On Tuesday 21st of March, the Company were treated to an incredible insight into the history and role of the College of Arms. Our guide was the Somerset Herald Mark Scott MA (Oxford).

In the Earl Marshal Court room, Mark walked us through the fascinating history of heralds, starting from the early medieval times and their use in identifying which knights were jousting in tournaments, to their modern application producing coats of arms for individuals and corporations, and analysing genealogy. He also explained the roles of the nine Officers of Arms and four Pursuivants of Arms through their detailed flags hanging above us, including the three Kings of Arms, who have close relationships with the Royal Family. Some of the retired coats of arms of members of the Order of the Garter were presented to us, including Sir Edmund Hillary, a mountaineer from New Zealand, whose crest fittingly featured a kiwi holding an ice pick.

On arrival into the intricately panelled Waiting Room, we learnt about the history of the building of the College of Arms itself, including the fact that the College of Arms had been on the site at Derby Street since Queen Mary, but had been given its first royal charter under Richard III, and how books had been hurriedly rushed out of the archives during the Great Fire of London to protect its history. Mark told us about how the role of heralds in royal coronations has stayed remarkably similar, sharing a painting of a King Henry VIII’s coronation which looked identical to King Charles III’s coronation. The heralds were stood in the exact same place, wearing their familiar robes, enacting the same roles as their predecessors more than 500 years ago.

We were then taken into the archive room to see examples of heraldry in action. These included 17th century books, where heralds travelled out across the country to record family lineage and crests, and we heard how these expeditions may have taken several years to adequately cover an area. This demonstrated some very detailed lineage records and precise drawings of crests, and conversely some very loosely illustrated. We then travelled through time, and were able to see several very high ranking members of the Royal Family and their crests and signatures, such as the King and the Princess of Wales. This included a book demonstrating minute details of the State Funeral of Queen Elizabeth I, and the outfits the heralds wore. We were also incredibly lucky to see the first example of the Union Flag, beautifully illustrated following the Acts of Union in 1800. Another highlight was being able to see the development of the Company crest in these books, and how each element of the Company was represented in the crest.

Finally, we were treated to a lovely buffet dinner by the Porter and his wife, and we had the opportunity to chat with Mark and find out more about his fascinating role.

It was a fascinating experience, with the ability to see many unique and highly important images. Thank you to Mark for his expert knowledge and enthusiasm, and to Andrew Knights for organising the event.

Mathilde Ellis
Apprentice