The International Association of Amateur Heralds

Watching Martin Goldstraw's online talk about funeral heraldry made me wonder to what extent the old custom of heraldic funerals found its way from Europe to other parts of the world.

There were at least twenty-seven at the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa the 18th century, during the period of Dutch administration. The images above are details from a contemporary engraving of the funeral of Pieter, Baron van Reede van Oudtshoorn in 1773. His arms were displayed on a standard (1), the leading horse's caparison (2), an escutcheon (4) and a tabard (7). The other items were a plumed helmet (5), a staff of command (6), gauntlets (8), spurs (9), a sheathed sword (10) and a drawn sword (11).

Were there any heraldic funerals in the USA? Or Canada? Or in early Australia?

Answering belatedly: there were heraldic funerals in the British colonies in the present USA. Most of those I've found accounts of were in Massachusetts, although the latest I know of was of Governor Norborne Berkeley, Lord Botetourt, in Williamsburg, Virginia, in 1770.

A "scutcheon" painted on linen for the 1764 funeral of Thomas Hancock was sold at auction in the last 5-10 years, having been passed down in the family. It shows the arms of Hancock impaling Henchman--although neither family's entitlement to the arms depicted has been clearly established.

Quite an interesting set of arms.

That's an interesting relic, Joseph. Thanks for posting it.

Were heraldic funerals largely confined to senior officials such as governor Lord Botetourt, and wealthy individuals such as Hancock? Were there any rules or conventions as to what heraldic items were displayed?

At the Cape of Good Hope, only senior officials such as governors (and their wives), members of the Council of Policy, and a few high-ranking foreign dignitaries, were given heraldic funerals. And the rank seems to have determined which items were carried in the procession.