A pursuivant or, more correctly, pursuivant of arms, is a junior

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 ...

. Most pursuivants are attached to official

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 ...

authorities, such as 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 ...

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

the Court of the Lord Lyon The Court of the Lord Lyon, or Lyon Court, is a standing court of law, based in New Register House in Edinburgh, which regulates heraldry in Scotland. The Lyon Court maintains the register of grants of arms, known as the Public Register of All A ...

Edinburgh Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. The city is located in southeast Scotland and is bounded to the north by the Firth of Forth and to the south by the Pentland Hills. Edinburgh ...

. In the

mediaeval In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and t ...

era, many great nobles employed their own officers of arms. Today, there still exist some private pursuivants that are not employed by a government authority. 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 ...

, for example, several pursuivants of arms have been appointed by Clan Chiefs. These pursuivants of arms look after matters of heraldic and genealogical importance for clan members.

Nationally appointed pursuivants

English Pursuivants of Arms in Ordinary

* Bluemantle Pursuivant of Arms in Ordinary * Portcullis Pursuivant of Arms in Ordinary * Rouge Croix Pursuivant of Arms in Ordinary * Rouge Dragon Pursuivant of Arms in Ordinary

English Pursuivants of Arms Extraordinary

* Fitzalan Pursuivant of Arms Extraordinary * Howard Pursuivant of Arms Extraordinary

Scottish Pursuivants of Arms in Ordinary

* Bute Pursuivant of Arms in Ordinary * Carrick Pursuivant of Arms in Ordinary * Dingwall Pursuivant of Arms in Ordinary * Kintyre Pursuivant of Arms in Ordinary * Ormond Pursuivant of Arms in Ordinary * Unicorn Pursuivant of Arms in Ordinary

Scottish Pursuivants of Arms Extraordinary

* Linlithgow Pursuivant of Arms Extraordinary * Falkland Pursuivant of Arms Extraordinary * March Pursuivant of Arms Extraordinary

Irish Pursuivant of Arms

Athlone Pursuivant Athlone Pursuivant of Arms (or Athlone Pursuivant) was a junior officer of arms in Ireland, founded 1552 during the reign of Edward VI, King of England and King of Ireland, and was named for the town of Athlone, which is partly in Co. Roscommon (i ...

Privately appointed pursuivants

* Slains Pursuivant of Arms * Garioch Pursuivant of Arms * Endure Pursuivant of Arms * Finlaggan Pursuivant of Arms * Persevante León Blanco de Armas

Role with the same name in Freemasonry

Some

Masonic Freemasonry (sometimes spelled Free-Masonry) consists of fraternal groups that trace their origins to the medieval guilds of stonemasons. Freemasonry is the oldest secular fraternity in the world and among the oldest still-existing organizati ...

Grand Lodge A Grand Lodge, also called Grand Orient, Obedience, or by another similar title, is a name for the overarching governing body of a fraternal or other similarly organized group in a given area, usually a city, state, or country. In Freemasonry A ...

s have an office known as the Grand Pursuivant. It is the Grand Pursuivant's duty to announce all applicants for admission into the Grand Lodge by their names and Masonic titles; to take charge of the jewels and regalia of the Grand Lodge; to attend all meetings of the Grand Lodge, and to perform such other duties as may be required by the Grand Master or presiding officer. The office is also at the local Masonic lodge level in the jurisdiction of the

Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania The Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania, officially The Right Worshipful Grand Lodge of the Most Ancient and Honorable Fraternity of Free and Accepted Masons of Pennsylvania and Masonic Jurisdictions Thereunto Belonging, sometimes referred to as Freema ...

. In that jurisdiction it is the Pursuivant's duty to guard the door of the lodge, and announce and escort applicants for admission into the lodge. The office is generally unknown at the local level in Masonic jurisdictions outside Pennsylvania, where these duties are performed by the Junior Deacon and Senior Deacon,California Monitor and Officer's Manual or the Inner Guard in UGLE.

References

External links

The Court of the Lord LyonThe College of ArmsThe Canadian Heraldic AuthorityThe Office of the Chief Herald of Ireland
{{Heraldry footer Officers of arms Positions of authority Government occupations