Berwick Pursuivant
Encyclopedia
Berwick Pursuivant of Arms in Ordinary was a British
office of arms created around 1460 for English service on the Scottish
Marches
based at Berwick-upon-Tweed
. In the 16th-century there was also a Herald or Pursuivant based at Carlisle
on the west border.
, author of A Chronicle of England, 1485 - 1559, was appointed Berwick Pursuivant at the age of 16 in 1524.
arranged for Leonard Warcup, Berwick Pursuivant, to meet James V of Scotland
on 26 June 1529. Warcup had previously been Carlisle Pursuivant, an equivalent office in the West border. In August 1534, Warcup was described as newly made Carlisle Herald. An old authority states that Warcup was made Berwick Pursuivant by Henry VII
. On 29 December 1542 the Carlisle Pursuivant was appointed to conduct prisoners from the Battle of Solway Moss
into England.
Leonard was the last Carlisle Herald, and held that appointment in reign of Mary I of England
.
, widow of James IV
, at Holyroodhouse in 1537. As an herald in Scotland he wore the English royal arms upon his breast. She told him to change his apparel and put on a Scottish cloak and hat and meet her in a gallery in her lodging. He witnessed James V
and his French bride Madeleine of Valois arrive at Leith
on Whitsun-Eve 19 May 1537.
Ray was Ralph Sadler's
go-between in Scotland, and he even found his lodgings. In February 1540 Ray had to argue with the Provost of Edinburgh over a billet, and a servant of Margaret Tudor told his mistress, who told the king, who ordered the Bishop of Ross
to move out and make room for the English party.
In March 1539, Henry Ray was in Edinburgh with the Lancaster Herald. The Duke of Norfolk
sent Ray's news to Thomas Cromwell. Ray had heard a proclamation that all Scotsmen should be ready for war. A "secret friend" who was an associate of the banished Earl of Angus
and an officer of the Scottish royal ordinance had told him that 16 great cannons or culverin
s and 60 smaller guns had been refurnished or newly made in Edinburgh Castle. All the guns would be ready 20 days after Easter. Ray had attended a sermon preached by a Friar to Mary of Guise
in Linlithgow. His Scottish acquaintances told him that if England made peace with France, all three countries would be at peace.
On 25 November 1542 he left Edinburgh with Somerset Herald
, Thomas Trahern
, accompanied by the Scottish Dingwall Pursuivant
. Two miles from Dunbar
Somerset was murdered. Ray and Dingwall escaped. (The murderers were said to be two English veterans of the Pilgrimage of Grace
, William Leche and John Prestman)
In September 1543 he took Ralph's messages to Regent Arran
at Stirling Castle
during the coronation of Mary, Queen of Scots. The war of the Rough Wooing
began between England and Scotland with Henry Ray's declaration in Edinburgh on 20 December 1543. Ray was rewarded £12 for delivering letters in Edinburgh in December 1551, £12 in January 1553 and £15 in February. Later, Ray was detained by French troops at Dunbar
on 4 April 1560 when he was bringing letters from Mary of Guise
declining to end the Siege of Leith
. He was sometimes called Harry Berwick.
began his heraldic service at the College of Arms
in this capacity in 1602.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
office of arms created around 1460 for English service on the Scottish
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
Marches
Scottish Borders
The Scottish Borders is one of 32 local government council areas of Scotland. It is bordered by Dumfries and Galloway in the west, South Lanarkshire and West Lothian in the north west, City of Edinburgh, East Lothian, Midlothian to the north; and the non-metropolitan counties of Northumberland...
based at Berwick-upon-Tweed
Berwick-upon-Tweed
Berwick-upon-Tweed or simply Berwick is a town in the county of Northumberland and is the northernmost town in England, on the east coast at the mouth of the River Tweed. It is situated 2.5 miles south of the Scottish border....
. In the 16th-century there was also a Herald or Pursuivant based at Carlisle
City of Carlisle
The City of Carlisle is a local government district of Cumbria, England, with the status of a city and non-metropolitan district. It is named after its largest settlement, Carlisle, but covers a far larger area which includes the towns of Brampton and Longtown, as well as outlying villages...
on the west border.
Charles Wriothesley
Charles WriothesleyCharles Wriothesley
Charles Wriothesley was a long-serving officer of arms at the College of Arms in London. He was the last member of a dynasty of heralds that started with his grandfather—Garter Principal King of Arms John Writhe.-Personal life:...
, author of A Chronicle of England, 1485 - 1559, was appointed Berwick Pursuivant at the age of 16 in 1524.
