Sir Conrad Marshall John Fisher Swan (13 May 1924 – 10 January 2019) was a Canadian-British herald who was a long-serving

officer of arms An officer of arms is a person appointed by a sovereign or state with authority to perform one or more of the following functions: * to control and initiate armorial matters; * to arrange and participate in ceremonies of state; * to conserve ...

at the

College of Arms The College of Arms, or Heralds' College, is a royal corporation consisting of professional Officer of Arms, officers of arms, with jurisdiction over England, Wales, Northern Ireland and some Commonwealth realms. The heralds are appointed by the ...

in London. Having been first appointed to work at the College in 1962, he rose to the office of

Garter Principal King of Arms Garter Principal King of Arms (also Garter King of Arms or simply Garter) is the senior king of arms and officer of arms of the College of Arms, the heraldic authority with jurisdiction over England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The position has ...

in 1992, a position he held until 1995. He was the first Canadian ever to be appointed to the College of Arms.

Early life

Conrad Swan was born in 1924 at

Duncan, British Columbia Duncan is a city on southern Vancouver Island in the Cowichan Valley Regional District, British Columbia, Canada. It is the smallest city in Canada by area. It was incorporated as a city in 1912. Location The city is about 45 kilometres from b ...

, Canada, to Major Henry Peter Swan and Edna Hanson Magdalen (née Green), daughter of a

Folkestone Folkestone ( ) is a coastal town on the English Channel, in Kent, south-east England. The town lies on the southern edge of the North Downs at a valley between two cliffs. It was an important harbour, shipping port, and fashionable coastal res ...

master tailor from a

Baptist Baptists are a Christian denomination, denomination within Protestant Christianity distinguished by baptizing only professing Christian believers (believer's baptism) and doing so by complete Immersion baptism, immersion. Baptist churches ge ...

family formerly involved in the

Hertfordshire Hertfordshire ( or ; often abbreviated Herts) is a ceremonial county in the East of England and one of the home counties. It borders Bedfordshire to the north-west, Cambridgeshire to the north-east, Essex to the east, Greater London to the ...

straw-hat making industry during the early 19th century. Henry Swan, the local doctor, was of Polish-Lithuanian origin, and had changed the family name from Swiecicki; Swan claimed descent from the Polish noble family of Święcicki ( Coat of arms of Jastrzębiec) via a hereditary steward of King John II Casimir Vasa of Poland in 1648. Swan devoted much of his life to travelling. Having decided to make a lifetime career in the Indian Army, Swan was sent by the India Office (the UK governmental office responsible for India at the time) to the

School of Oriental and African Studies The School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS University of London; ) is a public research university in London, England, and a member institution of the federal University of London. Founded in 1916, SOAS is located in the Bloomsbury area ...

University of London The University of London (UoL; abbreviated as Lond or more rarely Londin in Post-nominal letters, post-nominals) is a collegiate university, federal Public university, public research university located in London, England, United Kingdom. The ...

. Having completed the course there, he proceeded to India and received an emergency commission on 19 November 1944 as a second lieutenant in the 3rd Battalion of the

Madras Regiment The Madras Regiment is the oldest infantry regiment of the Indian Army, originating in the 1750s as a unit of the East India Company, British East India Company. The regiment took part in numerous campaigns with the British Indian Army and the po ...

, the oldest in the country. Promoted to war-substantive lieutenant on 10 May 1945, Indian Independence in 1947 caused him to make other decisions "it being the end of a chapter". He left the Indian Army with the rank of captain. Following his retirement from the Indian Army, he went directly back to Canada to take a BA and MA at the University of Western Ontario (Assumption College). During this time, he developed a keen interest in

Commonwealth A commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. The noun "commonwealth", meaning "public welfare, general good or advantage", dates from the 15th century. Originally a phrase (the common-wealth ...

affairs, which brought him back to Britain, where he acquired his doctorate from

Cambridge University The University of Cambridge is a Public university, public collegiate university, collegiate research university in Cambridge, England. Founded in 1209, the University of Cambridge is the List of oldest universities in continuous operation, wo ...

in 1955. Swan spent six years (1955–1961) lecturing in history at the Assumption University of Windsor, Ontario, of which he was also a University Beadle. As guest lecturer, he visited many universities, not only in North America but in every continent except Antarctica, ''"the penguins haven't invited me yet"''.

