The veitch historical society submitted a formal application to the lord lyon of arms of edinburgh in november 1981. It is headed by the lord lyon king of arms, who must be legally qualified, as he has criminal jurisdiction in heraldic matters, and the court is. The territorial designation of killour probably relates to killour in methven near perth. The court of the lord lyon, edinburgh, united kingdom. Alastair is the past chief executive of the clan campbell and is the unicorn pursuivant on the court of the lord lyon, king of arms in scotland. He is head of the heraldic executive and the judge of the court of the lord lyon, which has jurisdiction over all heraldic business in scotland and maintains the scottish public registers of arms and genealogies. The right honourable the lord lyon king of arms, the head of lyon court, is the most junior of. The arms of the armorial register international armorial. Precisely which tartans are recorded in the lyon court book is entirely a matter of discretion for the lord lyon. The lord lyon, being responsible for genealogies and heraldic matters is a judge of the realm. The historic title of the post was the high sennachie, and he was given the title of lord lyon from the lion in the co.
He was appointed to the office on 17 january 2014 and sworn in before the lord president of the court of session on 27 february 2014. Ryal banner o scotland or banner of the king of scots, is the royal banner of scotland, and historically, the royal standard of the kingdom of scotland. It can only be understood if we view the lord lyon as an extension of the king himself. 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. The first recorded appointment of the lord lyon occurred in 18. A king of arms is a government officer in countries like england, scotland, and wales. Those who wish to use arms in any personal sense must petition for a grant of arms or if they can trace their ancestry back to a direct or, in some cases collateral, ancestor a cadet matriculation showing their place within the family. When members of the society were in scotland in 1983, the society was presented with its own official coatofarms by malcolm rognvald innes of edingight, baron of yeochrie, commander of the royal victorian order, writer of her magestys signet, lord lyon king of arms.
Malcolm lnnes of edingight cvo, lord lyon king of arms, has contributed an authoritative. It is thus, by far, the oldest heraldic office in britain. Other british orders of chivalry have their own kings of arms. He accepted the commission for the history in 1997 and completed the final volume in 2003. When sitting in full court the lord lyon wears, as he did in parliament before the union, a robe of crimson velvet and ermine, somewhat like the coronation robe of a british peer, but with cords and tassels and no hood. James mcbain of mcbain matriculated arms 15th february 1979 by lord lyon king of arms as the 22nd hereditary chief of the ancient celtic clan mcbain macbean. The inauguration of lyon king of arms the heraldry society. 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.
The court of the lord lyon the lyon court is a standing court of law which regulates heraldry. The army in scotland dedication of the mercat cross in. King of arms is the highest rank of officer of arms. The lord lyon king of arms has led a ceremony involving balaklava company, 5 scots and the band of the royal regiment of scotland to mark the refurbishment of the historic mercat cross in parliament square edinburgh. Joseph john morrow cbe kstj qc dl lld is the current lord lyon king of arms. Heraldry is the designing, use, regulation, and recording of coats of arms and. He was married, with three adult sons and a stepson.
There are far more arms being granted now than there were 50 years ago. In line with government advice, the lyon office will remain closed until further notice. The lord lyon and tartan scottish tartans authority. It is headed by the lord lyon king of arms, who must be legally qualified, as he has criminal jurisdiction in heraldic matters, and the court is fully integrated into the scottish legal system, including having a dedicated prosecutor, known in scotland as a procurator fiscal. Lord lyon king of arms legal definition of lord lyon king of arms. The lord lyon is the chief herald of scotland and presides over the court of the lord lyon in edinburgh. The lord lyon king of arms scotland places, history. In the meantime, we can by contacted, by email only, at. A book that anyone interested in scottish history should read. Note that the duke of hamilton is the chief of clan hamilton.
The lord lyon is not only a minister of the crown but also a judge of the realm. More to the point, the reader will find the simple and entrancing story of how scottish heraldry originated, grew, and adapted itself to scottish requirements. It is also the prerogative of the lord lyon to record upon application, the thread count of a tartan in the lyon court books. The only judge of the lyon court is the lord lyon king of arms. There is a record of a lord lyon king of arms who was knighted at his inauguration by king robert the bruce in 18. According to the book of caerlaverock he was raised to the dignity of a lord of. The arms that appear on the front of the clan macbean register are those arms granted by the lord lyon king of arms edinburgh scotland to james mcbain of mcbain and are considered the personal property of the chief.
