A Complete Guide to Heraldry Part 68

_Grand Carver to His Majesty_: Under his arms a knife and fork in saltire proper, the handles azure, seme-de-lis or. {582}

_Grand Provost of the Household_: Under his arms two Roman fasces or, corded azure.

_Grand Quartermaster_: A mace and battle-axe in saltire.

_Captain of the Guards of the Gate_: Two keys in pale, crowned argent, one on each side the arms.

_The President of the Parliament_: On his helmet a black cap with two bands of gold lace.

Under the Empire (of France) the Vice-Connetable used arms holding swords, as had been the case with the Constable of the Kingdom, but the swords were sheathed and seme of golden bees. The Grand Chamberlain had two golden keys in saltire, the bows thereof enclosing the imperial eagle, and the batons of the Marechaux de French were seme of bees instead of fleurs-de-lis.

The Pope bears a cross with three arms, an archbishop one with two arms, a bishop one with a single arm. Besides this, two crossed keys appertain to the Pope, the golden key to bind, in bend dexter, the silver key to loose, in sinister bend. British archbishops and bishops will be presently referred to. Ecclesiastical princes, who were at the same time sovereign territorial princes, bore behind their s.h.i.+eld a pedum or pastorale (crosier), crossed with the sword of penal judicature. A bishop bears the crosier with an outward bend, an abbot with an inward bend, thus symbolising the range of their activity or dominion. The arch and hereditary offices of the old German Empire had also their own attributes; thus the "Erztruchsess," Lord High Steward (Palatinate-Bavaria), bore a golden Imperial globe, which arose from a misinterpretation of the double dish, the original attribute of this dignity. The Lord High Marshal of the Empire (Saxony) expressed his office by a s.h.i.+eld divided "per fess argent and sable," bearing two crossed swords gules. The Hereditary Standard-bearer (Wurtemberg) bore: "Azure, a banner or, charged with an eagle sable"; the Lord High Chamberlain (Brandenburg): "Azure, a sceptre or," while the Hereditary Chamberlain (Hohenzollern) used: "Gules, two crossed sceptres or."

In Italy the Duca de Savelli, as Marshal of the Conclave, hangs on either side of his s.h.i.+eld a key, the cords of which are knotted beneath his coronet.

In Holland Admirals used the naval Crown, and added two anchors in saltire behind the s.h.i.+eld.

In Spain the Admirals of Castile and of the Indies placed an anchor in bend behind the s.h.i.+eld.

The instances I am aware of which have official sanction already in this country are as stated in the list which follows:--

I have purposely (to make the list absolutely complete) included {583} insignia which may possibly be more properly considered ensigns of rank, because it is not particularly easy always to distinguish offices from honours and from rank.

_The Kings of England_ (George I. to William IV.), as Arch Treasurers of the Holy Roman Empire, bore: Upon an inescutcheon gules, in the centre of the arms of Hanover, a representation of the Crown of Charlemagne.

_An Archbishop_ has: (1) His official coat of arms, which he impales (placing it on the dexter side) with his personal arms; (2) his mitre, which, it should be noted, is the same as the mitre of a Bishop, and _not_ having a coronet encircling its band; (3) his archiepiscopal staff (of gold, and with two transverse arms), which is placed in pale behind his escutcheon; (4) two crosiers in saltire behind the escutcheon. It is curious to note that the pallium which occurs in all archiepiscopal coats of arms (save that of York) is now very generally conceded to have been more in the nature of an emblem of the _rank_ of Archbishop (it being a part of his ecclesiastical costume) than a charge in a concrete impersonal coat of arms for a defined area of archiepiscopal jurisdiction. In this connection it is interesting to observe that the Archbishops of York anciently used the pallium in lieu of the official arms now regularly employed.

_A Bishop_ has: (1) His official coat of arms, (2) his mitre, (3) two crosiers in saltire behind his escutcheon.

_The Bishop of Durham_ has: (1) His official coat of arms, (2) his coronetted mitre, _which is peculiar to himself_, and (which is another privilege also peculiar to himself alone) he places a _sword_ and a crosier in saltire behind his arms. Reference should also be made to the chapter upon Ecclesiastical Heraldry.

_A Peer_ has: (1) His coronet, (2) his helmet of rank; (3) his supporters, (4) his robe of estate.

