Norroy and Ulster King of Arms

Coat of arms of the Norroy and Ulster King of Arms as of 1980.

The coat of arms of Norroy King of Arms, taken from Lant's Roll c. 1595

The coat of arms of Ulster King of Arms, also taken from Lant's Roll

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 Northern 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. Heraldic matters in the Republic of Ireland are handled by the Office of the Chief Herald of Ireland.

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 until 1943

(L) indicates the holder was Lancaster King of Arms. This title was used for the King of Arms of the northern province in the reigns of Henry IV, V and VI, instead of Norroy.

• (1276) Peter de Horbury
• (1338) Andrew
• 1386-1399 John Othelake
• 1399-1426 Richard Bruges (L)
• 1426-1436 John Ashwell (L)
• 1436-1447 William Boys (L)
• 1447-1464 William Tyndale (L)
• 1464-1477 Thomas Holme
• 1477-1478 John Writhe
• 1478-1493 John Moore
• 1493-1493 Roger Machado
• 1493-1510 Christopher Carlill
• 1510-1510 Thomas Benolt
• 1510-1516 John Yonge
• 1516-1522 Thomas Wall
• 1522-1522 John Joyner
• 1522-1534 Thomas Tonge
• 1534-1536 Thomas Hawley
• 1536 Sir Christopher Barker
• 1536-1546 William Fellows
• 1546-1550 Gilbert Dethick
• 1550-1557 William Harvey
• 1557-1562 Lawrence Dalton
• 1562-1592 William Flower
• 1592-1593 Edmund Knight
• 1593-1603 William Segar
• 1603-1623 Sir Richard St George
• 1623-1634 Sir John Burroughs
• 1634-1635 Sir William le Neve
• 1635-1644 Sir Henry St George
• 1644-1645 Sir Edward Walker
• 1646-1658 William Ryley
• 1658-1660 George Owen
• 1660-1677 Sir William Dugdale
• 1677-1680 Sir Henry St George
• 1680-1686 Sir Thomas St George
• 1686-1700 Sir John Dugdale
• 1700-1704 Robert Devenish
• 1704-1729 Peter Le Neve
• 1729-1741 Stephen Leake
• 1741-1751 John Cheale
• 1751-1756 Sir Charles Townley
• 1756-1761 William Oldys
• 1761-1773 Thomas Brown
• 1773-1774 Ralph Bigland
• 1774-1780 Sir Isaac Heard
• 1780-1781 Peter Dore
• 1781-1784 Thomas Locke
• 1784-1803 George Harrison
• 1803-1822 Sir Ralph Bigland
• 1822-1838 Edmund Lodge
• 1838-1839 Joseph Hawker
• 1839-1846 Francis Martin
• 1846-1858 James Pulman
• 1848-1849 Edward Howard-Gibbon
• 1849-1859 Robert Laurie
• 1859-1882 Walter Blount
• 1882-1894 George Cokayne
• 1894-1911 Sir William Weldon
• 1911-1919 Sir Henry Burke
• 1919-1919 Charles Athill
• 1919-1922 William Lindsay
• 1922-1926 Gordon Lee
• 1926-1928 Sir Arthur Cochrane
• 1928-1930 Sir Gerald Wollaston
• 1931-1943 Sir Algar Howard

Ulster Kings of Arms until 1943

• 1552-1566 Bartholomew W. Butler, Esq.
• 1566-1588 Nicholas Narbon, Esq.
• 1588-1597 Christopher Ussher, Esq.
• 1597-1629 Daniel Molineux, Esq.
• 1629-1633 Daniel Molineux and Adam Ussher, Esq.
• 1633-1655 Thomas Preston, Esq.
• 1655-1660 Sir Richard Carney
• 1660-1683 Sir Richard St George
• 1683-1698 Sir Richard Carney and George Wallis, Esq.
• 1698-1722 William Hawkins, Esq.
• 1722-1759 William Hawkins and John Hawkins, Esq.
• 1759-1765 James McCulloch, Esq.
• 1765-1787 William Hawkins, Esq.
• 1787-1788 Gerald Fortescue, Esq.
• 1788-1820 Rear-Admiral Sir Chichester Fortescue
• 1820-1853 Sir William Betham
• 1853-1892 Sir John Bernard Burke
• 1893-1908 Sir Arthur Vicars
• 1908-1940 Sir Nevile Rodwell Wilkinson
• 1940-1943 Vacant, duties performed by Thomas Ulick Sadleir (Deputy Ulster)

Norroy and Ulster Kings of Arms from 1943

• 1943-1944 Sir Algar Howard
• 1944-1957 Sir Gerald Wollaston
• 1957-1966 Aubrey Toppin
• 1966-1971 Richard Graham-Vivian
• 1971-1980 Sir Walter Verco
• 1980-1995 John Brooke-Little
• 1995-1997 Hubert Chesshyre
• 1997-Present Thomas Woodcock

See also

• Ireland King of Arms
• Heraldry
• Officer of Arms

References

• The College of Arms, Queen Victoria Street : being the sixteenth and final monograph of the London Survey Committee, Walter H. Godfrey, assisted by Sir Anthony Wagner, with a complete list of the officers of arms, prepared by H. Stanford London, (London, 1963)
• A History of the College of Arms &c, Rev. Mark Noble, (London, 1804)
• List of Ulster Kings of Arms

External links

• The College of Arms
• CUHGS Officer of Arms Index
• Chief Herald of Ireland

v • d • e College of Arms Earl Marshal · Court of Chivalry Kings of Arms Garter · Clarenceux · Norroy and Ulster Heralds of Arms Chester · Lancaster · Richmond · Somerset · Windsor · York Pursuivants of Arms Bluemantle · Portcullis · Rouge Croix · Rouge Dragon Officers extraordinary Arundel · Beaumont · Delhi · Fitzalan · Maltravers · Mowbray · New Zealand · Norfolk · Wales · Surrey Italics indicate defunct posts