Norroy and Ulster King of Arms

File:Norroy and Ulster Arms.jpg

Norroy and Ulster King of Arms is one of the senior Officers of Arms of the College of Arms, and the junior of the two provincial Kings of Arms. The current office is the combination of two former appointments. There is a case to be made that the office of Norroy is the older of the two English territorial offices, there being a reference as early as 1276 to a "King of Heralds beyond the Trent in the North." This is the precise area to come under the later kings specifically nominated as "Norroy." The office of Ulster King of Arms (and Principal Herald of Ireland) was established in 1552 by King Edward VI to replace the post of Ireland King of Arms, which had lapsed in 1487.

In 1943, the office of Ulster was combined with that of Norroy, and the Norroy and Ulster King of Arms now has jurisdiction over the counties of Nothern Ireland as well as England north of the Trent. Norroy and Ulster has also acted as Registrar and King of Arms of the Order of St Patrick since 1943, though no knights of that Order have been created since 1934, and the last surviving knight died in 1974.

The arms of Norroy and Ulster King of Arms date from 1980 and are blazoned Quarterly Argent and Or a Cross Gules on a Chief per pale Azure and Gules a Lion passant guardant Or crowned with an open Crown between a Fleur-de-lis and a Harp Or.

The current Norroy and Ulster King of Arms is Thomas Woodcock, LVO, BA (Durham), LLB (Cambridge), FSA, DL.

Norroy Kings of Arms from 1882-1943

• 1882-1894 George Edward Cokayne, Esq., FSA
• 1894-1911 Sir William H. Weldon, KCVO, FSA
• 1911-1919 Sir Henry F. Burke, KCVO, CB, FSA
• 1919-1919 Charles Harold Athill, Esq., MVO, FSA
• 1919-1922 William Alexander Lindsay, Esq, CVO, FSA
• 1922-1926 Gordon Ambrose de Lisle Lee, Esq., CB, CVO
• 1926-1928 Sir Arthur William Stuart Cochrane, KCVO
• 1928-1930 Sir Gerald Woods Wollaston, KCB, KCVO
• 1931-1943 Sir Algar Howard, KCB, KCVO, MC, TD

Ulster Kings of Arms from 1853-1943

• 1853-1892 Sir John Bernard Burke
• 1893-1908 Sir Arthur Vicars
• 1908-1940 Sir Neville Rodwell Wilkinson
• 1940-1943 Thomas Ulick Sadler

Norroy and Ulster Kings of Arms from 1943

• 1943-1944 Sir Algar Howard, KCB, KCVO, MC, TD
• 1944-1957 Sir Gerald Woods Wollaston, KCB, KCVO
• 1957-1966 Aubrey John Toppin, Esq., CVO, FSA
• 1966-1971 Richard Preston Graham-Vivian, Esq., MVO, MC
• 1971-1980 Sir Walter John George Verco, KCVO
• 1980-1995 John Philip Brooke Brooke-Little, Esq., CVO, FSA
• 1995-1997 David Hubert Boothby Chesshyre, Esq., CVO, FSA
• 1997-Present Thomas Woodcock, Esq., LVO, FSA

See also

• Heraldry
• Officer of Arms

External links

• The College of Arms