Norroy and Ulster King of Arms

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Coat of arms of the Norroy and Ulster King of Arms as of 1980.
Coat of arms of the Norroy and Ulster King of Arms as of 1980.
The coat of arms of Norroy King of Arms, taken from Lant's Roll c. 1595
The coat of arms of Norroy King of Arms, taken from Lant's Roll c. 1595
The coat of arms of Ulster King of Arms, also taken from Lant's Roll
The coat of arms of Ulster King of Arms, also taken from Lant's Roll

Norroy and Ulster King of Arms is one of the senior Officers of Arms of the College of Arms, and the junior of the two provincial Kings of Arms. The current office is the combination of two former appointments. There is a case to be made that the office of Norroy is the older of the two English territorial offices, there being a reference as early as 1276 to a "King of Heralds beyond the Trent in the North." This is the precise area to come under the later kings specifically nominated as "Norroy." The office of Ulster King of Arms (and Principal Herald of Ireland) was established in 1552 by King Edward VI to replace the post of Ireland King of Arms, which had lapsed in 1487.

In 1943, the office of Ulster was combined with that of Norroy, and the Norroy and Ulster King of Arms now has jurisdiction over the counties of Northern Ireland as well as England north of the Trent. Norroy and Ulster has also acted as Registrar and King of Arms of the Order of St Patrick since 1943, though no knights of that Order have been created since 1934, and the last surviving knight died in 1974. Heraldic matters in the Republic of Ireland are handled by the Office of the Chief Herald of Ireland.

The arms of Norroy and Ulster King of Arms date from 1980 and are blazoned Quarterly Argent and Or a Cross Gules on a Chief per pale Azure and Gules a Lion passant guardant Or crowned with an open Crown between a Fleur-de-lis and a Harp Or.

The current Norroy and Ulster King of Arms is Thomas Woodcock, LVO, BA (Durham), LLB (Cambridge), FSA, DL.

Contents

[edit] Norroy Kings of Arms until 1943

(L) indicates the holder was Lancaster King of Arms. This title was used for the King of Arms of the northern province in the reigns of Henry IV, V and VI, instead of Norroy.

[edit] Ulster Kings of Arms until 1943

[edit] Norroy and Ulster Kings of Arms from 1943

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  • The College of Arms, Queen Victoria Street : being the sixteenth and final monograph of the London Survey Committee, Walter H. Godfrey, assisted by Sir Anthony Wagner, with a complete list of the officers of arms, prepared by H. Stanford London, (London, 1963)
  • A History of the College of Arms &c, Rev. Mark Noble, (London, 1804)
  • List of Ulster Kings of Arms

[edit] External links

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