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Gordon Ambrose de Lisle Lee (11 July 1863
[''Scotland, Select Births and Baptisms, 1564–1950''] – 12 September 1927) was a British
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 a ...
, an expert in
Japanese art and
heraldry and a
stage designer.
Early life
Lee was born in
Aberdeen
Aberdeen (; sco, Aiberdeen ; gd, Obar Dheathain ; la, Aberdonia) is a city in North East Scotland, and is the third most populous city in the country. Aberdeen is one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas (as Aberdeen City), and ...
, the second son of Reverend
Frederick George Lee,
vicar
A vicar (; Latin: '' vicarius'') is a representative, deputy or substitute; anyone acting "in the person of" or agent for a superior (compare "vicarious" in the sense of "at second hand"). Linguistically, ''vicar'' is cognate with the English pre ...
of All Saints, Lambeth.
He was educated at
St Mary's College, Harlow and
Westminster School
(God Gives the Increase)
, established = Earliest records date from the 14th century, refounded in 1560
, type = Public school Independent day and boarding school
, religion = Church of England
, head_label = Hea ...
and became an artist and designer.
In 1888, he married Rose, the eldest daughter of Robert Wallace, Secretary to the
Earl Marshal
Earl marshal (alternatively marschal or marischal) is a hereditary royal officeholder and chivalric title under the Monarchy of the United Kingdom, sovereign of the United Kingdom used in England (then, following the Act of Union 1800, in the U ...
.
College of Arms
In 1889, he joined the
College of Arms
The College of Arms, or Heralds' College, is a royal corporation consisting of professional officers of arms, with jurisdiction over England, Wales, Northern Ireland and some Commonwealth realms. The heralds are appointed by the British Sovere ...
as
Bluemantle Pursuivant
Bluemantle Pursuivant of Arms in Ordinary is a junior officer of arms of the College of Arms in London. The office is reputed to have been created by King Henry V to serve the Order of the Garter, but there is no documentary evidence of this. ...
. He was appointed
York Herald
York Herald of Arms in Ordinary is an officer of arms at the College of Arms. The first York Herald is believed to have been an officer to Edmund of Langley, Duke of York around the year 1385, but the first completely reliable reference to such a ...
on 29 November 1905 in succession to
George William Marshall and then
Norroy King of Arms
Norroy and Ulster King of Arms is the Provincial King of Arms at the College of Heralds with jurisdiction over England north of the Trent and Northern Ireland. The two offices of Norroy and Ulster were formerly separate. Norroy King of Arms is ...
in 1922, before being appointed
Clarenceux King of Arms
Clarenceux King of Arms, historically often spelled Clarencieux (both pronounced ), is an officer of arms at the College of Arms in London. Clarenceux is the senior of the two provincial kings of arms and his jurisdiction is that part of Engla ...
, the Principal Herald of South, East and West England, on 5 October 1926 in succession to
William Lindsay. He was secretary to the Earl Marshal from 1911 to 1917 and the
Deputy Earl Marshal
Earl marshal (alternatively marschal or marischal) is a hereditary royal officeholder and chivalric title under the sovereign of the United Kingdom used in England (then, following the Act of Union 1800, in the United Kingdom). He is the eighth ...
from 1917 until his death.
He was appointed
Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB) in the 1920 New Year War Honours
and
Commander of the Royal Victorian Order
The Royal Victorian Order (french: Ordre royal de Victoria) is a dynastic order of knighthood established in 1896 by Queen Victoria. It recognises distinguished personal service to the British monarch, Canadian monarch, Australian monarch, o ...
(CVO) in the
1926 New Year Honours
The New Year Honours 1926 were appointments by King George V to various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by members of the British Empire. They were published on 29 December 1925.
The recipients of honours are displayed here ...
.
Works
*
*
Arms
Footnotes
References
*
*
1863 births
1927 deaths
People from Aberdeen
People educated at Westminster School, London
English officers of arms
British genealogists
Commanders of the Royal Victorian Order
Companions of the Order of the Bath
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