Sir Charles Dunbar Hope-Dunbar Bart.

One hundred years ago today, arms were granted to Sir Charles Dunbar Hope-Dunbar, 6th Baronet, of St Mary's Isle who had successfully petitioned for a Nova Scotian baronetcy which had been dormant since 1686.

Snawdoun's Flag

Snawdoun's flag now flutters above Duchray and tells the world that she may be retired from a long and distinguished tenure as Lyon Clerk and Keeper of the Records but is very much open for heraldic consulation.

Visit to Lyon Office

The Lord Lyon welcomed Andy McLane and Ron Collins from the USA to the Lyon Office.  They presented books on the McLanes of New Hampshire.  Mr McLane has been granted Arms based on his Scottish ancestor, John McLane.

John McLane (1852-1911), was 50th Governor of New Hampshire (1905-1907). Born in Lennoxtown, his family emigrated to the United States when he was a baby. He trained as a cabinet-maker, eventually becoming one of the largest suppliers of post-office furniture in the country.

Order of the Thistle

Her Majesty the Queen, accompanied by HRH The Earl of Strathearn and HRH the Princess Royal, invested the Duke of Buccleuch and Sir Ian Wood as Knights of the Thistle. The Secretary to the Thistle, Elizabeth Roads LVO, the Lord Lyon and all the Officers of Arms were in attendance.

Scottish National War Memorial

HRH The Earl of Strathearn, was attended by The Lord Lyon, as well as Dingwall and Unicorn Pusuivants at the Annual Ceremony of Commemoration at the Scottish National war Memorial at Edinburgh Castle. After the service, HRH spoke to many of the bereaved families who had lost loved ones in the Armed Forces.

Lyon takes the Salute

The salute was taken by the Lord Lyon at the Edinburgh Garrison Beating of the Retreat on the 5th July within the Castle. The Band of Her Majesty's Royal Marines Scotland performed under the direction of Captain MG Weites RM.

Lord Lyon Honoured

The Lord Lyon, Dr Joseph Morrow QC, as President of the Mental Health Tribunal, was invested at the Palace of Holyroodhouse today as a Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire by Her Majesty the Queen for services to Mental Health Law in Scotland.

 

Also honoured today by Her Majesty the Queen at the Palace of Holyroodhouse was Very Reverend Iain Torrance, TD DD FRSE, pro-Chancellor University of Aberdeen, who was created Knight Bachelor for services to Higher Education and Theology. He is also Dean of the Chapel Royal and Dean of the Thistle.

 

Both these wonderful paintings incidentally are the work of the Herald Painter, Yvonne Holton, Dingwall Pursuivant.

Events today at the Panthéon

Paris is en fête today for the reburial of Simone Veil in the Panthéon. It is good to remind ourselves that there is a Scot in the Panthéon - Charles, Cardinal Erskine, whose family provided three Lord Lyons. The Erskine of Cambo arms are the very first in Volume 1.

Lyon Clerk's Retirement Presentation

The Lord Lyon today chaired a very pleasant and affectionate presentation to Mrs Elizabeth Roads LVO to mark her retirement next week as the longest-serving Lyon Clerk in the history of the Office. 
She has worked for 43 years in the Lyon Office, 32 of them as Lyon Clerk. After a speech from Lyon, he invited two former Lyons, Robin Blair and Sir Malcolm Innes of Edingight, to speak and make presentations.

The principal gift from the Officers of Arms was three beautiful pieces of silver heraldic jewellery designed by the Court artists. Yvonne Holton designed an armorial pendant with an elephant, Clare McCrory designed an initial brooch and Maggie Spaulding designed a bracelet with a dachshund running round the surface.

Mrs Roads will, of course, continue to be an Officer of Arms and Secretary to the Order of the Thistle but we wish her a long and happy retirement from the Lyon Office.

New Lyon Clerk appointed

Her Majesty the Queen has appointed Mr Russell Hunter to be Lyon Clerk and Keeper of the Records. He was admitted as a solicitor in 1997 and has degrees in history and law from the Universities of Glasgow and Edinburgh, respectively. He will take up office during July.

Lyon-Clerk honoured at SMASO lunch

The Society of Messengers-at-Arms and Sheriff Officers held a luncheon in the New Club on 18th June at which Mr. and Mrs. Roads were guests of honour. The Society wished to express its warm appreciation of its constant association – since 1986 – with Elizabeth Roads, as Lyon Clerk. One of Lyon Clerk’s statutory functions is to maintain the roll of messengers-at-arms. Lyon and the Society’s honorary members – including Robin Blair – lunched with the Society’s current officers.

The first photo shows Alex Irvine, President of SMASO with Christopher and Elizabeth after the President presented armorial cufflinks to Christopher and a special memento of the Office of Lyon Clerk to Elizabeth: a silver blazon or messenger’s badge, struck from the heavy die which has served, time out of mind, as the door stop to Lyon Clerk’s room in Lyon Office. The blazon or badge is a modern striking from the die which displays the version of the royal arms used between 1814 and 1837.

Death of the 18th Earl of Eglinton

We note with sadness the death yesterday of the 18th Earl of Eglinton, 6th Earl of Winton and Chief of Clan Montgomery.

The Earl's coat of arms, first recorded in 1797 and then re-recorded in 1904 by which time the Earldom of Winton in the Peerage of the United Kingdom (1859) had been added, is one of the most elaborate in the Register:

The blazon for the shield is given as:
Quarterly, first and fourth grand quarters counter-quartered, first and fourth, Azure three fleurs-de-lys (for Montgomerie), second and third Gules three annulets Or, stoned Azure (for Eglinton), all within a bordure Or charged with a double tressure flory counter flory Gules; second and third grand quarters counter-quartered, first and fourth, Or, three crescents within a double tressure flory counter flory Gules, for Seton, second and third, Azure, three garbs Or, for Buchan, over all an escutcheon parted per pale Gules and Azure, the dexter charged with a sword in pale proper pommelled and hilted Or supporting an imperial crown, the the sinister charged with a star of twelve points  Argent, all within a double tressure flory counter flory, Gold (sic).

Royal Highland Show

The Royal Highland Show, flagship of the Royal Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland, opens next week. The Society was founded in 1784 and included Sir Walter Scott in its membership.