Heraldic career

In addition to his educational achievements, Swan developed an exceptional heraldic career. He was first appointed Rouge Dragon Pursuivant of Arms in Ordinary in 1962 and six years later became York Herald of Arms in Ordinary. In these capacities, he was among the Earl Marshal's staff for the State Funeral of

Sir Winston Churchill Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 1874 – 24 January 1965) was a British statesman, military officer, and writer who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1940 to 1945 (Winston Churchill in the Second World War, ...

in 1965, the Investiture of the Prince of Wales in 1969, and was Gentleman Usher-in-Waiting to

Pope John Paul II Pope John Paul II (born Karol Józef Wojtyła; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 16 October 1978 until Death and funeral of Pope John Paul II, his death in 2005. In his you ...

during his visit to the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

in 1982. Swan was appointed

in 1992 on the retirement of Sir Alexander Colin Cole. His own retirement came in 1995, after having been diagnosed with cancer. At the time, some allegations were made in a newspaper article concerning his decision, in his capacity as Genealogist of the British Association of the

Sovereign Military Order of Malta The Sovereign Military Order of Malta (SMOM), officially the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, of Rhodes and of Malta, and commonly known as the Order of Malta or the Knights of Malta, is a Catholic lay religious ...

, with regard to the grade in which one of his sons-in-law should enter the Order. He denied these allegations, noting that he had never been interviewed by any reporter on this subject. Sir Conrad Swan was the first herald to execute official duties in-tabard across the

Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions, with an area of about . It covers approximately 17% of Earth#Surface, Earth's surface and about 24% of its water surface area. During the ...

and in the Southern Hemisphere. He did so in

Bermuda Bermuda is a British Overseas Territories, British Overseas Territory in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean. The closest land outside the territory is in the American state of North Carolina, about to the west-northwest. Bermuda is an ...

in 1969 and in

Brisbane Brisbane ( ; ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and largest city of the States and territories of Australia, state of Queensland and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia, with a ...

in 1977. He was instrumental in the creation of the Honours System of Antigua and Barbuda, and between 1964 and 1967, Swan was an adviser to the

Prime Minister of Canada The prime minister of Canada () is the head of government of Canada. Under the Westminster system, the prime minister governs with the Confidence and supply, confidence of a majority of the elected House of Commons of Canada, House of Commons ...

on the establishment of the National Flag of Canada and the

Order of Canada The Order of Canada () is a Canadian state order, national order and the second-highest Award, honour for merit in the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, after the Order of Merit. To coincide with the Canadian Centennial, ce ...

. Swan also took a special interest in

Saskatchewan Saskatchewan is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Western Canada. It is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, to the northeast by Nunavut, and to the south by the ...

, helping the province to obtain a full coat of arms from the

Queen Queen most commonly refers to: * Queen regnant, a female monarch of a kingdom * Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king * Queen (band), a British rock band Queen or QUEEN may also refer to: Monarchy * Queen dowager, the widow of a king * Q ...

in 1986 and a new

Great Seal A great seal is a seal used by a head of state, or someone authorised to do so on their behalf, to confirm formal documents, such as laws, treaties, appointments and letters of dispatch. It was and is used as a guarantee of the authenticity of ...

in 1991. He advised the province on the establishment of the Saskatchewan Order of Merit in 1985 and the Saskatchewan Volunteer Medal in 1995 and the recent expansion of the provincial honours system (notably the Commemorative Medal for the Centennial of Saskatchewan). He was also responsible for the design and granting of badges (crests) for each of the colleges of the University of Saskatchewan. A keen scholar and publicist, Swan wrote a number of books and articles on heraldic, sigillographic and related subjects. He was a member of several international societies and organisations and was a founder of the Royal Heraldry Society of Canada and the Heraldic Garden in Britain.

Honours and appointments

Swan was appointed an Officer of the Order of St. John (OStJ) on 8 August 1972, with promotions to Commander (CStJ) on 11 December 1975 and to Knight (KStJ) on 6 April 1976. He was appointed a Member (fourth class) of the

Royal Victorian Order The Royal Victorian Order () is a dynastic order of knighthood established in 1896 by Queen Victoria. It recognises distinguished personal service to the monarch, members of the royal family, or to any viceroy or senior representative of the m ...

in the 1978 Birthday Honours list; he and all other living Members (fourth class) were re-graded as Lieutenants (LVO) in 1984. He was promoted to Commander (CVO) in the 1986 New Year Honours list and was knighted by the Queen as a Knight Commander (KCVO) in the 1994 Birthday Honours. As Swan was a dual Canadian-British national, his knighthood was theoretically subject to being blocked by the Canadian government due to the 1919

Nickle Resolution The Canadian titles debate originated with the presentation to the House of Commons of Canada of the Nickle Resolution in 1917. This resolution marked the earliest attempt to establish a federal government policy requesting the sovereign, in the r ...

