Henry Robert Charles Martin (1889 – 1942) 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 a ...
at 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 ...
in
London
London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
and a male English international
badminton
Badminton is a racquet sport played using racquets to hit a shuttlecock across a net. Although it may be played with larger teams, the most common forms of the game are "singles" (with one player per side) and "doubles" (with two players p ...
player.
Profile
Born at
Maskeliya
Maskeliya is a town in the Central Province of Sri Lanka. It is the site of the 1974 crash of Martinair Flight 138, the worst air disaster in Sri Lanka.
It is known for its mountains, waterfalls, unique ethnic background and estates. The act ...
,
Ceylon, the eldest son of Henry Thomas Martin, later of
South Kensington
South Kensington, nicknamed Little Paris, is a district just west of Central London in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. Historically it settled on part of the scattered Middlesex village of Brompton. Its name was supplanted with ...
, Martin was educated at
Bedford School, then at
Lincoln College, Oxford. He was called to the bar from the
Middle Temple
The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple, commonly known simply as Middle Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court exclusively entitled to call their members to the English Bar as barristers, the others being the Inner Temple, Gray's Inn ...
in 1912. He represented England as a
badminton
Badminton is a racquet sport played using racquets to hit a shuttlecock across a net. Although it may be played with larger teams, the most common forms of the game are "singles" (with one player per side) and "doubles" (with two players p ...
player. During the
First World War
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
, he served as a
captain in the
East Lancashire Regiment
The East Lancashire Regiment was, from 1881 to 1958, a line infantry regiment of the British Army. The regiment was formed in 1881 under the Childers Reforms by the amalgamation of the 30th (Cambridgeshire) Regiment of Foot and 59th (2nd Nottingh ...
, and in the Intelligence Department from 1938-41. His first heraldic appointment came on 31 May 1922 when he was made
Rouge Croix Pursuivant of Arms in Ordinary to replace
Archibald George Blomefield Russell
Archibald George Blomefield Russell (20 June 1879 – 30 November 1955) was an English art historian and a long-serving Officer of Arms, officer of arms at the College of Arms in London.
Early life
Russell was the fourth son of Theodosius Stuart ...
. He held this position until 2 August 1928 when he was promoted to the office of
Richmond Herald of Arms in Ordinary to replace
Gerald Wollaston
Sir Gerald Woods Wollaston (2 June 1874 – 4 March 1957) was a long-serving officer of arms at the College of Arms in London. Wollaston's family had a firm tradition at the College of Arms. Wollaston's great-grandfather was Sir William Woods, ...
. Martin was elected a Fellow of the
Society of Antiquaries in 1930. He held this office until his death from heart failure on 23 July 1942.
In 1914, Martin had married Mary Gladys, daughter of the Rev. John Whitby St Quintin, M.A., rector of
Hatley St George, Cambridge; they had three daughters: Diana, Pamela (who married, in 1936, John Maitland Cowper, of
Barclays Bank
Barclays () is a British multinational universal bank, headquartered in London, England. Barclays operates as two divisions, Barclays UK and Barclays International, supported by a service company, Barclays Execution Services.
Barclays traces ...
), and June.
Badminton career
He was part of the English team that toured Canada in 1925 to promote the sport on behalf of the Canadian Badminton Association which had recently been formed in 1921.
He lived in Earls Terrace London at the time.
Arms
See also
*
Heraldry
*
Pursuivant
A pursuivant or, more correctly, pursuivant of arms, is a junior officer of arms. Most pursuivants are attached to official heraldic authorities, such as the College of Arms in London or the Court of the Lord Lyon in Edinburgh. In the mediaeval e ...
*
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 to ...
References
The College of Arms
{{DEFAULTSORT:Martin, Henry Robert Charles
1889 births
1942 deaths
English officers of arms
English genealogists
English male non-fiction writers
English male badminton players
20th-century English male writers