Edmund Lodge, KH (1756–1839), herald, was a long-serving

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ...

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 a ...

, a writer on

heraldic Heraldry is a discipline relating to the design, display and study of armorial bearings (known as armory), as well as related disciplines, such as vexillology, together with the study of ceremony, rank and pedigree. Armory, the best-known branc ...

subjects, and a compiler of short biographies.

Life and career

Lodge was born in Poland Street,

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

on 13 June 1756, the son of Edmund Lodge,

rector Rector (Latin for the member of a vessel's crew who steers) may refer to: Style or title *Rector (ecclesiastical), a cleric who functions as an administrative leader in some Christian denominations *Rector (academia), a senior official in an edu ...

Carshalton Carshalton () is a town, with a historic village centre, in south London, England, within the London Borough of Sutton. It is situated south-southwest of Charing Cross, in the valley of the River Wandle, one of the sources of which is Carshalto ...

Surrey Surrey () is a ceremonial county, ceremonial and non-metropolitan county, non-metropolitan counties of England, county in South East England, bordering Greater London to the south west. Surrey has a large rural area, and several significant ur ...

and his wife, Mary Garrard, daughter of Richard Garrard of Carshalton. Little is known of his education, but he briefly held a cornet's commission in the army, which he resigned in 1773. In 1782 he became Bluemantle Pursuivant of Arms in Ordinary at the

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

. He subsequently became Lancaster Herald of Arms in Ordinary,

Norroy King of Arms Norroy and Ulster King of Arms is the Provincial King of Arms at the College of Heralds with jurisdiction over England north of the Trent and Northern Ireland. The two offices of Norroy and Ulster were formerly separate. Norroy King of Arms is ...

, and

Clarenceux King of Arms Clarenceux King of Arms, historically often spelled Clarencieux (both pronounced ), is an officer of arms at the College of Arms in London. Clarenceux is the senior of the two provincial kings of arms and his jurisdiction is that part of Engla ...

, in other words second in command of the college. In 1832, he was appointed Knight of the Hanoverian Royal Guelphic Order, but was not subsequently made a

knight bachelor The title of Knight Bachelor is the basic rank granted to a man who has been knighted by the monarch but not inducted as a member of one of the organised orders of chivalry; it is a part of the British honours system. Knights Bachelor are ...

to entitle him to the prefix ''Sir'', which often came with appointments to that order. He married Jane-Anne-Elizabeth Field (died May 1820) on 27 April 1808, but they had no children. He died at his house in

Bloomsbury Square Bloomsbury Square is a garden square in Bloomsbury, in the London Borough of Camden, London. Developed in the late 17th century, it was initially known as Southampton Square and was one of the earliest London squares. By the early 19th century, B ...

, London on 16 January 1839.

Publications

Lodge wrote ''Illustrations of British History, Biography, and Manners in the Reigns of Henry VIII, Edward VI, Mary, Elizabeth and James I'' (3 vols., 1791), which consisted of selections from the manuscripts of the

Howard Howard is an English-language given name originating from Old French Huard (or Houard) from a Germanic source similar to Old High German ''*Hugihard'' "heart-brave", or ''*Hoh-ward'', literally "high defender; chief guardian". It is also probabl ...

, Talbot and Cecil families preserved at the College of Arms. He also wrote ''Life of

Sir Julius Caesar Sir Julius Caesar (1557/155818 April 1636) was an English lawyer, judge and politician who sat in the House of Commons at various times between 1589 and 1622. He was also known as Julius Adelmare. Early life and education Caesar was born near ...

'' (2nd ed., 1827). He contributed the literary matter to ''Portraits of Illustrious Personages of Great Britain'' (1814, &c.), an elaborate work of which a popular edition is included in Bohn's ''Illustrated Library''. His most important work on heraldry was ''The Genealogy of the Existing British

Peerage A peerage is a legal system historically comprising various hereditary titles (and sometimes non-hereditary titles) in a number of countries, and composed of assorted noble ranks. Peerages include: Australia * Australian peers Belgium * Be ...

'' (1832; enlarged edition, 1859). In ''The Annual Peerage and Baronetage'' (1827–1829), reissued after 1832 as ''Peerage of the British Empire'', and generally known as ''Lodge's Peerage'', his share did not go beyond the title-page.

Works

*Edmund Lodge ''Portraits of Illustrious Personages of Great Britain with...'' Later the plates, copyrights and future book sales were sold at auction for £4200 to W. Smith, and appeared in numerous publications. *Online:
vol. 1

vol. 2

vol. 3

vol. 4

vol. 5

vol. 6

vol. 7

vol. 8
*Edmund Lodge ''The Genealogy of the Existing British Peerage'', Saunders and Otley, 1832
at Google Books
*Edmund Lodge ''The Genealogy of the Existing British Peerage'', 1859
at Google Books

Arms

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lodge, Edmund 1756 births 1839 deaths English officers of arms English genealogists Writers from London