_A Scottish Peer_ has, in addition, the ermine lining to his mantling.

_A Baronet of England_, of Ireland, of Great Britain, or of the United Kingdom has: (1) His helmet of rank, (2) his badge of Ulster upon an inescutcheon or canton (argent, a sinister hand erect, couped at the wrist gules).

_A Baronet of Nova Scotia_ has: (1) His helmet of rank, (2) his badge (an orange tawny ribbon, whereon shall hang pendent in an escutcheon argent, a saltire azure, thereon an inescutcheon of the arms of Scotland, with an imperial crown over the escutcheon, and encircled with this motto, "Fax Mentis Honestae Gloria," pendent below the escutcheon).

_A Knight of the Garter_ has: (1) His Garter to encircle the s.h.i.+eld, (2) his collar and badge, (3) supporters. The Prelate of the Order of {584} the Garter (an office held by the Bishops of Winchester) is ent.i.tled to encircle his arms with the Garter. The Chancellor of the Order of the Garter encircles his arms with the Garter. Formerly the Bishops of Salisbury always held this office, but in 1836 when the county of Berks (which of course includes Windsor, and therefore the chapel of the order) was removed from the Diocese of Salisbury to the Diocese of Oxford, the office of Chancellor pa.s.sed to the Bishops of Oxford. The Dean of Windsor, as Registrar of the Order, displays below his s.h.i.+eld the ribbon and badge of his office.

_A Knight of the Thistle_ has: (1) The ribbon or circlet of the order, (2) his collar and badge, (3) supporters. The Dean of the Chapels Royal in Scotland, as Dean of the Order, used the badge and ribbon of his office.

_A Knight of St. Patrick_ has: (1) The ribbon or circlet of the order, (2) his collar and badge, (3) supporters. The Prelate of the Order of St.

Patrick was as such ent.i.tled to encircle his escutcheon with the ribbon or circlet of that order, from which his official badge depends. The office, of course, came to an end with the disestablishment of the Irish Church. It was held by the Archbishops of Armagh. The Chancellor of the Order of St.

Patrick is as such ent.i.tled to encircle his escutcheon with the ribbon or circlet of that order, from which his official badge depends. This office, formerly held by the Archbishops of Dublin, has since the disestablishment been enjoyed by the Chief Secretaries for Ireland. The Deans of St.

Patrick's were similarly Registrars of the Order, and as such used the badge and ribbon of their office.

_Knights Grand Cross_ or _Knights Grand Commanders_ of the Orders of the Bath, the Star of India, St. Michael and St. George, the Indian Empire, or the Victorian Order, have: (1) The circlets or ribbons of their respective Orders, (2) their collars and badges, (3) their helmets of degree, (4) supporters, if they incline to pay the fees for these to be granted.

_Knights Commanders_ of the aforesaid Orders have: (1) The circlets or ribbons of their respective Orders, (2) their badges pendent below the s.h.i.+eld, (3) their helmets of degree.

_Commanders_ of the Victorian Order have: (1) the circlet of the Order, (2) the badge pendent below the s.h.i.+eld.

_Companions_ of the aforesaid Orders, and Members of the Victorian Order, as also Members of the Distinguished Service Order, the Imperial Service Order, the Order of Merit, the Order of Victoria and Albert, the Order of the Crown of India, and those ent.i.tled to the Victoria Cross, the Albert Medal, the Edward Medal, the Conspicuous Service Cross, the Kaisar-i-Hind Medal, the Royal Red Cross, the {585} Volunteer Officers' Decoration, the Territorial Decoration, and the Decoration of the League of Mercy, are ent.i.tled to suspend their respective decorations below their escutcheons.

The officers of these orders of knighthood are of course ent.i.tled to display their badges of office. The Dean of Westminster is always Dean of the Order of the Bath.

_Knights Grand Cross_ and_ Knights Commanders of the Bath, if of the Military Division_, are also ent.i.tled to place a wreath of laurel round their escutcheons.

_Knights of Justice of the Order of the Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem in England_ are ent.i.tled to place upon their escutcheons a chief of the arms of the Order (gules, a cross throughout argent, embellished in the angles with a lion guardant and a unicorn, both pa.s.sant or).

