John Guillim
Encyclopedia
Antiquarian
An antiquarian or antiquary is an aficionado or student of antiquities or things of the past. More specifically, the term is used for those who study history with particular attention to ancient objects of art or science, archaeological and historic sites, or historic archives and manuscripts...
and officer of arms
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...
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 London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. He is, perhaps, best remembered for his monumental work A Display of Heraldry which was first published in London in 1610.
Early life and education
Most historians date the birth of John Guillim to 1565 in the county of HerefordshireHerefordshire
Herefordshire is a historic and ceremonial county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire" NUTS 2 region. It also forms a unitary district known as the...
. However, it is possible he may have been born around 1550.. He was the son of John Guillim of Westbury-on-Severn
Westbury-on-Severn
Westbury-on-Severn is a rural village in England that is the centre of the large, rural parish, also called Westbury-on-Severn.-Location:The village is situated on the A48 road and bounded by the River Severn to the south and west.The village has a large parish church which is distinctive as the...
in Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn, and the entire Forest of Dean....
. This part of England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
is very close to the border with Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
and Guillim's ancestors were probably of Welsh extraction. He was educated at Brasenose College
Brasenose College, Oxford
Brasenose College, originally Brazen Nose College , is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. As of 2006, it has an estimated financial endowment of £98m...
in Oxford University. John Guillim of Minsterworth
Minsterworth
Minsterworth is a village in Gloucestershire, UK. It lies on the border of Gloucester, on the north bank of the River Severn and on the A48 road between Gloucester and Chepstow, at...
married Frances Dennis, 2nd. da. of Richard Dennis(1525-1593) of Siston Court, Glos. and Anne da. of Sir John St. John of Bletsoe and fathered eleven children, 5 boys and 6 girls: St.John, Walter, George, Thomas, Richard; Prescilla, Margaret, Frances, Elizabeth, Anne, Alice.
Heraldic career
The first record of his involvement with heraldry is the Earl MarshalEarl Marshal
Earl Marshal is a hereditary royal officeholder and chivalric title under the sovereign of the United Kingdom used in England...
's warrant, dated 23 February 1604, permitting him to bear the tabard
Tabard
A tabard is a short coat, either sleeveless, or with short sleeves or shoulder pieces, which was a common item of men's clothing in the Middle Ages, usually for outdoors. It might be belted, or not...
of the Portsmouth Pursuivant Extraordinary. From Michaelmas
Michaelmas
Michaelmas, the feast of Saint Michael the Archangel is a day in the Western Christian calendar which occurs on 29 September...
1613, he was receiving a salary from 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...
, though his official appointment as Rouge Croix Pursuivant of Arms in Ordinary
Rouge Croix Pursuivant
Rouge Croix Pursuivant of Arms in Ordinary is a junior officer of arms of the College of Arms. The office is named after St George's Cross which has been a symbol of England since the time of the Crusades...
was not made until 1618.
John Barkham
John Barkham, D.D. was an English clergyman, antiquary and historian. Highly reputed in his time as an authority, he published relatively little...
who was unwilling to have the work published in his own name.
Guillim's death is recorded as having occurred on 7 May 1621, probably at Minsterworth
Minsterworth
Minsterworth is a village in Gloucestershire, UK. It lies on the border of Gloucester, on the north bank of the River Severn and on the A48 road between Gloucester and Chepstow, at...
, although there is no record of his place of burial.