Heraldic tradition | Gallo-British |
---|---|
Jurisdiction | Scotland |
Governing body | Court of the Lord Lyon |
Albany Herald of Arms is a Scottish herald of arms of the Court of the Lord Lyon.
The office was first mentioned in a diplomatic mission from Scotland to England in 1401. The office was probably instituted on the creation of Robert Stewart, son of King Robert II, as Duke of Albany, on 28 April 1398. Albany is an old name for the part of Scotland north of the River Forth, and is cognate with "Alba", the Scottish Gaelic for Scotland.
The badge of office is A saltire Argent enfiled of a coronet of four fleurs-de-lys (one and two halves visible) Or ensigned of the Crown of Scotland Proper. [1]
The office is currently held by Sir Crispin Agnew of Lochnaw.
Arms | Name | Date of appointment | Ref [2] |
---|---|---|---|
William Bailly | 1452 | ||
William Brown of Balmangan | 1516 | ||
William Brown | 1546 | ||
John Balfour | 1558 | ||
Alexander Oliphant | 1565 | ||
Thomas Oliphant | 1604 | ||
George Kirkwood | 1610 | ||
Robert Winram | 1613 | ||
Gideon Weir | 1637 | ||
James Lockhart | 1661 | ||
George Ogilvie | 1677 | ||
James Barr | 1694 | ||
Robert Leslie | 1723 | ||
Sir John Erskine of Cambo, Baronet | 1726 | ||
Humphrey Harrison | 1754 | ||
John Man | 1766 | ||
John Douglas | 1768 | ||
James Mitchell | 1795 | ||
John Young | 1827 | ||
David Littlejohn | 1837 | ||
James Sinclair | 1859 | ||
Vacant | 1878–83 | ||
John Spence | 1883 | ||
Robert Spence Livingstone | 1885 | ||
William Rae Macdonald | 1909 | ||
Sir George Sitwell Campbell-Swinton | 1923–1926 | ||
Sir Thomas Wolseley Haig | 1927–1935 | ||
Thomas Innes of Learney | 1935–1945 | ||
Sir Francis James Grant | 1945–1953 | ||
Major Charles Ian Fraser of Reelig | 1953–1961 | [3] | |
Sir Iain Moncreiffe of that Ilk, Baronet | 1961–1985 | [4] | |
John Alexander Spens | 1985–2011 | [5] | |
Vacant | 2011–2021 | ||
Sir Crispin Agnew of Lochnaw, Bt., LVO | 2021–Present (in Extraordinary) | [6] [7] | |
The Right Honourable the Lord Lyon King of Arms, the head of Lyon Court, is the most junior of the Great Officers of State in Scotland and is the Scottish official with responsibility for regulating heraldry in that country, issuing new grants of arms, and serving as the judge of the Court of the Lord Lyon, the oldest heraldic court in the world that is still in daily operation.
Sir Thomas Innes of Learney (1893–1971) was Lord Lyon from 1945 to 1969, after having been Carrick Pursuivant and Albany Herald in the 1920s and 1930s. He was a very active Lord Lyon, strongly promoting his views of what his office was through his writings and pronouncements in his Court. In 1950, he convinced the Scots Law Times to start publishing the decisions made in Lyon Court. By ruling on uncontested petitions, he was able to expound many of his theories in court but not under review of his superior court, and get them published in the judicial record. His treatise, Scots Heraldry, was first published in 1934 when he was Carrick Pursuivant; then a second, enlarged edition came out in 1956, and it has practically eclipsed earlier works on the subject. Following his retirement as Lord Lyon in 1969, he was appointed Marchmont Herald, and continued as Secretary of the Order of the Thistle until 1971.
Carrick Pursuivant of Arms is a Scottish pursuivant of arms of the Court of the Lord Lyon.
Rothesay Herald of Arms in Ordinary is a current Scottish herald of arms in Ordinary of the Court of the Lord Lyon.
Unicorn Pursuivant of Arms in Ordinary is a current Scottish pursuivant of arms in Ordinary of the Court of the Lord Lyon.
Ross Herald of Arms Extraordinary is a Scottish herald of arms Extraordinary of the Court of the Lord Lyon. The office is however held in Extraordinary after the retirement of the last holder in Ordinary.
Bute Pursuivant of Arms was a Scottish pursuivant of arms of the Court of the Lord Lyon.
Lyon Clerk and Keeper of the Records is a legal and heraldic office in Scotland. The holder of this office is appointed by the Crown, and like the Lord Lyon King of Arms receives an annual salary. Lyon Clerk's duties include heraldic research, the preparation of papers, lectures and conducting and assisting with the preliminary business of application for a grant or matriculation of armorial bearings. This includes scrutiny of documents supporting the application. As Keeper of the Records the duties include maintaining the records of the Court of the Lord Lyon, overseeing the preparation of documents, allowing inspection of the Public Register of All Arms and Bearings in Scotland and other records, and issuing certified extracts when required. Until 1867 there was a Lyon Clerk Depute, and in 1986 Elizabeth Ann Roads became the first woman appointed to the office of Lyon Clerk and Keeper of the Records.
Dingwall Pursuivant of Arms is a current Scottish pursuivant of arms of the Court of the Lord Lyon.
Kintyre Pursuivant of Arms was a Scottish pursuivant of arms of the Court of the Lord Lyon.
Ormond Pursuivant of Arms in Ordinary is a current Scottish pursuivant of arms in Ordinary of the Court of the Lord Lyon.
Linlithgow Pursuivant of Arms is a Scottish pursuivant of arms of the Court of the Lord Lyon.
Snawdoun Herald of Arms in Ordinary is a current Scottish herald of arms in Ordinary of the Court of the Lord Lyon.
Islay Herald of Arms is a Scottish herald of arms of the Court of the Lord Lyon.
Marchmont Herald of Arms is a current Scottish herald of arms of the Court of the Lord Lyon
March Pursuivant of Arms is a Scottish pursuivant of arms of the Court of the Lord Lyon.
Falkland Pursuivant of Arms is a Scottish pursuivant of arms of the Court of the Lord Lyon.
The Court of the Lord Lyon is a standing court of law which regulates heraldry in Scotland. The Lyon Court maintains the register of grants of arms, known as the Public Register of All Arms and Bearings in Scotland, as well as records of genealogies.
Angus Herald of Arms in Extraordinary is a current Scottish herald of arms in Extraordinary of the Court of the Lord Lyon.
Orkney Herald of Arms is a Scottish herald of arms in the Court of the Lord Lyon.