Graham Leslie Anderson, (April 8, 1929 – November 18, 2012) was a British-born Canadian

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 bran ...

scholar and

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 ...

. Anderson was formerly a student of

Shawnigan Lake School Shawnigan Lake School is a co-educational independent boarding school located on Vancouver Island in Shawnigan Lake, British Columbia, Canada. It was founded by Englishman Christopher Windley "C. W." Lonsdale in 1916, and was partly modelled aft ...

and he began teaching at the School in 1957. He was the longest serving staff member at Shawnigan. He held the title of Senior Master Emeritus. He served as a housemaster for almost 30 years, and taught in the Social Studies department. He was also the caretaker of the chapel organ, the second largest pipe organ on

Vancouver Island Vancouver Island is an island in the northeastern Pacific Ocean and part of the Canadian province of British Columbia. The island is in length, in width at its widest point, and in total area, while are of land. The island is the largest by ...

. Anderson was also the caretaker of the rifle range now known as the Graham Anderson Range. Born in at Bradford,

Yorkshire Yorkshire ( ; abbreviated Yorks), formally known as the County of York, is a historic county in northern England and by far the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its large area in comparison with other English counties, functions have ...

, England, Anderson achieved much in the world of heraldry. He was elected a

Fellow A fellow is a concept whose exact meaning depends on context. In learned or professional societies, it refers to a privileged member who is specially elected in recognition of their work and achievements. Within the context of higher education ...

of the

Royal Heraldry Society of Canada The Royal Heraldry Society of Canada (RHSC; french: Société royale héraldique du Canada) is a Canadian organization that promotes interest in heraldry in Canada. It was founded in 1966 and granted royal patronage in 2002. History The society ...

in 1988. In 1992 he was awarded the Commemorative Medal for the 125th Anniversary of the

Confederation of Canada Canadian Confederation (french: Confédération canadienne, link=no) was the process by which three British North American provinces, the Province of Canada, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick, were united into one federation called the Dominion of ...

. Having been a consultant at the

Canadian Heraldic Authority The Canadian Heraldic Authority (CHA; french: Autorité héraldique du Canada) is part of the Canadian honours system under the Canadian monarch, whose authority is exercised by the Governor General of Canada. The authority is responsible for t ...

since its inception in 1988, Anderson was appointed

Cowichan Herald Extraordinary The Canadian Heraldic Authority (CHA; french: Autorité héraldique du Canada) is part of the Canadian honours system under the Canadian monarch, whose authority is exercised by the Governor General of Canada. The authority is responsible for th ...

at the Authority in 1999. More recently, he received the Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal. Anderson's arms were matriculated and recorded in the Court of the Lord Lyon and they were registered with the Canadian Heraldic Authority on 22 June 1992. The arms are

blazon In heraldry and heraldic vexillology, a blazon is a formal description of a coat of arms, flag or similar emblem, from which the reader can reconstruct the appropriate image. The verb ''to blazon'' means to create such a description. The vi ...

ed ''Or on a Saltire engrailed Sable between a Mullet in chief and another in base Azure and as many Anchors in the flanks Gules a Rose Argent barbed and seeded Or all within a Bordure counter compony Or and Sable''. His crest is ''A Griffin segreant Erminois membered armed beaked and ducally crowned Or supporting in its talons an Anchor Gules''. He died in

Duncan, British Columbia Duncan (pop. 5,047 in 2021) is a city on southern Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada. It is the smallest city by area (2.07 square kilometres, 0.8 square miles) in Canada. It was incorporated in 1912. Location The city is about 45 kilo ...

in November 2012. A Celebration of his life was held at the Shawnigan Lake School Chapel on December 8, 2012, with music playing on the organ that Anderson built.

References

External links

Anderson Coat of Arms

Shawnigan Lake School
:

Canadian Heraldic Authority
20th-century Canadian historians Canadian male non-fiction writers Canadian officers of arms Fellows of the Royal Heraldry Society of Canada 1939 births 2012 deaths Canadian Heraldic Authority English emigrants to Canada Shawnigan Lake School alumni {{Canada-historian-stub