The Worshipful Company of Masons

How often I’ve wandered down Queen Victoria Street and noticed behind the ornate iron railings the magnificent façade of the College of Arms standing out from the surrounding office blocks, so to be invited in with a small group of liverymen and friends earlier in the year to see behind the scenes was a great pleasure and a surprise.

We were met by the Windsor Herald, William Hunt, or Mr Windsor as he is referred to in the College. His knowledge, as one would expect, was deep but it was his enthusiasm that left its mark on the visitors.

We met in the Earl Marshal’s Court where Mr Windsor provided a historical overview of heralds and heraldry

In the early mediaeval period the proclamation and organisation of tournaments was the chief function of heralds. They marshalled and introduced the contestants and kept a tally of the score. From this derive both their modern roles of organising ceremonial and of being expert in armory.
The knights taking part in tournaments were recognised by the arms they bore on their shields and the crests they wore on their helmets. Heralds soon acquired an expert knowledge of these and became responsible for recording arms, and then later for controlling their use
As coats of arms were hereditary, heralds soon came to add expertise in genealogy to their skills. The use of arms on the jousting field and in battle became steadily less important but at the same time the civilian, social and antiquarian uses of heraldry grew.
Although many of the ceremonial duties of heralds have disappeared they still carry out and organise, under the Earl Marshal, certain extremely ancient and splendid ceremonies. In June each year at Windsor Castle is held the procession and service of the Sovereign and Knights Companion of the Order of the Garter. The State Opening of Parliament, usually in November, is a more magnificent ceremony. The Earl Marshal, the Duke of Norfolk, is one of the two Great Officers of State and the office is hereditary in his family. He has particular powers of supervision over the heralds and the College of Arms.
The arrangement of State funerals and the monarch's Coronation in Westminster Abbey fall under the jurisdiction of the Earl Marshal, and the heralds are responsible for the organisation of these.
At all these ceremonies the heralds wear their highly distinctive mediaeval uniform, the tabard. This is a coat embroidered on its front, back and sleeves with the Royal Arms.
In mediaeval times, there were heralds in the service both of the monarch and of certain great noblemen. Heralds were part of the royal household in the thirteenth century and perhaps as early as the twelfth century. From 1420 the Royal heralds had a common seal and acted in some ways like a corporation. In 1484 they were granted a charter of incorporation by Richard III, and given a house in Coldharbour in Upper Thames Street, London to keep their records in. When Henry VII defeated Richard and took the crown in 1485 he wrested Coldharbour from the heralds and gave it to his mother. They received the charter under which they now operate from Queen Mary and her husband Philip of Spain in 1555, together with the site of the present College of Arms on which then stood Derby Place. This building was the College of Arms until it burnt down in the Great Fire of London in 1666. The present College building dates from the 1670s. A fascinating history of the building and its architecture can be found on their website [www.college-of-arms.gov.uk]
Mr. Windsor then moved us into the Waiting Room – a magnificent, intimate panelled room where visitors are seen. Over a glass of wine he told us about his role as Windsor Herald. His salary of £17.80 a year was set in the 1830s by William IV and the name on his passport reads Windsor Herald of Arms – imagine explaining away his previous name Portcullis Pursuivant of Arms to an American Customs officer at JFK airport!!

Each officer of arms conducts his own practice in heraldry and genealogy, and charges fees to undertake research. The heralds and pursuivants take it in turn, a week at a time, to be the officer on duty who deals with all letters, faxes, Emails, and telephone calls addressed generally to the College. The officer in waiting, as he is termed, also sees those who make enquiries in person. He advises on whether he would be able to assist in a particular heraldic or genealogical problem, what research he would recommend and what fee would be payable for it. He will also arrange for the examination and recording in the College registers of pedigrees; and for the preparation under his supervision of a range of heraldic artwork. Any person who approaches the officer in waiting and employs him on some task becomes that herald's client.
When an officer of arms is the agent for a grant of arms he is remunerated for his work on the case, and related expenses, by a payment out of the fees a petitioner pays to the College.
We next moved to the Records Room. Here Mr Windsor moved rapidly between shelves plucking from dusty volumes items of interest – postage stamp sized impressions of ancient arms, the records of the funeral procession of Elizabeth I, the working papers of past and present heralds, dating back to the fourteenth century and, more up-to-date, the arms of Sir Elton John and Baroness Thatcher
The official records of the College, which include the registers of grants of arms, funeral certificates, the records of the systematic heraldic visitations of the English and Welsh counties undertaken by the heralds roughly every generation between 1530 and 1688, changes of name and arms by Royal Licence, and the pedigree registers, total approximately 750 manuscript volumes

In addition to the official records there are the unofficial collections. These include an extensive library of printed genealogical and heraldic works. The College's unique manuscript collections are just as extensive. These date from the fourteenth century, and contain the working papers and other manuscripts of numerous past heralds.    

To conclude our evening Mr Windsor presented Master Derek Mottershead with his newly commissioned Grant of Arms incorporating amongst other designs reference to the Masons Company. We also witnessed his agreement to add the then Renter Warden’s son, Richard Woodman Bailey, to his father’s………..

A fascinating evening  with a wonderful insight into history and a Royal business that has existed centuries and does today without any noticeable use of technology.

David Blake

Since their incorporation in 1484 heralds have been directly appointed by the Sovereign on the recommendation of the Duke of Norfolk, Earl Marshal. Since the re-incorporation in 1555 the College has consisted of thirteen officers of arms. Who are styled 'heralds in ordinary'. Their titles are as follows:

 Garter Principal King of Arms
 Clarenceux King of Arms
 Norroy and Ulster King of Arms
 Richmond Herald
 York Herald
 Chester Herald
 Lancaster Herald
 Windsor Herald
 Somerset Herald
 Rouge Dragon Pursuivant
 Bluemantle Pursuivant
 Portcullis Pursuivant
 Rouge Croix Pursuivant