Services
While the Foundation has no role in the arms-granting process, we can assist Americans with their initial inquiries towards acquiring arms and then make referrals to the College.
Additionally, Foundation leaders are available for speaking engagements.
The Foundation does not charge for these services.
PROJECTS
The College of Arms Foundation has provided funds for many projects either in part or in whole. Here is the list of grants approved since 2002 in reverse chronological order. All grants - except one made to American Ancestors/New England Historic Genealogical Society - have been made to the College of Arms.
A CATALOG OF MANUSCRIPTS IN THE COLLEGE OF ARMS, RECORDS VOLUME 2
In 2023, after years of research, the College published A Catalog of Manuscripts in the College of Arms, Records Volume 1, a research reference for the Visitation records of the Tudor era. The College is beginning to plan for the next volume. During the Foundation’s 2024 Annual General Meeting, the College of Arms requested a grant to contribute to the funding of an Editor for the subject publication, and this has been approved. The Editor when hired will research and collate the Visitation records of the Stuart period dating from 1603. It is hoped the Editor will be hired by the end of 2024 or early 2025 at the latest with research anticipated to take three years.
FACSIMILE OF THE GORE ROLL OF ARMS
In 2024, the Foundation approved a grant request by American Ancestors/New England Historic Genealogical Society (NEHGS) to fund partially the publication costs for The Gore Roll of Arms: The Earliest Known Roll of Arms in America. The original roll, an 18th Century document in the R. Stanton Avery Manuscript Collection of NEHGS, was created by Boston herald painters John Gore and his son, Samuel Gore. It consists of 99 paintings of coats of arms, mainly of New England families. Of the 99, 84 are in pen and watercolor.
The Gore Roll of Arms is the earliest known roll of arms in America. In addition to the 1750 original, the 1847 and 1926 copies by Isaac Child and Harold Bowditch respectively are also included in the facsimile which is the same trim size as the original.
The facsimile, printed in the same trim size as the original, is now available for purchase from American Ancestors at shop.americanancestors.org (under Latest Releases).
The Foundation is very happy to participate in this effort that sheds light on the English heraldic heritage in America.
CONSERVATION OF MANUSCRIPT NORFOLK 3
The Board of Directors of the College of Arms Foundation voted in March 2023 to approve full funding for the conservation of an important historical pedigree manuscript.
This grant is to conserve a historic book of pedigrees referred to as Norfolk 3 (ID 1727). It is one of the Norfolk series of large volumes of pedigrees, often illustrated with family coats of arms. Norfolk 3 is one of the earliest volumes, containing recorded pedigrees dating between 1807 and 1810, and at 216 pages contains a high number of paintings of arms. Among the pedigrees listed are a branch of the Howard family of Corby Castle in Cumberland, relatives of the Dukes of Norfolk and Earls Marshal of England, and a biographical entry on General Cornelius Cuyler, an American loyalist and descendent of the Schuyler family of New York, who was created a baronet in 1814.
The work needed to conserve the manuscript was both extensive and painstaking. The binding was failing. The entire volume was taken apart and a new spine attached to it. The task drew on traditional bookbinding skills of the time and was time-consuming. Conservation work was completed in June 2024. The Foundation’s grant funded the complete restoration of this manuscript.
CONSERVATION OF MANUSCRIPT NORFOLK 12
Another conservation project was fully funded by the Foundation with two annual grants in 2019 and 2020. The funds provided for the restoration of a large pedigree volume, Norfolk 12 (ID 1765). Restoration of this volume is part of a major program to conserve historic manuscripts and printed books in the College of Arms working library. Norfolk 12 required much restoration as the spine was seriously eroded and parchment pages were detached. This volume has strong American associations, including a pedigree of the Raleigh family, the forebears of the famous Sir Walter Raleigh.
Other pedigrees with an American connection that are included belong to Courtauld family, including British industrialist Samuel Courtauld (1793-1881) who was born in New York, and the Reichel family, including Moravian bishop. A non-American pedigree included is that of John Hanning Speke (1827-1864), who explored Africa in search of the source of the Nile, becoming the first European to reach it, Lake Victoria. The Earl Marshal thanked the Foundation for the funding. This restoration was completed in early 2021, during COVID.
THE PIGOTT LIBRARY
An earlier project provided to the College of Arms for the creation of an archive storage room with custom-made archival boxes for rolled parchments to be known as The Pigott Library. The grant was made possible in 2013 through the generosity of Mark C. Pigott, KBE. At the time the grant was made, John Shannon announced "My fellow Foundation board members and I are very pleased to be able to make this grant, which will result in an improved facility for storing the College's most ancient records."
A CATALOG OF MANUSCRIPTS IN THE COLLEGE OF ARMS, VOLUME 1
One project was partially funded by the Foundation with five annual grants commencing in 2012. A subsequent grant supported the indexing of the volume, a significant effort in itself. This financial support went towards the publication of a new reference book, A Catalog of Manuscripts in the College of Arms, Records Volume 1. The records in question are numerous, miscellaneous papers the College has accumulated over the centuries containing official heraldic or genealogical information from the Tudor Period. The book was edited by Robert Yorke who was for many years the College’s Archivist. The gathering, organizing, and describing the records was a long and painstaking process, and this Catalog will be a vitally essential reference work for current and future researchers working in the College archives.
Published in October of 2023, the Catalog is available for purchase directly from the College of Arms at the price of £60 plus postage and handling. You can order by mail: College of Arms, 130 Queen Victoria St., London, ECV4 4BT, U.K. Alternately, you can email for information at reception@college-of-arms.gov.uk.
COLLEGE HANDRAILS
In 2007, the Foundation donated the funds necessary for the installation of the handrails on the steps leading up to the main entrance of the College. Perhaps you’ve used them. There had not been handrails before. They were required to comply with modern health and safety regulations.
THE ARMORIAL OF HAITI
In 2004, the Foundation, with Foundation Director Arthur J. Rawl, MBE, in the lead, contributed funds towards the publication of The Armorial of Haiti, Symbols of Nobility in the Reign of Henry Christophe. Only two copies of the work exist today: one is in Haiti and the other is held by the College of Arms in London. One could hardly have gone further in life than Henry Christophe, who started out as a slave and became a king. The volume is a color reproduction of the armorial roll from the Kingdom of Haiti, edited with commentary, essay, and appendix by then Rouge Dragon Pursuivant Clive Cheesman and eventually published by the College in 2007. It includes a very informative historical introduction by Marie-Lucie Vendrys and preface by then Governor General of Canada, Michaëlle Jean. The essays are fascinating. The choices of charges in Haitian heraldry and quality of artwork are simple but consistently effective and pleasing. The armorial includes 91 entries, with short biographies, color photographs of the arms, and blazons of the arms of the king, princes, and the Haitian nobility.
GARTER CRESTS DISPLAY
In 2002, the Foundation contributed to the costs of mounting an exhibition of crests of Garter knights in the Earl Marshal’s Court to mark the 50th anniversary of the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. Upon the death of a Garter knight, the crest over his stall in St. George’s Chapel, Windsor, is given to the College, a tradition – according to Sir Henry Bedingfeld, formerly Norroy and Ulster King of Arms – begun by Sir Anthony Wagner, when he was Garter Principal King of Arms. They are beautiful to behold as well as superb examples of British heraldic craftmanship.