Henry thomson of killour lord lyon king of arms 1496 1512. Macarthur family crest and history coat of arms meaning, family crest tattoo. The lord lyon king of arms is also responsible for state ceremonial in scotland. Lord lyon king of arms head of administration in matters heraldic in scotland. Sellar, a solicitor and lecturer in law at edinburgh university who was appointed lord lyon in march 2008, opens the weighty tome to show some of the beautifully rendered coats of arms which adorn its pages. Dr joseph morrow has been appointed as the new lord lyon king of arms. Dr morrow will serve as head of the authority for heraldry and state ceremo. Some countries do not have a king of arms, but have another person that grants coats of arms. Records show there was a lord lyon king of arms named henry thomson of killour 1496 1512. Duties include the granting of armorial bearings and judicial rulings on who has the right to bear an existing coat of arms.
King of arms simple english wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Lord lyon king of arms synonyms, lord lyon king of arms pronunciation, lord lyon king of arms translation, english dictionary definition of lord lyon king of arms. The lord presidents power of discipline are outlined in the judiciary and courts scotland act 2008 and the courts reform scotland act 2014 the lord lyon is included in neither act. James followed his father hughston mcbain of mcbain, 21st chief from 1959 until his death in 1978. Alexander douglashamilton, 16th duke of hamilton, and th duke of brandon is heir to the chiefdom of the house of douglas, but he cannot assume the title of chief since the lord lyon king of arms requires him to assume the single name douglas. The norroy and ulster king of arms is the herald of the now dormant order of st patrick. This book is used also for placing upon public record such matters as change of name when this is authorised by the lyon court. Despite the later importance of this office however, very little is known of its early history. 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 scottish heraldry, issuing new grants of arms to virtuous and well deserving persons who are not the commoun sort of people. The royal banner of the royal arms of scotland, also known as the royal banner of scotland, or more commonly the lion rampant of scotland, and historically as the royal standard of scotland, scottish gaelic. During the later middle ages the chief herald or king of arms was quite an important. He was created lyon king of arms a court office that.
Lord lyon king of arms legal definition of lord lyon king. The acquisition of scottish arms through the court of the lord lyon king of arms. Sellar read history at oxford university graduating as bachelor of arts before gaining a law degree llb from the university of edinburgh. Lyon king of arms article about lyon king of arms by the. Now, your lordships will have already noticed that this petition is presented as a petition to the lyon king of arms in his capacity as a judge in one of the inferior judicatories. Blair surname history by william campbell blair, md and bryce dixon blair. Since 1975, she has worked on developing and teaching an authentic catholic curriculum for high school juniors and seniors. Carroll is the author of christ the king lord of history and christ and the americas. David sellar, lord lyon king of arms, legal historian. An updated extract from district tartans gordon teall and philip d smith, 1992 a great deal of confusion arises concerning the precise role fulfilled by the lord lyon king of arms, with regard to tartans. On appeal from the lord lyon lord president in the court of session, college of surgeons of edinburgh v. He acts as heraldic judge in civil and criminal matters.
The lyon court is a public body, and the fees for grants of arms are paid to hm treasury. New register house, its records part of the national records of scotland being entrusted to the lyon clerk. The word blair is strongly believed to be territorial in origin, being derived from the gaelic blar which signifies a field clear of woods or a battlefield. The court of the lord lyon the official heraldry office for scotland. The book includes a bibliography of works related to scots heraldry and extracts of acts of parliament with special bearing on the office of lord lyon king of arms. Jan 18, 2014 the scottish government has announced the appointment by her majesty the queen of a new lord lyon king of arms, dr joseph morrow, on the recommendation of the first minister of scotland, in succession to david sellar, m. The lord lyon is part of the judiciary of scotland but is not subject to the discipline of the lord president of the court of session. Clan cunningham society has the distinction of being the only clan cunningham organization in america formed upon the advice and blessing of the office of the lord lyon king of arms in scotland. Aug 16, 2016 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. The title page and purposes of the book of mormon duration. Records regarding henry thomson, lord lyon have proven difficult to locate but one or two references have been uncovered. The blair surname is of great antiquity, first appearing in scotland in the 12th and early th centuries.
The court of the lord lyon is the heraldic authority for scotland and deals with all matters relating to scottish heraldry and coats of arms and maintains the scottish public registers of arms and genealogies. The lord lyon king of arms of scotland is a minister of state and member of her majesty queen elizabeth ii royal household. Garter king of arms is the herald of the order of the garter as is in scotland lord lyon king of arms the herald of the order of the thistle. Laird lyon keeng o airms, the heid o lyon court, is the maist junior o the great officers o state in scotland an is the scots offeecial with responsibility for regulatin heraldry in that kintra, issuin new grants o airms, an servin as the judge o the court of the lord lyon, the auldest heraldic coort in the warld that is still in daily operation. Lord lyon king of arms definition of lord lyon king of arms. James balfour was an historian and herald whose writings included annals of the history of scotland. Bookplate of william ewart gladstone created by samuel hollyer, 1889 william ewart.
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