John Inglis Drever "Don" Pottinger (1919–1986) was a

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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 ...

, artist, illustrator and author. He is remembered for the publication, with Sir Iain Moncreiffe, of ''Simple Heraldry, Cheerfully Illustrated'' (1953).

Early life

Pottinger was born at

Carnoustie Carnoustie (; ) is a town and former police burgh in the subdivisions of Scotland, council area of Angus, Scotland. It is at the mouth of the Barry Burn on the North Sea coast. In the UK census 2011, 2011 census, Carnoustie had a population of ...

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in 1919. He was the second son of Reverend William Pottinger, and younger brother of William George Pottinger, known as George. He himself was known as Don from childhood because he was unable to pronounce his given name properly. He was educated at the

High School of Dundee The High School of Dundee is a private, co-educational, day school in Dundee, Scotland, which provides nursery, primary and secondary education to just over one thousand pupils. Its foundation has been dated to 1239, and it is the only private sc ...

and received a scholarship to the

Edinburgh College of Art Edinburgh College of Art (ECA) is one of eleven schools in the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences at the University of Edinburgh. Tracing its history back to 1760, it provides higher education in art and design, architecture, histor ...

in 1937. His plans were interrupted by the outbreak of

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

in 1939. He served in the

British Army The British Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of the United Kingdom. the British Army comprises 73,847 regular full-time personnel, 4,127 Brigade of Gurkhas, Gurkhas, 25,742 Army Reserve (United Kingdom), volunteer reserve perso ...

throughout

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and

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and ended his service in

Palestine Palestine, officially the State of Palestine, is a country in West Asia. Recognized by International recognition of Palestine, 147 of the UN's 193 member states, it encompasses the Israeli-occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and th ...

in 1946. During the war, he took time off to marry Fay Keeling. After he was demobilized, Pottinger returned to his art studies in Edinburgh. In 1947 he won the Chalmer's Prize from the

Royal Scottish Academy The Royal Scottish Academy (RSA) is the country's national academy of art. It promotes contemporary art, contemporary Scottish art. The Academy was founded in 1826 by eleven artists meeting in Edinburgh. Originally named the Scottish Academy ...

, and received his Diploma in Drawing and Painting in 1948. He completed an MA in

Fine Arts In European academic traditions, fine art (or, fine arts) is made primarily for aesthetics or creativity, creative expression, distinguishing it from popular art, decorative art or applied art, which also either serve some practical function ...

in 1951 at the

University of Edinburgh The University of Edinburgh (, ; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in Post-nominal letters, post-nominals) is a Public university, public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Founded by the City of Edinburgh Council, town council under th ...

Heraldic career

Pottinger's training led to a career in portrait painting, and he painted many of the most prominent people in

Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...

during the 1950s. In 1949, he was commissioned to paint the official portrait of

Lord Lyon King of Arms The Right Honourable the Lord Lyon King of Arms, the head of Lyon Court, is the most junior of the Great Officer of State, Great Officers of State in Scotland and is the Scotland, Scottish official with responsibility for regulating heraldry i ...

, Sir Thomas Innes of Learney. During the sittings for the portrait, Pottinger was delighted by his conversations with Learney about the art of heraldry. This led to an appointment as a part-time herald painter at the Court of Lord Lyon King of Arms. Another result of this commission was Pottinger's meeting Sir Iain Moncreiffe of that Ilk and collaborating with him on the book ''Simple Heraldry, Cheerfully Illustrated'' (1953). This book was a best-seller and was reprinted three times in its first year. No small part of the success were Pottinger's "cheerful" illustrations. In 1953 he was appointed as Linlithgow Pursuivant of Arms Extraordinary, as Unicorn Pursuivant of Arms in Ordinary in 1961 and Islay Herald of Arms in Ordinary in 1981. Also in 1981, he was appointed Lyon Clerk and Keeper of the Records at Lyon Court. Throughout his heraldic career, he continued to paint portraits and other works for a variety of clients. In 1985, he was made an Honorary Senior Fellow of Renison University College, in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, for his contributions to heraldry.Cuthbert Brandt, Gail, Bold and Courageous Dreams: A History of Renison University College, 1959-2014, pg. 131 Pottinger remained Islay and Lyon Clerk until his death in 1986.

Personal life

Don and Fay Pottinger lived in the

New Town, Edinburgh The New Town is a central area of Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. It was built in stages between 1767 and around 1850, and retains much of its original neo-classical and Georgian period architecture. Its best known street is Princes Street ...

. He was a member of the New Club.

Pottinger's own arms

Published works

* * * * * * * * * * * *

References

Sources

External links

The Court of Lord Lyon
* , - , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Pottinger, Don Scottish officers of arms Scottish genealogists British Army personnel of World War II 1919 births 1986 deaths 20th-century Scottish painters Scottish male painters People from Carnoustie People educated at the High School of Dundee Alumni of the Edinburgh College of Art Alumni of the University of Edinburgh 20th-century British historians Scottish portrait painters Scottish illustrators 20th-century Scottish male artists