_Knights of Grace and other Members of the Order_ suspend whatever badge they are ent.i.tled to wear below their s.h.i.+eld from a black watered-silk ribbon.

[Some members of the Order display their arms upon the Cross of the Order, as was done by Knights of the original Order, from which the present Order is copied, but how far the practice is sanctioned by the Royal Charter, or in what manner it is controlled by the rules of the Order, I am not aware.]

_The Lord High Constable of England_ is ent.i.tled to place behind his escutcheon two batons in saltire similar to the one which is delivered to him for use at the Coronation, which is now the only occasion when the office is enjoyed. As the office is only held temporarily, the existing privilege does not amount to much.

_The Lord High Constable of Scotland_ is ent.i.tled to place behind his escutcheon, in saltire, two silver batons tipped with gold at either end.

The arms of the Earl of Errol (Hereditary Lord High Constable of Scotland) have only once, at an early period, been matriculated in Lyon Register, and then without any official insignia, but there can be no doubt of the right to the crossed batons.

_The Lord High Chamberlain of Scotland_ (I am not sure this office still exists): Two golden keys in saltire behind the escutcheon.

_The Earl Marshal and Hereditary Marshal of England_ places two batons of gold tipped with sable in saltire behind his arms.

[_A Deputy Earl Marshal_ places one similar baton in bend behind his s.h.i.+eld.]

_The Earl Marischal of Scotland_ (until the office was extinguished by attainder) placed saltirewise behind his s.h.i.+eld two batons gules, seme of thistles, each ensigned on the top with an Imperial Crown or.

_The Hereditary Marshal of Ireland_ (an office for long past in abeyance) used two batons in saltire behind his arms. According to {586} MS. Harl.

6589, f. 39: "Les armes des office du Mareschall d'Ireland sont de Goulz et cinque fucelles bendes d'Argent." These certainly do not appear to be the personal arms of those who held the office, but there is other record that some such coat was used.

_The Hereditary Lord Great Seneschal of Ireland_ (the Earl of Shrewsbury) places a white wand in pale behind his escutcheon.

_The Duke of Argyll_ places in saltire behind his arms: (1) In bend dexter, a baton gules, seme of thistles or, ensigned with an Imperial Crown proper, thereon the crest of Scotland (as Hereditary Great Master of the Household in Scotland); (2) in bend sinister, a sword proper, hilt and pommel or (as Hereditary Justice-General of Scotland) (_vide_ Plate III.).

_The Master-General of the Ordnance_ (by warrant of King Charles II.), bears on each side of his arms a field-piece.

_The Lord Justice-Clerk of Scotland_ places two swords in saltire behind his s.h.i.+eld.

_The Lord Chief-Justice of England_ encircles his arms with his Collar of SS.

_The Walker Trustees_ place behind their s.h.i.+eld two batons in saltire, each ensigned with a unicorn salient supporting a s.h.i.+eld argent, the unicorn horned or, and gorged with an antique crown, to which is affixed a chain pa.s.sing between the fore-legs and reflexed over the back of the last, for the office of Heritable Usher of the White Rod of Scotland, now vested in the said Trustees. Before the recent Court of Claims the claim was made to exercise the office by deputy, and such claim was allowed.

_The Master of the Revels in Scotland_ has an official coat of arms: Argent, a lady rising out of a cloud in the nombril point, richly apparelled, on her head a garland of ivy, holding in her right hand a poignard crowned, in her left a vizard all proper, standing under a veil or canopy azure garnished or, in base a thistle vert.

_Serjeants-at-Arms_ encircle their arms with their Collars of SS.

_Garter King of Arms_ has: (1) His official coat of arms (argent, a gules, on a chief azure, a ducal coronet encircled with a Garter, between a lion pa.s.sant guardant on the dexter, and a fleur-de-lis on the sinister, all or); (2) his crown; (3) his Collar of SS (the collar of a King of Arms differs from that of a Herald, inasmuch as it is of _silver-gilt_, and on each shoulder a portcullis is inserted); (4) his badge as Garter pendent below his s.h.i.+eld. His sceptre of silver-gilt has been sometimes placed in bend behind his escutcheon, but this has not been regularly done. The practice has, however, been reverted to by the present Garter.