Henry Frederick Stephenson (18 September 1790 – 30 July 1858) was a British Whig politician and officer of arms. He was the illegitimate son of

Charles Howard, 11th Duke of Norfolk Charles Howard, 11th Duke of Norfolk (15 March 1746 – 16 December 1815), styled Earl of Surrey from 1777 to 1786, was a British nobleman, peer, and politician. He was the son of Charles Howard, 10th Duke of Norfolk, and Catherine Brock ...

. He was appointed Falcon Herald Extraordinary and in 1815 was part of the mission to give the

Garter A garter is an article of clothing comprising a narrow band of fabric fastened about the leg to keep up stockings. In the eighteenth to twentieth centuries, they were tied just below the knee, where the leg is most slender, to keep the stocking f ...

to the

Tsar Alexander I of Russia Alexander I (, ; – ), nicknamed "the Blessed", was Emperor of Russia from 1801, the first king of Congress Poland from 1815, and the grand duke of Finland from 1809 to his death in 1825. He ruled Russia during the chaotic period of the Napoleo ...

. On that occasion the emperor gave a gem ring to Stephenson, who was so pleased with this mark of favour that he was granted a supposed '

augmentation of honour In heraldry, an augmentation (often termed augmentation of honour or sometimes augmentation of arms) is a modification or addition to a coat of arms, typically given by a monarch as either a mere mark of favour, or a reward or recognition for som ...

' to his arms of a canton charged with the letter A within a gem ring. He served as Member of Parliament for Westbury from 1831 to 1832. After leaving Parliament, he held a variety of minor offices. He was the father of Sir Augustus Keppel Stephenson and of

Admiral Admiral is one of the highest ranks in many navies. In the Commonwealth nations and the United States, a "full" admiral is equivalent to a "full" general in the army or the air force. Admiral is ranked above vice admiral and below admiral of ...

Sir Henry Frederick Stephenson.

Arms

References

Stephenson, Henry Frederick (1790-1858), of 5 Arlington Street, Mdx. , History of Parliament Online
1790 births 1858 deaths UK MPs 1831–1832 Whig (British political party) MPs for English constituencies {{Heraldry-stub