World Theatre Day

  March 27th is World Theatre Day, when the power of drama and the acting profession is celebrated. Here again are the arms of Scotland's most famous actor, Sir Sean Connery,  granted shortly before his death and painted by Yvonne Holton, Islay Herald.

 

International Day of Epilepsy

 Today is International Day for Epilepsy when we will see the symbol of the gentle butterfly in the Scottish Parliament. Heraldry is a celebration of the power of symbols to raise awareness and the chosen symbol for the day is a purple butterfly.

Not purple but still carrying a strong medical message. The crest of Castle Craig Clinic: a Scottish Argus butterfly (Erebia aethiops) head upwards and wings expanded Proper, each wing charged with a rod of Aesculapius in pale, the rod Gules and the serpent Vert. Volume 75 folio 80

One hundred years ago today

 One hundred years ago today, the Incorporation of Gardeners in Glasgow matriculated its coat of arms.

Argent on a mount in base, the Tree of Paradise, environed with a serpent, between Adam and Eve all proper, on a chief Azure a spade and rake in saltire between in the dexter the sun in his splendour and in the sinister the moon in her increment all proper.

Grant: March 25th 1924 volume 26 folio 29 

One hundred years ago today .....

 

Incorporation of Wrights in Glasgow

Parted per fess dovetailed Gules and Or, in chief an ancient Scots nail hammer and axe in saltire, surmounted of a wright's chisel edge downwards paleways, and in base the half length figure of Saint Kentigern affronté vested and mitred, his right raised in the act of benediction and having in his left hand a crozier all proper.

Grant: March 17th 1924 volume 26 folio 27

International Women's Day 2024

  The Lyon Office's contribution to this year's International Women's Day is two fine paintings from the Register:

The arms of Florence Douglas or Hooper, 1933.

Quarterly: first and fourth Argent a man's heart Gules crowned with an antique crown Or, on a chief azure three mullets of the First (for Douglas); second and third Azure a bend betwixt six cross-crosslets fitchée Or (for Mar); in the fess point a crescent chequy all within a bordure compony invected Gules and Argent charged alternately with crescents and mullets counterchanged.

And

Arms of Stella Grant-Duff-Ainslie or Ruthven-Stuart 1928:

Quarterly first and fourth Gules a lotus flower slipped between three antique crowns Or (for Grant); second, Or a cross flory Sable, on a chief Vert and Aesculapian rod between two lotus flowers slipped Or (for Ainslie); third, Vert on a fess dancetté Ermine between a buck's head cabossed in chief and two escallops in base, a cross flory between two boars' heads erased Or armed and langued Gules (for Duff); all within a bordure invected Azure.

Charles Burnett RIP

  We hear with great sadness of the death of Charles Burnett, an Officer of Arms for over forty years, most recently as Ross Herald. A man of enormous erudition, Charles was a great apostle of heraldry. We send our deepest condolences to his family. May his dear soul rest in peace.

Charles Burnett

Dingwall Pursuivant 1983

Ross Herald 1988

Ross Herald Extraordinary 2011-2015 

Lyon Office Seal Collection

 Dr David M. Bertie FHSS was presented with a hand embosser of his arms by Lord Lyon today in grateful thanks for his endeavours in cataloguing the Lyon Office seal collection over the past 4 years.

Some 12,000 seals (including some interesting subsidiary finds) have been identified, categorised and indexed to make them accessible to all visitors along with a retrieval system to ensure their continuing integrity.

Coronation Medal for Ailsa

  On the 9th February the Lord Lyon visited Clydeview Academy, Gourock to present the Head Girl, Ailsa Russell, with her Coronation Medal for the part she played in the Royal Honours of Scotland Service last July.

Arms of Clydeview Academy showing the Cloch Lighthouse.

The Hon. Adam Bruce Marchmont Herald, Lochlan Sweaton Head Boy of Balwearie High School, Ailsa Russell Head Girl of Clydeview Academy, The Duke of Hamilton and Brandon bearing the Crown of Scotland, Lord Bruce.

Coronation Medal for Lochlan

 On the 22nd February at Edinburgh Napier University the Lord Lyon presented Lochlan Sweaton with the Coronation Medal for his part in escorting the Scottish Crown at the Royal Honours Service. Prof Nolan the Principal and Lochlan's parents were in attendance.

Arms of Napier University

The Hon. Adam Bruce Marchmont Herald, Lochlan Sweaton Head Boy of Balwearie High School, Ailsa Russell Head Girl of Clydeview Academy, The Duke of Hamilton and Brandon bearing the Crown of Scotland, Lord Bruce.

Welcome donation to the Lyon Office.

  The superb heraldic artist, Andrew Jamieson, was commissioned by the St Andrews Fund for Scottish Heraldry in 2006 to paint, on vellum, the ancient Royal Arms of Scotland, to be shown at the 27th International Congress of Genealogical and Heraldic Sciences at St Andrews in that year. 

Andy has now presented the painting to the Lyon Office where it will soon hang on the wall, a glorious art-work

New Matriculation of Arms

  The Lord Lyon has matriculated the arms for use in Scotland of Christopher Desmond WIlliam McCorkell. The arms were first granted by the College of Arms. The artist was Yvonne Holton, Islay Herald.

As always, personal details are hidden.

One hundred years ago today....

                                Incorporation of Gardeners in Glasgow

Argent on a mount in base, the Tree of Paradise, environed with a serpent, between Adam and Eve all proper, on a chief Azure a spade and rake in saltire between in the dexter the sun in his splendour and in the sinister the moon in her increment all proper.

Grant: March 25th 1924 volume 26 folio 29 

One hundred years ago today .....

 

Incorporation of Fleshers in Glasgow

Azure two pole axes in saltire between three bulls' heads and necks cabossed Argent, on a chief of the last a boar's head couped Gules.

Grant: February 25th 1924 volume 26 folio 26