A Complete Guide to HeraldryFox-Davies, Arthur Charles
History
A Complete Guide to Heraldry
Fox-Davies, Arthur Charles
Heraldry -- Great Britain
The initial letter on page 1 is a portrait of John Smert, Garter King of
Arms, and is taken from the grant of arms to the Tallow Chandlers' Company,
dated 24th September 1456. He is there represented as wearing beneath his
tabard black breeches and coat, and a golden crown. But Fig. 15 is actually
a representation of the first Garter King of Arms, William Bruges,
appointed 5th January 1420. He is represented as carrying a white staff, a
practice which has been recently revived, white wands being carried by all
the heralds at the public funeral of the Right Hon. W. E. Gladstone. In
Germany the wands of the heralds were later painted with the colours of the
escutcheons of the Sovereign to whom they were attached. There was until
recently no official hat for an officer of arms in England, and
confirmation of this is to be found in the fact that Dallaway mentions a
special licence to Wriothesley Garter giving him permission to wear a cap
on account of his great age. Obviously, however, a tabard requires other
clothing to be worn with it. The heralds in Scotland, until quite recently,
when making public proclamations were content to appear in the ordinary
elastic-side boots and cloth trousers of everyday life. This gave way for a
brief period, in which Court dress was worn below the tabard, but now, as
in England, the recognised uniform of a member of the Royal Household is
worn. In England, owing to the less frequent ceremonial appearances of the
heralds, and the more scrupulous control {42} which has been exercised, no
such anachronisms as were perpetuated in Scotland have been tolerated, and
it has been customary for the officers of arms to wear their uniform as
members of the Sovereign's Household (in which uniform they attend the
levees) beneath the tabard when making proclamations at the opening of
Parliament or on similar occasions. At a coronation and at some other full
State ceremonies they wear knee-breeches. At the late ceremony of the
coronation of King Edward VII., a head-dress was designed for the officers
of arms. These caps are of black velvet embroidered at the {43} side with a
rose, a thistle, or a harp, respectively for the English, Scottish, and
Irish officers of arms.
[Illustration: FIG. 16.--A Herald. (_Temp._ Hen. VIII.)]
[Illustration: FIG. 17.--A State Trumpeter. (_Temp._ Hen. VIII.)]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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