Thomas Benolt (died 8 May 1534) was a long-serving

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 ...

at 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 ...

. As part of his service, he was also a

diplomat A diplomat (from ; romanization, romanized ''diploma'') is a person appointed by a state (polity), state, International organization, intergovernmental, or Non-governmental organization, nongovernmental institution to conduct diplomacy with one ...

. He appears to have been born at

Rouen Rouen (, ; or ) is a city on the River Seine, in northwestern France. It is in the prefecture of Regions of France, region of Normandy (administrative region), Normandy and the Departments of France, department of Seine-Maritime. Formerly one ...

, though his family had stronger links with

Calais Calais ( , , traditionally , ) is a French port city in the Pas-de-Calais department, of which it is a subprefecture. Calais is the largest city in Pas-de-Calais. The population of the city proper is 67,544; that of the urban area is 144,6 ...

. Benolt is thought to have been raised in that city, and his brother at one time became its secretary. Thomas Benolt is reported to have served Kings Edward IV and Richard III as a pursuivant, but these claims cannot be substantiated. The first definitive evidence of his royal service is an appointment as Windsor Herald of Arms in Ordinary on 6 May 1504. Six years later, he was promoted to the post of

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

and on 30 January 1511 he was made

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

Diplomatic career

Having been born and raised in

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

, Benolt was an obvious choice for foreign employment. He was chosen for a mission to France in 1505 and he later went with the Earl of Surrey to prepare for the Scottish invasion in the autumn of 1512. After this, he was almost always sent to work abroad. He was in France in 1514, 1515, every year from 1518 to 1522, and again in 1524, 1529, and 1533. He was sent to Scotland in 1516, 1517, and every year from 1519 to 1526. He also spent years in Germany and Spain. Towards the end of his life he wrote, "It was the pleasure of the king my master to send me often beyond the sea, whereas I was as much without the realm as within."Quoted in Wagner ''Heralds of England'', p. 161. Benolt's duties for the royal household were varied. At one point, he was required to purchase wine for

Cardinal Wolsey Thomas Wolsey ( ; – 29 November 1530) was an English statesman and Catholic cardinal. When Henry VIII became King of England in 1509, Wolsey became the king's almoner. Wolsey's affairs prospered and by 1514 he had become the controlling f ...

. In his service he was also given orders to defy Charles V at

Burgos Burgos () is a city in Spain located in the autonomous community of Castile and León. It is the capital and most populous municipality of the province of Burgos. Burgos is situated in the north of the Iberian Peninsula, on the confluence of th ...

in 1528. Benolt was a trusted royal servant, and was one of only two

herald A herald, or a herald of arms, is an officer of arms, ranking between pursuivant and king of arms. The title is commonly applied more broadly to all officers of arms. Heralds were originally messengers sent by monarchs or noblemen ...

s who were used for very important missions. The other was his predecessor as Clarenceux, Roger Machado.

Henry VIII Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is known for his Wives of Henry VIII, six marriages and his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. ...

showed his favour to Benolt through many lucrative appointments. He was also on the pension list of the King of France following the peace of 1514, and was given a gold chain by the Holy Roman Emperor.

Heraldic duties

Benolt participated in many ceremonies in England when he was there. These were part of his duties as an officer of arms and ranged from the funeral of Henry VII in 1509 to the coronation of Anne Boleyn in 1533. When he was made Clarenceux he delegated most of his armorial functions to Thomas Wriothesley,

Garter Principal King of Arms Garter Principal King of Arms (also Garter King of Arms or simply Garter) is the senior king of arms and officer of arms of the College of Arms, the heraldic authority with jurisdiction over England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The position has ...

. In 1530, though, as he was not sent abroad, he tried to get these powers back. Wriothesley refused, and a controversy began which threatened the future of the College of Arms. Benolt swayed the king in his favour in the end and gained a commission to hold

heraldic visitation Heraldic visitations were tours of inspection undertaken by Kings of Arms (or alternatively by heralds, or junior officers of arms, acting as the kings' deputies) throughout England, Wales and Ireland. Their purpose was to register and regulat ...

Personal life

Benolt was married twice. His first wife was Margaret, with whom he had no children. His second wife was Mary Fermor, daughter of Lawrence Fermor and Elizabeth Wenman of Minster Lovell,

Oxfordshire Oxfordshire ( ; abbreviated ''Oxon'') is a ceremonial county in South East England. The county is bordered by Northamptonshire and Warwickshire to the north, Buckinghamshire to the east, Berkshire to the south, and Wiltshire and Glouceste ...

, with whom he had one son, who died young, and two daughters. He owned a house in London within the priory of St Helen, Bishopsgate, and also one in Middlesex. Benolt was noted as absent and sick from College of Arms functions at Easter in 1534 and he died on 8 May. He was buried in St Helen, Bishopsgate. Benolt's widow later married Richard Buckland.

Arms

External links

The College of Arms

References

* Walter H. Godfrey and Sir Anthony Wagner, ''The College of Arms, Queen Victoria Street: being the sixteenth and final monograph of the London Survey Committee''. (London, 1963), 80–81. *Sir Anthony Wagner. ''Heralds of England: a History of the Office and College of Arms''. (London, 1967). *Sir Anthony Wagner. ''Heralds and Heraldry in the Middle Ages''. (London, 1956). *

Mark Noble Mark James Noble (born 8 May 1987) is an English former professional Association football, footballer who played as a midfielder. He is currently the sporting director of Premier League club West Ham United F.C., West Ham United. A fan of the c ...