Richmond Herald of Arms in Ordinary is an officer of arms of the College of Arms in England. From 1421 to 1485, Richmond was a herald to John of Lancaster, 1st Duke of Bedford, George Plantagenet, 1st Duke of Clarence, and Henry, Earl of Richmond, all of whom held the Honour (estate) of Richmond. However, on the accession of Henry as Henry VII of England in 1485, Richmond became a king of arms and remained so until 1510, when the office became that of a herald in ordinary of the Crown. The badge of office is a red rose of Lancaster dimidiating the white rose en soleil of York, ensigned by the royal crown. Although this device has all the characteristics of a Tudor invention, it is likely to be of fairly recent derivation.
The office is currently vacant.
Holders of the office Arms Name Date of appointmentRef Herald of John of Lancaster, 1st Duke of BedfordPeter Bouchard(1430)Thomas More, Esq.(Henry VI) Herald of George Plantagenet, 1st Duke of ClarenceWilliam Brereton(Edward IV)Thomas Griffin, Esq.(1473) Herald of Henry Tudor, 2nd Earl of RichmondRoger Machado(1485) Lancaster Herald of Arms in OrdinaryRobert Browne1498–1510John Joyner1511–1522Christopher Barker1522–1536John Narboone1536–1540Gilbert Dethick1540–1547Lawrence Dalton1547–1557Nicholas Narboone1557–1566Hugh Cotgrave1566–1585Richard Lee1585–1597William Camden1597–1597John Raven1597–1615Sir Henry St George1615–1635George Mainwaring1635–1660Henry St George, the younger1660–1677Henry Dethick1677–1704John Hare1704–1707Peter Le Neve1707–1721Robert Dale1721–1722Charles Whinyates1722–1737James Lane1738–1755Francis Grose1755–1763Henry Pujolas, Jun1763–1764Peter Dore1764–1780Ralph Bigland1780–1803Joseph Hawker1803–1838James Pulman1838–1846Matthew Howard-Gibbon1846–1873Henry Molyneux-Seel1873–1882Arthur Larken1882–1889Charles Athill1889–1919Sir Gerald Wollaston1919–1928Henry Robert Charles Martin1928–1942Sir Anthony Wagner1943–1961Robin Milne Stuart de la Lanne-Mirrlees1962–1967John Brooke-Little1967–1980Michael Maclagan1980–1989Patric Dickinson1989–2010Clive Cheesman2010–2024James Peill2026vacant2026 – present
See also Heraldry Officer of Arms The College of Arms
References Citations
Bibliography 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, Mark Noble, (London, 1804)
External links Richmond Herald of Arms