Francis Sandford (1630 – 17 January 1694) was an Anglo-Irish herald and genealogist.
He was born at Carnew Castle, County Wicklow, Ireland, the third son of Francis Sandford of Sandford, Shropshire, England and his wife, Elizabeth, daughter of Chalcot Chambre of Williamscot, Oxfordshire, England. [1] During the Irish Rebellion of 1641 Sandford escaped to Sandford in England, although afterwards he graduated BA at Trinity College, Dublin. [1]
Sandford was appointed Rouge Dragon Pursuivant in the College of Arms on 6 June 1661. In 1666, when attending King Charles II at Oxford, he studied in the Bodleian Library, and he was appointed Lancaster Herald on 16 November 1676.
With Gregory King, Sandford laboured two years to write a history of the coronation of James II and VII and Mary. This lavish work included twenty seven engravings of the great feasts, processions and fireworks. However shortly afterwards James's deposition took place during the Glorious Revolution so the authors barely covered their expenses, despite James's gift of £300. Ifan K. Fletcher in The Literature of Splendid Occasions in English History called this book the most important descriptive book of the late seventeenth century: "James's exalted notions of his kingly office caused him to go minutely into the records of the past. He appointed a Commission for the right ordering of the ceremony in all its details and to draw up a kind of code of precedents to serve for future coronations. Sandford's book was the record upon which all coronations were to be based". [2]
Sandford refused to attend the new monarchs William and Mary. [1] Being conscientiously attached to James II, he obtained leave in 1689 to resign his office of Lancaster Herald to Gregory King, Rouge Dragon pursuivant, who paid him £220 for his office. He then retired to Bloomsbury or its vicinity. He died on 17 January 1694, "advanced in years, neglected, and poor", in the prison of Newgate, where he had been confined for debt, and was buried in St. Bride's upper churchyard. By his wife Margaret, daughter of William Jokes of Bottington, Montgomeryshire, and widow of William Kerry, he had several children.
Sir William Dugdale was an English antiquary and herald. As a scholar he was influential in the development of medieval history as an academic subject.
The College of Arms, or Heralds' College, is a royal corporation consisting of professional officers of arms, with jurisdiction over England, Wales, Northern Ireland and some Commonwealth realms. The heralds are appointed by the British Sovereign and are delegated authority to act on behalf of the Crown in all matters of heraldry, the granting of new coats of arms, genealogical research and the recording of pedigrees. The College is also the official body responsible for matters relating to the flying of flags on land, and it maintains the official registers of flags and other national symbols. Though a part of the Royal Household of the United Kingdom, the College is self-financed, unsupported by any public funds.
James Robinson Planché was a British dramatist, antiquary and officer of arms. Over a period of approximately 60 years he wrote, adapted, or collaborated on 176 plays in a wide range of genres including extravaganza, farce, comedy, burletta, melodrama and opera. Planché was responsible for introducing historically accurate costume into nineteenth century British theatre, and subsequently became an acknowledged expert on historical costume, publishing a number of works on the topic.
Sir Albert William Woods was an English officer of arms, who served as Garter Principal King of Arms from 1869 to 1904. The Woods family has a strong tradition of service at the College of Arms. Albert Woods was the son of Sir William Woods, Garter King of Arms from 1838 until his death in 1842. Likewise, the grandson of Albert Woods was Sir Gerald Woods Wollaston, who also rose to the rank of Garter King of Arms and served there from 1930 until 1944.
Norroy and Ulster King of Arms is the provincial King of Arms at the College of Arms with jurisdiction over England north of the Trent and Northern Ireland. The two offices of Norroy and Ulster were formerly separate. Norroy King of Arms is the older office, there being a reference as early as 1276 to a "King of Heralds beyond the Trent in the North". The name Norroy is derived from the Old French nort roy meaning 'north king'. The office of Ulster Principal King of Arms for All-Ireland was established in 1552 by King Edward VI to replace the older post of Ireland King of Arms, which had lapsed in 1487.
Sir Gilbert Dethick was a long-serving English officer of arms at the College of Arms in London. He would eventually rise to the highest heraldic office in England and serve as Garter Principal King of Arms.
John Philip Brooke Brooke-Little was an English writer on heraldic subjects, and a long-serving herald at the College of Arms in London. In 1947, while still a student, Brooke-Little founded the Society of Heraldic Antiquaries, now known as the Heraldry Society and recognised as one of the leading learned societies in its field. He served as the society's chairman for 50 years and then as its president from 1997 until his death in 2006.
Francis Sedley Andrus LVO was a long-serving English officer of arms who was Beaumont Herald of Arms Extraordinary. As such, he was a Royal officer of arms, though not a member of the College of Arms in London.
George Edward Cokayne was an English genealogist and long-serving herald at the College of Arms in London, who eventually rose to the rank of Clarenceux King of Arms. He wrote such authoritative and standard reference works as The Complete Peerage and The Complete Baronetage.
Archibald George Blomefield Russell was an English art historian and a long-serving officer of arms at the College of Arms in London.
Timothy Hugh Stewart Duke, FSA is an officer of arms at the College of Arms in London.
Michael Roger Trappes-Lomax, FSA was a poet, soldier, historian, and officer of arms at the College of Arms in London. He was the third son of Richard Trappes-Lomax and during World War II, served as a major in the Scots Guards.
Sir Edward Walker was an officer of arms and antiquarian who served as Garter King of Arms.
John Philipot was an officer of arms at the College of Arms in London and a politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1628 to 1629. Though he successfully attained the position on Somerset Herald of Arms in Ordinary, he is best known for his production of a roll of arms of the Lord Wardens of the Cinque Ports.
Charles Wriothesley was a long-serving officer of arms at the College of Arms in London. He was the last member of a dynasty of heralds that started with his grandfather—Garter Principal King of Arms John Writhe.
Peter Le Neve was an English herald and antiquary. He was appointed Rouge Dragon Pursuivant 17 January 1690 and created Norroy King at Arms on 25 May 1704. From 1707 to 1721 he was Richmond Herald of Arms in Ordinary, an officer of arms of the College of Arms. He was a Fellow and first President of the Society of Antiquaries of London and a Fellow of the Royal Society.
William Flower (1497/98–1588) was an English Officer of Arms in the reigns of Henry VIII, Edward VI, Mary I and Elizabeth I. He rose to the rank of Norroy King of Arms, serving in that capacity from 1562 until his death in 1588.
William Courthope (1808–1866) was an English officer of arms, genealogist and writer, Somerset Herald from 1854.
William Ryley was an officer of arms at the College of Arms in London.
The coronation of James II and VII, and his wife Mary of Modena, as King and Queen of England, Scotland and Ireland was held on 23 April 1685 at Westminster Abbey. James and Mary were the last British monarchs to be Catholics, despite the Protestant Church of England being the established church. Accordingly, the service was reordered to omit the Anglican Communion Service, the only time that a British coronation has been conducted without one. The truncated text of the coronation liturgy which was prepared for the service provided the model for future coronations into the 20th century. James was also the first monarch since the Union of the Crowns not to have a coronation in Scotland, and the first English monarch since the 14th century not to plan a royal entry procession through London, these and other innovations set long-standing precedents for future British coronations.