Leonard Warcup
The Scottish courtier Adam OtterburnAdam Otterburn
Adam Otterburn of Auldhame and Reidhall was a Scottish lawyer and diplomat. He was king's advocate to James V of Scotland and secretary to Mary of Guise and Regent Arran.-Servant to James V:...
arranged for Leonard Warcup, Berwick Pursuivant, to meet James V of Scotland
James V of Scotland
James V was King of Scots from 9 September 1513 until his death, which followed the Scottish defeat at the Battle of Solway Moss...
on 26 June 1529. Warcup had previously been Carlisle Pursuivant, an equivalent office in the West border. In August 1534, Warcup was described as newly made Carlisle Herald. An old authority states that Warcup was made Berwick Pursuivant by Henry VII
Henry VII of England
Henry VII was King of England and Lord of Ireland from his seizing the crown on 22 August 1485 until his death on 21 April 1509, as the first monarch of the House of Tudor....
. On 29 December 1542 the Carlisle Pursuivant was appointed to conduct prisoners from the Battle of Solway Moss
Battle of Solway Moss
The Battle of Solway Moss took place on Solway Moss near the River Esk on the English side of the Anglo-Scottish Border in November 1542 between forces from England and Scotland.-Background:...
into England.
Leonard was the last Carlisle Herald, and held that appointment in reign of Mary I of England
Mary I of England
Mary I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from July 1553 until her death.She was the only surviving child born of the ill-fated marriage of Henry VIII and his first wife Catherine of Aragon. Her younger half-brother, Edward VI, succeeded Henry in 1547...
.
Henry Ray
While Berwick Pursuivant, Henry Ray twice met secretly with Margaret TudorMargaret Tudor
Margaret Tudor was the elder of the two surviving daughters of Henry VII of England and Elizabeth of York, and the elder sister of Henry VIII. In 1503, she married James IV, King of Scots. James died in 1513, and their son became King James V. She married secondly Archibald Douglas, 6th Earl of...
, widow of James IV
James IV of Scotland
James IV was King of Scots from 11 June 1488 to his death. He is generally regarded as the most successful of the Stewart monarchs of Scotland, but his reign ended with the disastrous defeat at the Battle of Flodden Field, where he became the last monarch from not only Scotland, but also from all...
, at Holyroodhouse in 1537. As an herald in Scotland he wore the English royal arms upon his breast. She told him to change his apparel and put on a Scottish cloak and hat and meet her in a gallery in her lodging. He witnessed James V
James V of Scotland
James V was King of Scots from 9 September 1513 until his death, which followed the Scottish defeat at the Battle of Solway Moss...
and his French bride Madeleine of Valois arrive at Leith
Leith
-South Leith v. North Leith:Up until the late 16th century Leith , comprised two separate towns on either side of the river....
on Whitsun-Eve 19 May 1537.
Ray was Ralph Sadler's
Ralph Sadler
Sir Ralph Sadler, PC, Knight banneret was an English statesman of the 16th century, and served as a Secretary of State for King Henry VIII.-Background:...
go-between in Scotland, and he even found his lodgings. In February 1540 Ray had to argue with the Provost of Edinburgh over a billet, and a servant of Margaret Tudor told his mistress, who told the king, who ordered the Bishop of Ross
Robert Cairncross
Robert Cairncross was a Scottish bishop.At various times he was provost of Corstorphine, abbot of Holyrood. He was appointed bishop of Ross in 1539, holding in commendam the abbacy of Fern...
to move out and make room for the English party.
In March 1539, Henry Ray was in Edinburgh with the Lancaster Herald. The Duke of Norfolk
Thomas Howard, 3rd Duke of Norfolk
Thomas Howard, 3rd Duke of Norfolk, KG, Earl Marshal was a prominent Tudor politician. He was uncle to Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard, two of the wives of King Henry VIII, and played a major role in the machinations behind these marriages...
sent Ray's news to Thomas Cromwell. Ray had heard a proclamation that all Scotsmen should be ready for war. A "secret friend" who was an associate of the banished Earl of Angus
Earl of Angus
The Mormaer or Earl of Angus was the ruler of the medieval Scottish province of Angus. The title, in the Peerage of Scotland, is currently held by the Duke of Hamilton.-Mormaers:...
and an officer of the Scottish royal ordinance had told him that 16 great cannons or culverin
Culverin
A culverin was a relatively simple ancestor of the musket, and later a medieval cannon, adapted for use by the French in the 15th century, and later adapted for naval use by the English in the late 16th century. The culverin was used to bombard targets from a distance. The weapon had a...
s and 60 smaller guns had been refurnished or newly made in Edinburgh Castle. All the guns would be ready 20 days after Easter. Ray had attended a sermon preached by a Friar to Mary of Guise
Mary of Guise
Mary of Guise was a queen consort of Scotland as the second spouse of King James V. She was the mother of Mary, Queen of Scots, and served as regent of Scotland in her daughter's name from 1554 to 1560...
in Linlithgow. His Scottish acquaintances told him that if England made peace with France, all three countries would be at peace.
