New Rouge Croix Pursuivant

[Chris Green]

http://www.college-of-arms.gov.uk/news-grants/news/item/87-new-rouge-croix-pursuivant-appointed

[Arthur Radburn]

Interesting. Mr Allen-Petrie is the second Canadian to be appointed an officer of arms in England (the first having been Sir Conrad Swan, many years ago).

A further change in personnel can be expected when Norroy & Ulster King of Arms reaches retirement age in December. If tradition is followed, the most senior herald will be promoted and, perhaps, the senior pursuivant will be promoted to herald, in which case the new Rouge Croix would be the only remaining pursuivant.

[Chris Green]

Is "Buggins Turn" really normal practice at the College? That could well lead to heralds with no relevant experience being appointed to senior posts. For example both Garter and Clarenceux need to be extremely knowledgeable about the Order of the Garter in all its aspects. I once asked one of the current heralds a question about the Order and he said that it wasn't his field at all. If "Buggins Turn" applies, then that herald could one day be Clarenceux or Garter. While an admirable choice in other ways he could be sadly wanting in one of the job's salient requirements.

[Arthur Radburn]

The record shows that the principle of Buggins' turn has generally been followed over the years. Looking at the 20th-century appointments, there were a few instances where officers were promoted "out of turn", but the colleagues who were passed over were promoted a year or so later. There were also two instances where Garters stepped down : Sir George Bellew who went from Garter to Norroy & Ulster in 1944, and Sir Anthony Wagner who went from Garter to Clarenceux in 1978.

You make a good point about acquiring the specialist knowledge of the Order of the Garter. A steep learning curve may be part of the job. Over the past century, for instance, only two Garters have been promoted from Norroy & Ulster, while all the others were previously heralds.

[Jeremy Kudlick]

You make a good point about acquiring the specialist knowledge of the Order of the Garter. A steep learning curve may be part of the job. Over the past century, for instance, only two Garters have been promoted from Norroy & Ulster, while all the others were previously heralds.

I would have expected that since Garter is the Principal King of Arms that he would have previously been one of the junior Kings of Arms rather than having a Herald jump straight to Garter.

What is the process by which a new appointee to/promotion within the College is named? Does the Earl Marshal make any recommendations, or does it seem to be a strict matter of "You've been at this level the longest, so here's your promotion"?

[Chris Green]

As I recall Sir Anthony Wagner stepped down as Garter on grounds of ill-health.

[Arthur Radburn]

What is the process by which a new appointee to/promotion within the College is named? Does the Earl Marshal make any recommendations, or does it seem to be a strict matter of "You've been at this level the longest, so here's your promotion"?

The principle of "you've been at this level the longest so here's your promotion" a.k.a. "Buggins' turn" has certainly been followed for a long time. And with an establishment of only 13 posts, vacancies don't always arise very often (especially before the mandatory retirement age of 70 was introduced).

Taking the present queen's reign as a sample, only 23 people have been appointed to the College in the space of 61 years. Except for Cole being promoted from pursuivant (P) to herald (H) ahead of Brooke-Little in the 1960s, the promotions have all been according to seniority (and, even then, Cole may have been given 'credit' for having been an officer extraordinary before he was appointed a pursuivant) :

Sir Walter Verco - P 1954 > H 1960 > K 1971 > retd 1980
John Brooke-Little - P 1956 > H 1967 > K 1980 > retd 1997
Sir Colin Cole - P 1957 > H 1966 > K (Garter) 1978 > retd 1992

Rodney Dennys - P 1961 > H 1967 > retd 1982
Sir Conrad Swan - P 1962 > H 1968 > K (Garter) 1992 > retd 1995
Sedley Andrus - P 1970 > H 1972 > retd 1982
Hubert Chesshyre - P 1970 > H 1978 > K (Norroy & Ulster) 1995 > Clarenceux 1997 > retd 2010
Theobald Mathew - P 1970 > H 1978 > resigned 1997
Michael Maclagan - P 1970 > H 1980 > retd 1989

Sir Peter Gwynn-Jones - P 1973 > H 1982 > K (Garter) 1995 > retd 2010
Thomas Woodcock - P 1978 > H 1982 > K (Norroy & Ulster) 1997 > Garter 2010 -----
Patric Dickinson - P 1978 > H 1989 > K (Norroy & Ulster) 2010 > Clarenceux 2010 -----

Peter Spurrier - P 1981 > H 1992 > resigned
Terence McCarthy (no - not that one!) - P 1983 > resigned
Sir Henry Paston-Bedingfeld - P 1983 > H 1993 > K (Norroy & Ulster) 2010 -----
Timothy Duke - P 1989 > H 1995 -----

Robert Noel - P 1992 > H 1999 -----
William Hunt - P 1992 > H 1999 -----
David White - P 1993 > H 2004 -----
Clive Cheesman - P 1998 > H 2010 -----

Michael O'Donoghue - P 2005 > H 2012 -----

Christopher Fletcher-Vane - P 2012 -----
John Allen-Petrie - P 2013 -----