmond one of the six heralds in ordinary to the crown. 
      1547—1557 Lawrence Dalton
      1557—1566 Nicholas Narboone
      1566—1585 Hugh Cotgrave
      1585—1597 Richard Lee
      1597—1597 William Camden
      1597—1615 John Raven
      1615—1635 Sir Henry St George
      1635—1660 George Mainwaring

Somerset Herald.  Originally herald to the dukes of Somerset, but a royal officer since 1485, and from 1536 has been one of the heralds in ordinary to the crown. 
      1551—1571 Edmond Atkynson
      1571—1588 Robert Glover
      1589—1597 William Segar
      1597—1624 Robert Treswell
      1624—1645 John Philipot
      1645—1657 William Crowne
      1657—1658 George Owen
      1658—1660 Henry Bysshe

Windsor Herald.  Said to have been instituted by Edward III, Windsor has been one of the six heralds in ordinary to the crown since 1419. 
      1529—1565 Charles Wriothesley
      1565—1583 Richard Turpin
      1583—1597 Nicholas Dethick
      1597—1602 Thomas Lant
      1602—1604 Richard St George
      1617—1624 Samuel Thompson
      1624—1626 Augustine Vincent
      1626—1633 John Bradshaw
      1633—1660 Edward Norgate

York Herald.  York was in existence by 1484, and is one of the six heralds in ordinary to the crown. 
      1538—1553 Bartholomew Butler
      1553—1564 Martin Maroffe
      1564—1567 William Colborne
      1567—1570 Ralph Langman
      1570—1587 William Dethick
      1587—1593 Humphry Hales
      1593—1625 Ralph Brooke
      1625—1633 William Le Neve
      1633—1658 George Owen

PURSUIVANTS


Bluemantle Pursuivant.  One of the four pursuivants in ordinary; said to have been instituted by Henry V for the service of the Order of the Garter, from whose blue mantle the title is almost certainly derived. 
      1550—1557 Nicholas Narboone
      1557—1559 John Hollingworth
      1559—1565 Richard Turpin
      1565—1583 Nicholas Dethick
      1583—1587 Humfrey Hales
      1587—1589 James Thomas
      1589—1597 Robert Treswell
      1597—1611 Mercury Patten
      1611—1616 Henry St George
      1616—1633 Sampson Lennard
      1633—1641 William Ryley
      1641—1646 Robert Browne
      1646—1660 John Watson

Portcullis Pursuivant.  One of the four pursuivants in ordinary, instituted by Henry VII, probably soon after his accession, in allusion to the well known badge inherited from his mother, Lady Margaret Beaufort. 
      1550—1553 Richard Withers
      1553—1559 John Cocke
      1559—1559 Edward Merlin
      1559—1567 Ralph Langman
      1567—1571 Robert Glover
      1571—1585 Richard Lee
      1585—1588 William Segar
      1588—1597 Thomas Lant
      1597—1604 Samuel Thompson
      1604—1625 Philip Holland
      1625—1633 Thomas Preston
      1633—1660 John Wingfield

Rouge Croix Pursuivant.  Rouge Croix or Red Cross took his name from the red cross of St George, badge of the Order of the Garter and sometime national flag of England.  He is said to be the oldest of the four pursuivants in ordinary, but the earliest known mention of the title is in the sixth year of the reign of Henry V, 1419, when Rouge Croix was at Caudebec. 
      1551—1553 Nicholas Tubman
      1553—1566 Henry Cotgrave
      1566—1569 William Dethick
      1569—1580 Thomas Dawes
      1580—1592 Ralph Brooke
      1592—1604 Thomas Knight
      1604—1619 William Wyrley
      1619—1621 John Guillim
      1621—1624 Augustine Vincent
      1624—1626 John Bradshaw
      1626—1637 George Owen
      1637—1640 Robert Browne
      1640—1644 William Dugdale

Rouge Dragon Pursuivant.  Instituted by Henry VII on 29 October 1485, the eve of his coronation, in reference to the royal badge, the "red dragon of Cadwallader".  One of the four pursuivants in ordinary. 
      1539—1553 Martin Maroffe
      1553—1564 William Colbarne
      1564—1574 Edmund Knight
      1574—1588 Nicholas Paddy
      1588—1597 John Raven
      1597—1618 William Smith
      1618—1624 John Philipot
      1624—1638 Thomas Thompson
      1638—1657 William Crowne