PRESS RELEASES:

THOMAS WOODCOCK ELECTED HONORARY DIRECTOR OF COLLEGE OF ARMS FOUNDATION

England’s Senior Herald is Noted for Scholarly Contributions to English Heraldry

NEW YORK, 26 May 2010 -Thomas Woodcock, LVO, Garter Principal King of Arms, was elected appointed an Honorary Director of the College of Arms Foundation by the Board of Directors at its meeting on 26 May 2010.


Thomas Woodcock, LVO, Garter Principal King of Arms

Mr. Woodcock became Garter Principal King of Arms effective 1 April 2010.  He succeeded Sir Peter Gwynn-Jones, KCVO, who retired from the office on 31 March.

Garter is the senior officer of England’s heraldic authority, the College of Arms, which is composed of three Kings of Arms (Garter, Clarenceux and Norroy & Ulster); six Heralds (Chester, Lancaster, Richmond, Somerset, Windsor and York); and four Pursuivants (Bluemantle, Portcullis, Rouge Croix and Rouge Dragon).  The position of Garter was created in 1415 by Henry V.

Mr. Woodcock started his career at the College as a Research Assistant for Sir Anthony Wagner, a former Garter, for three years (1975-1978).  Subsequently he was appointed Rouge Croix Pursuivant in 1978.  In 1982 he became Somerset Herald, a post he held until 1997 when he became Norroy & Ulster King of Arms. 

During his time at the College, Mr. Woodcock has produced – either as editor, co-author or sole author – a series of scholarly works on English heraldry and related topics.  These include (as editor) the Dictionary of British Arms – Medieval Ordinary for the Society of Antiquaries of London.  Three volumes have been produced since 1992 and a fourth and final one is underway.

Mr. Woodcock also co-authored The Oxford Guide to Heraldry (1988) and Heraldry in National Trust Houses (2000) both with John Martin Robinson.  In addition he was a joint editor of The Visitation of the County of Huntingdon 1684 for the Harleian Society.  He wrote Legal habits: A Brief Sartorial History of Wig, Robe and Gown for Ede and Ravenscroft, the Royal robemakers, in 2003.

Mr. Woodcock has also published 16 biographies of officers of arms for The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (2004).  Other articles are “Baronies by Writ and the Barony of Grey of Codnor, Its History and the Investigations Involved in Having it Called Out of Abeyance” for Debrett’s Peerage (1995); and “Different Forms of Inheritance of Titles of Honor and Lord Archer’s Proposed Change in the Descent of the Crown” for Burke’s Peerage and Baronetage (1999)

He has served as consultant on heraldic words in the Shorter Oxford English Dictionary (1993 edition) and is ongoing consultant for the Oxford English Dictionary.

Related to his work at the College, Mr. Woodcock is Advisor on Naval Heraldry responsible for designing and commissioning the artwork for Royal Naval Ships’ Badges (since 1996); President of the Lancashire Parish Register Society (since 2004); and Chairman of the Harleian Society, established in 1869 to publish Heralds’ Visitations and other heraldic and genealogical material (since 2004).

Born in 1951, Mr. Woodcock was educated at Eton; University College, Durham; Darwin College, Cambridge; and the College of Law, London.  He was called to the bar at the Inner Temple in 1975.

Mr. Woodcock was appointed a Lieutenant of the Royal Victoria Order (LVO) in 1996, Deputy Lieutenant (DL) of Lancashire in 2005, and became a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries (FSA) in 1990.  In addition, he is a member of the Travellers Club, the Roxburghe Club and the Pitt Club.  In 1998 he married Lucinda Mary Harmsworth King.

COLLEGE OF ARMS BUILDING IS RESTORED AFTER FIRE

With records intact and repairs complete, College is in "fine shape"

The west (left) wing of the College of Arms in London has been restored after a fire erupted there in February 2009 causing damage to the interiors on all floors.

LONDON, 23 December 2009 - Repairs to the west wing of London’s College of Arms undertaken after a fire are now concluded and the damaged rooms have been restored and returned to their normal use.

David White, Somerset Herald, announced the completion of the work undertaken after a fire in February damaged the offices and workspaces of officers of arms and heraldic artists in the centuries old building on Queen Victoria Street. Besides the fire damage, further harm to the building fabric was caused by firemen dousing the flames with water.

“I am happy to report that the repairs to the College of Arms were completed on schedule in early December,” Mr. White stated. “The fire in February provided the opportunity to bring forward some of the College’s rolling program of maintenance. No damage befell the irreplaceable records and no one was hurt during the February fire.

The College of Arms is the official repository of the coats of arms and pedigrees of English, Welsh, Northern Irish and Commonwealth families and their descendants. Its records also include official copies of the records of Ulster King of Arms the originals of which remain in Dublin.

The College is the headquarters of the officers of the College, known as heralds, who organize the state pageants of the British monarchy as well as provide heraldic and genealogical work for their respective clients.

“A seventeenth-century building needs a great deal of upkeep; and the presence of scaffolding on the west wing to facilitate the fire repairs allowed us to carry out various planned minor but important pieces of work, including repointing and the refurbishing of brickwork,” Mr. White further stated. “As a result, the College of Arms is entering 2010 in fine shape.”

For further information, please contact:

David White, Somerset Herald
Telephone: +44 (20) 7248 1766
Email: somerset@college-of-arms.gov.uk