Arms of High Commissioners for Palestine & Trans-Jordan
Posted: 24 Jun 2018, 21:53
As the Duke of Cambridge is now making an historic official visit to the Holy land, I thought it appropriate to compile an armorial of the ten officials who served as British mandatory High Commissioners for Palestine and Trans-Jordan between 1920-48.
As will be seen, I used two sources: the Cracroft's Peerage website, and a scan of Fox-Davies's Heraldic families. These provided only six (definite) of the ten blazons needed, if anyone can complete the list, I will be grateful. I'm also trying my hand at a rendition or emblazoning of all the arms.. If and when completed, it will be added here.
1.) Herbert, 1st. Viscount samuel (1920-25);
arms: or, a bend between two caps of liberty gules, on a chief sable, a balance of the first.
crest: in front of a sun rising or, a dove wings elevated and addorsed holding in the beak an olive branch proper.
supporters: on either side a lion or, the dexter gorged with a collar gules, and resting the interior hind leg on a stump of oak eradicated and sprouting proper, the sinister gorged with an eastern crown also gules, and resting the interior hind leg on a stump of olive eradicated and sprouting also proper.
motto: turn not aside. (Cracroft's peerage).
2.) Herbert, 1st. Viscount Plumer (1925-28);
arms: gules, on a chevron between in chief two lion's heads erased argent, and in base a sword of the second, pommel and hilt or, and enfiled with a wreath of laurel proper, three ravens sable.
crest: a demi-lion proper, holding in the dexter paw a plume of four ostrich feathers or.
supporters: on the dexter side, a private of the York & Lancaster Regt., on the sinister side, a trooper of the Rhodesian field force, each holding in the exterior hand a rifle proper.
motto: consulto et audacter. (Fox-Davies, Heraldic families).
3.) Sir Harry Luke (acting 1928);
arms: azure, a lucy naiant in fess and in chief three mullets argent. Impaling; gules, a chevron between three esquires' helmets each with one plume argent (for Fremlin).
crest: a winged lion statant or, supporting with the dexter paw an escutcheon argent, charged with a cross potent between four cross crosslets gold.
motto: spero meliora. (F-D, Heraldic families).
4.) Sir John R. Chancellor (1928-31);
arms: or, a lion rampant sable, armed and langued gules, on a chief azure, three mullets or, all within a bordure engrailed sable.
crest: an eagle displayed sable, beaked and membered gules.
supporters: dexter, a Saracen, sinister, a Negro, proper.
motto: que je sermonte. (F-D, Heraldic families).
5.) Sir Mark A. Young (acting 1931);
arms: per fess sable and argent, in chief two lions' rampant guardant, and in base an anchor erect with cable all counterchanged.
crest: a demi-unicorn couped ermine, maned, armed and hoofed or, gorged with a naval crown azure, supporting an anchor erect sable.
motto: be right and persist. (F-D, Heraldic families).
6.) Sir Arthur G. Wauchope (1931-38);
*(only ones listed under Wauchope, but not certain they are his..)*
arms: azure, two mullets in chief and in base a garb or.
crest: a garb or. (F-D, Heraldic families).
7.) Sir William D. Battershill (acting for Wauchope, 1937);
Arms unknown...
8.) Sir Harold MacMichael (1938-44);
Arms unknown...
9.) John, 6th. Viscount Gort (1944-45);
arms: quarterly: 1 & 4, azure, on a chevron or, a chaplet vert; 2 & 3, gules, a saltire vairy or and azure.
crest: out of a mural crown gules, a stag's head proper.
supporters: dexter, a lion proper, sinister, an heraldic antelope proper, each gorged with a plain collar gules, rimmed and chained or, chain reflexed over the back.
mottoes: over crest: coloony. Beneath arms: vincit veritas. (Cracroft's peerage).
10.) Sir Alan Cunningham (1945-48);
Arms unknown...
As will be seen, I used two sources: the Cracroft's Peerage website, and a scan of Fox-Davies's Heraldic families. These provided only six (definite) of the ten blazons needed, if anyone can complete the list, I will be grateful. I'm also trying my hand at a rendition or emblazoning of all the arms.. If and when completed, it will be added here.
1.) Herbert, 1st. Viscount samuel (1920-25);
arms: or, a bend between two caps of liberty gules, on a chief sable, a balance of the first.
crest: in front of a sun rising or, a dove wings elevated and addorsed holding in the beak an olive branch proper.
supporters: on either side a lion or, the dexter gorged with a collar gules, and resting the interior hind leg on a stump of oak eradicated and sprouting proper, the sinister gorged with an eastern crown also gules, and resting the interior hind leg on a stump of olive eradicated and sprouting also proper.
motto: turn not aside. (Cracroft's peerage).
2.) Herbert, 1st. Viscount Plumer (1925-28);
arms: gules, on a chevron between in chief two lion's heads erased argent, and in base a sword of the second, pommel and hilt or, and enfiled with a wreath of laurel proper, three ravens sable.
crest: a demi-lion proper, holding in the dexter paw a plume of four ostrich feathers or.
supporters: on the dexter side, a private of the York & Lancaster Regt., on the sinister side, a trooper of the Rhodesian field force, each holding in the exterior hand a rifle proper.
motto: consulto et audacter. (Fox-Davies, Heraldic families).
3.) Sir Harry Luke (acting 1928);
arms: azure, a lucy naiant in fess and in chief three mullets argent. Impaling; gules, a chevron between three esquires' helmets each with one plume argent (for Fremlin).
crest: a winged lion statant or, supporting with the dexter paw an escutcheon argent, charged with a cross potent between four cross crosslets gold.
motto: spero meliora. (F-D, Heraldic families).
4.) Sir John R. Chancellor (1928-31);
arms: or, a lion rampant sable, armed and langued gules, on a chief azure, three mullets or, all within a bordure engrailed sable.
crest: an eagle displayed sable, beaked and membered gules.
supporters: dexter, a Saracen, sinister, a Negro, proper.
motto: que je sermonte. (F-D, Heraldic families).
5.) Sir Mark A. Young (acting 1931);
arms: per fess sable and argent, in chief two lions' rampant guardant, and in base an anchor erect with cable all counterchanged.
crest: a demi-unicorn couped ermine, maned, armed and hoofed or, gorged with a naval crown azure, supporting an anchor erect sable.
motto: be right and persist. (F-D, Heraldic families).
6.) Sir Arthur G. Wauchope (1931-38);
*(only ones listed under Wauchope, but not certain they are his..)*
arms: azure, two mullets in chief and in base a garb or.
crest: a garb or. (F-D, Heraldic families).
7.) Sir William D. Battershill (acting for Wauchope, 1937);
Arms unknown...
8.) Sir Harold MacMichael (1938-44);
Arms unknown...
9.) John, 6th. Viscount Gort (1944-45);
arms: quarterly: 1 & 4, azure, on a chevron or, a chaplet vert; 2 & 3, gules, a saltire vairy or and azure.
crest: out of a mural crown gules, a stag's head proper.
supporters: dexter, a lion proper, sinister, an heraldic antelope proper, each gorged with a plain collar gules, rimmed and chained or, chain reflexed over the back.
mottoes: over crest: coloony. Beneath arms: vincit veritas. (Cracroft's peerage).
10.) Sir Alan Cunningham (1945-48);
Arms unknown...