On 25 November 1542 he left Edinburgh with Somerset Herald
Somerset Herald
Somerset Herald of Arms in Ordinary is an officer of arms at the College of Arms in London. In the year 1448 Somerset Herald is known to have served the Duke of Somerset, but by the time of the coronation of King Henry VII in 1485 his successor appears to have been raised to the rank of a royal...
, Thomas Trahern
Thomas Trahern (officer of arms)
Thomas Trahern was Somerset Herald, an English officer of arms. His murder was a setback to Anglo-Scottish relations.-Prelude:...
, accompanied by the Scottish Dingwall Pursuivant
Dingwall Pursuivant
Dingwall Pursuivant of Arms is a current Scottish pursuivant of arms of the Court of the Lord Lyon.Dingwall Pursuivant was formerly a private officer of arms in the service of the Lord of the Isles, but along with Kintyre Pursuivant, Ross Herald, and Islay Herald became an officer of arms to the...
. Two miles from Dunbar
Dunbar
Dunbar is a town in East Lothian on the southeast coast of Scotland, approximately 28 miles east of Edinburgh and 28 miles from the English Border at Berwick-upon-Tweed....
Somerset was murdered. Ray and Dingwall escaped. (The murderers were said to be two English veterans of the Pilgrimage of Grace
Pilgrimage of Grace
The Pilgrimage of Grace was a popular rising in York, Yorkshire during 1536, in protest against Henry VIII's break with the Roman Catholic Church and the Dissolution of the Monasteries, as well as other specific political, social and economic grievances. It was done in action against Thomas Cromwell...
, William Leche and John Prestman)
In September 1543 he took Ralph's messages to Regent Arran
James Hamilton, 2nd Earl of Arran
James Hamilton, Duke of Châtellerault and 2nd Earl of Arran was a Scottish nobleman.-Biography:He was the eldest legitimate son of James Hamilton, 1st Earl of Arran....
at Stirling Castle
Stirling Castle
Stirling Castle, located in Stirling, is one of the largest and most important castles, both historically and architecturally, in Scotland. The castle sits atop Castle Hill, an intrusive crag, which forms part of the Stirling Sill geological formation. It is surrounded on three sides by steep...
during the coronation of Mary, Queen of Scots. The war of the Rough Wooing
The Rough Wooing
The War of the Rough Wooing was fought between Scotland and England. War was declared by Henry VIII of England, in an attempt to force the Scots to agree to a marriage between his son Edward and Mary, Queen of Scots. Scotland benefited from French military aid. Edward VI continued the war until...
began between England and Scotland with Henry Ray's declaration in Edinburgh on 20 December 1543. Ray was rewarded £12 for delivering letters in Edinburgh in December 1551, £12 in January 1553 and £15 in February. Later, Ray was detained by French troops at Dunbar
Dunbar
Dunbar is a town in East Lothian on the southeast coast of Scotland, approximately 28 miles east of Edinburgh and 28 miles from the English Border at Berwick-upon-Tweed....
on 4 April 1560 when he was bringing letters from Mary of Guise
Mary of Guise
Mary of Guise was a queen consort of Scotland as the second spouse of King James V. She was the mother of Mary, Queen of Scots, and served as regent of Scotland in her daughter's name from 1554 to 1560...
declining to end the Siege of Leith
Siege of Leith
The Siege of Leith ended a twelve year encampment of French troops at Leith, the port near Edinburgh, Scotland. The French troops arrived by invitation in 1548 and left in 1560 after the English arrived to assist in removing them from Scotland...
. He was sometimes called Harry Berwick.
Richard St George
Sir Richard St GeorgeRichard St George
Sir Richard St George was a long-serving officer of arms at the College of Arms on London during the seventeenth century.The date of birth of Richard St George is unknown. In 1575 he married Elizabeth, daughter of Nicholas St John of Lydiard Tregoze, Wiltshire. He joined the College of Arms in 1602...
began his heraldic service at the College of Arms
College of Arms
The College of Arms, or Heralds’ College, is an office regulating heraldry and granting new armorial bearings for England, Wales and Northern Ireland...
in this capacity in 1602.