John Inglis Drever "Don" Pottinger (1919–1986) was a
Scottish officer of arms
An officer of arms is a person appointed by a sovereign or Sovereign state, state with authority to perform one or more of the following functions:
* to control and initiate coat of arms, armorial matters;
* to arrange and participate in ceremo ...
, artist, illustrator and author. He is remembered for the publication, with
Sir Iain Moncreiffe, of ''Simple Heraldry, Cheerfully Illustrated'' (1953).
Early life
Pottinger was born at
Carnoustie
Carnoustie (; sco, Carnoustie, gd, Càrn Ùstaidh) is a town and former police burgh in the council area of Angus, Scotland. It is at the mouth of the Barry Burn on the North Sea coast. In the 2011 census, Carnoustie had a population of 11,3 ...
,
Angus
Angus may refer to:
Media
* ''Angus'' (film), a 1995 film
* ''Angus Og'' (comics), in the ''Daily Record''
Places Australia
* Angus, New South Wales
Canada
* Angus, Ontario, a community in Essa, Ontario
* East Angus, Quebec
Scotland
* An ...
in 1919. He was the second son of Reverend William Pottinger, and younger brother of
William George Pottinger, known as George. He himself was known as Don from childhood because he was unable to pronounce his given name properly. He was educated at the
High School of Dundee
The High School of Dundee is an independent, co-educational, day school in Dundee, Scotland, which provides nursery, primary and secondary education to just over one thousand pupils. Its foundation has been dated to 1239, and it is the only priv ...
and received a scholarship to the
Edinburgh College of Art
Edinburgh College of Art (ECA) is one of eleven schools in the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences at the University of Edinburgh. Tracing its history back to 1760, it provides higher education in art and design, architecture, histor ...
in 1937.
His plans were interrupted by the outbreak of
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
in 1939. He served in the
British Army
The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...
throughout
North Africa
North Africa, or Northern Africa is a region encompassing the northern portion of the African continent. There is no singularly accepted scope for the region, and it is sometimes defined as stretching from the Atlantic shores of Mauritania in ...
and
Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...
and ended his service in
Palestine
__NOTOC__
Palestine may refer to:
* State of Palestine, a state in Western Asia
* Palestine (region), a geographic region in Western Asia
* Palestinian territories, territories occupied by Israel since 1967, namely the West Bank (including East ...
in 1946. During the war, he took time off to marry Fay Keeling.
After he was demobilized, Pottinger returned to his art studies in Edinburgh. In 1947 he won the
Chalmer's Prize from the
Royal Scottish Academy
The Royal Scottish Academy (RSA) is the country’s national academy of art. It promotes contemporary Scottish art.
The Academy was founded in 1826 by eleven artists meeting in Edinburgh. Originally named the Scottish Academy, it became the ...
, and received his Diploma in Drawing and Painting in 1948. He completed an
MA in
Fine Arts
In European academic traditions, fine art is developed primarily for aesthetics or creative expression, distinguishing it from decorative art or applied art, which also has to serve some practical function, such as pottery or most metalwork ...
in 1951 at the
University of Edinburgh
The University of Edinburgh ( sco, University o Edinburgh, gd, Oilthigh Dhùn Èideann; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in post-nominals) is a public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Granted a royal charter by King James VI in 15 ...
.
Heraldic career
Pottinger's training led to a career in portrait painting, and he painted many of the most prominent people in
Scotland
Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...
during the 1950s. In 1949, he was commissioned to paint the official portrait of
Lord Lyon King of Arms
The Right Honourable the Lord Lyon King of Arms, the head of Lyon Court, is the most junior of the Great Officers of State in Scotland and is the Scottish official with responsibility for regulating heraldry in that country, issuing new grant ...
,
Sir Thomas Innes of Learney
Sir Thomas Innes of Learney (1893–1971) was a Scottish officer of arms who was Lord Lyon from 1945 to 1969.
He was Carrick Pursuivant and Albany Herald in the 1920s and 1930s. He was a very active Lord Lyon, strongly promoting his views o ...
.
During the sittings for the portrait, Pottinger was delighted by his conversations with Learney about the art of heraldry. This led to an appointment as a part-time herald painter at the
Court of Lord Lyon King of Arms. Another result of this commission was Pottinger's meeting
Sir Iain Moncreiffe of that Ilk and collaborating with him on the book ''Simple Heraldry, Cheerfully Illustrated'' (1953). This book was a best-seller and was reprinted three times in its first year. No small part of the success were Pottinger's "cheerful" illustrations.
In 1953 he was appointed as
Linlithgow Pursuivant of Arms Extraordinary, as
Unicorn Pursuivant of Arms in Ordinary in 1961 and
Islay Herald of Arms in Ordinary in 1981. Also in 1981, he was appointed
Lyon Clerk and Keeper of the Records
Lyon Clerk and Keeper of the Records is a legal and heraldic office in Scotland. The holder of this office is appointed by the Crown, and like the Lord Lyon King of Arms receives an annual salary. Lyon Clerk's duties include heraldic research, the ...
at Lyon Court. Throughout his heraldic career, he continued to paint portraits and other works for a variety of clients.
In 1985, he was made an Honorary Senior Fellow of
Renison University College
Renison University College is an affiliated university college of the University of Waterloo and located in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. Renison's campus is situated on the western border of Waterloo's main campus. The university college offers a ...
, in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, for his contributions to heraldry.
[Cuthbert Brandt, Gail, Bold and Courageous Dreams: A History of Renison University College, 1959-2014, pg. 131]
Pottinger remained Islay and Lyon Clerk until his death in 1986.
Personal life
Don and Fay Pottinger lived in the
New Town, Edinburgh
The New Town is a central area of Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. It was built in stages between 1767 and around 1850, and retains much of its original neo-classical and Georgian period architecture. Its best known street is Princes Street ...
. He was a member of the
New Club
The New Club is a private social club in the New Town area of Edinburgh, Scotland. Founded in 1787, it is Scotland's oldest club. The club occupied premises on St Andrew Square from 1809 until 1837, when it moved to purpose-built rooms on ...
.
Pottinger's own arms
Published works
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
See also
*
Scottish Heraldry
Heraldry in Scotland, while broadly similar to that practised in England and elsewhere in western Europe, has its own distinctive features. Its heraldic executive is separate from that of the rest of the United Kingdom.
Executive
The Scottish he ...
References
Sources
*
External links
The Court of Lord Lyon*
, -
, -
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pottinger, Don
Scottish officers of arms
Scottish genealogists
British Army personnel of World War II
1919 births
1986 deaths
20th-century Scottish painters
Scottish male painters
People from Carnoustie
People educated at the High School of Dundee
Alumni of the Edinburgh College of Art
Alumni of the University of Edinburgh
20th-century British historians
Scottish portrait painters
Scottish illustrators
20th-century Scottish male artists