, although, in the event, the Liberal Canadian ministry did not oppose the grant. He was also a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Nation of Antigua and Barbuda (KGCN), Knight of Honour and Devotion of the Order of Malta, Cross of Commander of the Order of Merit of the

Republic of Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...

, Knight's Cross of the Order of the Grand Duke Gediminas (

Lithuania Lithuania, officially the Republic of Lithuania, is a country in the Baltic region of Europe. It is one of three Baltic states and lies on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea, bordered by Latvia to the north, Belarus to the east and south, P ...

), Knight Grand Cross of Justice of the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George, Knight Grand Cross of the

Royal Order of Francis I The Royal Order of Francis I (properly 'The Royal Order of Francis I of the Two Sicilies' ) was an extinct order of merit of the former Kingdom of the Two Sicilies which was annexed in 1861 by the King of Italy (until 1860 King of Piedmont and S ...

(GCFO) and Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Order of the Lion of

Rwanda Rwanda, officially the Republic of Rwanda, is a landlocked country in the Great Rift Valley of East Africa, where the African Great Lakes region and Southeast Africa converge. Located a few degrees south of the Equator, Rwanda is bordered by ...

. He was also a Knight of the Most Venerable Order of St. John of Jerusalem and Knight Principal of the

Imperial Society of Knights Bachelor The Imperial Society of Knights Bachelor (ISKB) was formed in 1908 in the United Kingdom and in 1912 received royal recognition, with Royal assent given by HM King George V for the Society to be called The Imperial Society of Knights Bachelor. It ...

(1995–2000); Commander (with Star) of the

Royal Norwegian Order of Merit The Royal Norwegian Order of Merit (Norwegian: ''Den Kongelige Norske Fortjenstorden'' (Bokmål) or ''Den Kongelege Norske Fortenesteordenen'' (Nynorsk)) was instituted by King Olav V in 1985. It is awarded to foreigners, Norwegian citizens livin ...

; Grand Cross with Grand Collar of the Imperial Order of the Holy Trinity (

Ethiopia Ethiopia, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country located in the Horn of Africa region of East Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the north, Djibouti to the northeast, Somalia to the east, Ken ...

); Coronation Medal of the King of Tonga. He received th
Commemorative Medal for the Centennial of Saskatchewan
in 2005.

Family

In 1957, Swan married Lady Hilda Susan Mary Northcote (born 23 July 1937 – died 4 December 1995), Serving Sister Most Venerable Order of St. John, Dame of Honour and Devotion Sovereign Military Order of Malta; Dame of Justice (SMO) of Constantine St. George; and President, St. John's Ambulance Society Suffolk. Lady Hilda was the younger daughter of Henry Stafford Northcote, the 3rd

Earl of Iddesleigh Earl of Iddesleigh ( ), in the County of Devon, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1885 for the Conservative Party (UK), Conservative politician Stafford Northcote, 1st Earl of Iddesleigh, Sir Stafford Northcote ...

, and granddaughter of author Marie Adelaide Belloc Lowndes. She died in Boxford, Suffolk when she was hit by a car, which did not stop. She was 58 years old. They had five children: * Mary Elizabeth Magdalen Swan (b. 1959) * Hilda Juliana Mary Swan (b. 1961) * Catherine Sylveria Mary Kelsey (née Swan) (1962–2021) * Andrew Conrad Henry Joseph Swan (b. 1964) * Anastasia Cecilia Mary Swan (b. 1966)

''A King From Canada''

Swan's autobiography was released in 2005. ''A King From Canada'' was published by The Memoir Club and featured a foreword by former Chief Canadian Herald Robert Watt.

Published works

*''Canada: Symbols of Sovereignty'', University of Toronto Press, 1977, *''A King from Canada'', The Memoir Club, 2005, *''The Royal Encyclopedia'' (48 articles), Macmillan Press, 1991,

Arms

References

External links

Coat of Arms
{{DEFAULTSORT:Swan, Conrad 1924 births 2019 deaths Alumni of Peterhouse, Cambridge British Indian Army officers Canadian expatriates in the United Kingdom Canadian officers of arms Canadian people of Polish descent Canadian Knights Commander of the Royal Victorian Order English officers of arms Indian Army personnel of World War II Knights of Malta People from Duncan, British Columbia Knight's Crosses of the Order of the Lithuanian Grand Duke Gediminas Commanders of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland Knights Hospitaller Recipients of the Order of the Nation (Antigua and Barbuda) University of Western Ontario alumni Clan of Jastrzębiec Fellows of the Royal Heraldry Society of Canada Garter Principal Kings of Arms Recipients of Order of the Holy Trinity (Ethiopia) Fellows of the Society of Antiquaries of London