The International Association of Amateur Heralds

I came across this a little while ago : the American College of Heraldry and Genealogical Registry, which was founded in New York in 1860. Apparently it was founded by one Albert Welles, and died with him in the early 1880s.

The society published a short-lived journal called The Chronotype in 1873 and 1874.

If you're interested in reading more about Welles and his approach to heraldry and genealogy, a copy of his 1879 president's address to the society can be found here. In it he stated that :


His approach to genealogy can be gauged from this article about a pedigree of George Washington which he published.

Washington a descendant of Odin? Oy!
To my small-r republican, small-d democratic mind (or maybe small-m mind ) the demise of that organization was a blessing for American heraldry...

Having said this, in fairness there was AFAIK no connection between that unlamented ACH & GR and the current American College of Heraldry other than the similar name.