Major Alan Edmonstoune Greenshields Leadbetter

The Lyon Office tweeted today the matriculation of arms for Major Alan Edmonstoune Greenshields Leadbetter, younger son of the architect Thomas Greenshields Leadbetter. Alan was decorated for gallantry at Gallipoli but was then killed near Ypres in August 1917, aged 20.

His grieving father petitioned for differenced arms for Alan the following year as well as having a memorial window installed in Bedrule Parish Church, Roxburgh.

Athelstaneford

 The roundel donated by the Lord Lyon and Officers of Arms to the Saltire Timeline at Athelstaneford has now been completed.  

2025 will mark the 60th anniversary of the unveiling of the Saltire Memorial at Athelstaneford. A timeline of stone roundels set into the path will tell the story of the adoption and use of the saltire as a symbol of Scotland from the Battle of Athelstaneford in 832 through to the crowned saltire emblem of the Scottish Parliament in 1999.

Lyon Court Blog

 The Blog of the Lyon Court can be found here: Court of the Lord Lyon

Arms for the New City of Dunfermline

 Yesterday, the Lord Lyon presented the Letters Patent granting arms for the City of Dunfermline to Cllr Jim Leishman, Provost of Fife. Scotland’s State Trumpeters with Marchmont Herald, Albany Herald Extraordinary and Bute Pursuivant attended. The artist was Sarah Coomer.

Chief of Clan Carruthers

Albany Herald Extraordinary, Sir Crispin Agnew of Lochnaw, attended the inauguration in Annan of Dr Simon Peter Carruthers of Holmains, as Chief of the Name and Arms of Carruthers.

The letters patent granting the indifferenced arms of Carruthers of Holmains (Gules two chevrons engrailed betwixt three fleur-de-lys Or) were painted by Yvonne Holton.

New Pipe Banner for RAF Scotland

 The Lord Lyon and March Pursuivant Extraordinary joined Air Officer Scotland and the Chief of the Air Staff for the Beating of the Retreat at Balmoral Castle where the King presented the RAF with a new Pipe Banner.

Lyon in Oz

  On the 12th July, the Lord Lyon visited the Grand Lodge Museum of New South Wales and discovered this grant to the Grand Lodge signed by Garter Woodcock with the current arms used by the Grand Lodge.

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New Grant of Arms

  The Lord Lyon has granted arms to John William Stephen MStJ. The artist was Yvonne Holton.

The blazon is: Argent on a chevron betwixt two crescents in chief and a sinister hand couped Gules, a Latin cross between two escallops of the First, debruised of a label of three points Azure in the lifetime of his father. The crest is a sea-dog.

In the Lord Lyon's absence on holiday, John received his grant in front of the next best thing.

How to deal with Students

 This is the reply of the Warden and Fellows of Wadham College Oxford
to a set of demands from student protestors in 1968:

"Dear Gentlemen: We note your threat to take what you call ‘direct action’ unless your demands are immediately met. We feel it is only sporting to remind you that our governing body includes three experts in chemical warfare, two ex-commandos skilled with dynamite and torturing prisoners, four qualified marksmen in both small arms and rifles, two ex-artillerymen, one holder of the Victoria Cross, four karate experts and a chaplain. The governing body has authorized me to tell you that we look forward with confidence to what you call a ‘confrontation,’ and I may say, with anticipation."

Unicorn's Photograph

This splendid photograph of Roddy Macpherson, Unicorn Pursuivant, hides a fascinating tale.

Unicorn takes up the tale himself: 

Lyon Macer David Walker took this photograph of Unicorn, former Lyon Macer, in the Signet Library, in front of the portrait of Joseph Grant WS, last Secretary of the Society of Messengers-at-Arms, Edinburgh (instituted by 1631, Lyon with power to select its box masters, and dissolved in 1865). Joseph’s father, Allan Grant, messenger-at-arms in Edinburgh, often Preses of that Society of Messengers-at-Arms, and Unicorn’s grandfather, Alexander Macpherson, messenger-at-arms in Glasgow, sometime President of the Society of Messengers-at-Arms and Sheriff Officers (founded 1922 and still going strong, with the Lord Lyon as its Honorary President) were, as was discovered in time for a Lord Lyon Society lecture in 2022 (the centenary of 1922, of course), distant cousins. To be pursuivantly precise, they were third cousins, four times removed.

 

Lyon Office Promotions

 On the recent retirement from service of Islay Herald (Mrs Yvonne Holton) and Rothesay Herald (Mr Liam Devlin), the Lord Lyon has made the following promotions which will have effect from 1 August 2024:

Sheriff George Way of Plean (formerly Carrick Pursuivant) becomes Rothesay Herald in Ordinary

Mr John Stirling, WS (formerly Ormond Pursuivant) becomes Ross Herald in Ordinary

Prof. Gillian Black (formerly Linlithgow Pursuivant Extraordinary) becomes Carrick Pursuivant in Ordinary

Mr Colin Russell (formerly Falkland Pursuivant Extraordinary) becomes Bute Pursuivant in Ordinary

From 1 August 2024 the full complement of HM Officers of Arms will be:

 

Marchmont Herald                             The Hon. Adam Bruce, WS, CStJ

Rothesay Herald                                 Sheriff George Way of Plean CStJ

Ross Herald                                        Mr John Stirling, WS

 

Unicorn Pursuivant                             Mr Roderick Macpherson

Carrick Pursuivant                              Professor Gillian Black         

Bute Pursuivant                                  Mr Colin Russell OStJ

March Pursuivant Extraordinary        Mr Philip Tibbetts

 

Angus Herald Extraordinary              Mr Robin Blair, CVO, WS

Albany Herald Extraordinary             Sir Crispin Agnew of Lochnaw Bart, LVO, KC

Tartan Kimono

The Lord Lyon celebrates at the Edinburgh 900 Launch with the Tartan Register staff and the Tartan  Kimono.

Thistle Investiture

 The Lord Lyon and Officers of Arms were in attendance today on HM The King in the Thistle Chapel for the installation of five new members of the Order of the Thistle: HM The Queen, The Duke of Edinburgh, the forensic anthropologist Baroness Black of Strome, the eminent barrister Baroness Kennedy of the Shaws and the distinguished scientist Sir Geoff Palmer.

Baroness Black of Strome

Baroness Kennedy of the Shaws

Sir Geoff Palmer

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