William Courthope (1808–1866) was an English officer of arms, genealogist and writer,

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 a ...

from 1854.

Life

The son of Thomas Courthope and his wife Mary, daughter of Thomas Buxton, born 6 May 1808, he was engaged as private clerk by Francis Townsend,

Rouge Dragon Pursuivant Rouge Dragon Pursuivant of Arms in Ordinary is a junior officer of arms of the College of Arms, named after the red dragon of Wales. The current Rouge Dragon Pursuivant is Adam Tuck, who was appointed on 12 June 2019. The office had been vac ...

, in 1824, and entered the office of 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 clerk in 1833. He was appointed

Rouge Croix Pursuivant Rouge Croix Pursuivant of Arms in Ordinary is a junior officer of arms of the College of Arms. He is said to be the oldest of the four pursuivants in ordinary. The office is named after St George's Cross which has been a symbol of England since t ...

in 1839, Somerset Herald in 1854, and registrar of the college in 1859. Courthope was called to the bar as a member of the

Inner Temple The Honourable Society of the Inner Temple, commonly known as the Inner Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court and is a professional associations for barristers and judges. To be called to the Bar and practise as a barrister in England and ...

in 1851, but did not practise. He accompanied several missions sent with the insignia of the Order of the Garter to foreign sovereigns. Courthope died at

Hastings Hastings () is a large seaside town and borough in East Sussex on the south coast of England, east to the county town of Lewes and south east of London. The town gives its name to the Battle of Hastings, which took place to the north-west ...

, on 13 May 1866, at the age of fifty-seven.

Works

Courthope's works were considered accurate. He published: * An edition of

John Debrett John Debrett (8 January 1753 – 15 November 1822) was an English publisher and compiler. His name has become associated with reference books. Life Debrett took over the business of John Almon, opposite Burlington House in Piccadilly, in 1781. His ...

's ''Complete Peerage of Great Britain and Ireland'', 1834, 1836. * An edition of Debrett's ''Baronetage'', 1835. * ''Synopsis of Extinct Baronetage'', 1835. * ''Memoir of Daniel Chamier, minister of the Reformed Church, with notices of the Descendants'', 1852, privately printed. Courthope was a descendant of Chamier. * An edition of

Nicholas Harris Nicolas Sir (Nicholas) Harris Nicolas (10 March 1799 – 3 August 1848) was an English antiquary. Life The fourth son of Commander John Harris Nicolas R.N. (1758–1844) and Margaret née Blake, he was born at Dartmouth. He was the brother of Rear Ad ...

' ''Historic Peerage of England'', 1857. * ''A Pictorial History of the Earls of Warwick in the Rows Role'', 1859.The date 1845 on the work refers to the plates and title-page, which were prepared in that year. Courthope also contributed to ''Collectanea Topographica et Genealogica'' and to the ''

Gentleman's Magazine ''The Gentleman's Magazine'' was a monthly magazine founded in London, England, by Edward Cave in January 1731. It ran uninterrupted for almost 200 years, until 1922. It was the first to use the term '' magazine'' (from the French ''magazine' ...

''.

Family

In 1838 Courthope married Frances Elizabeth, daughter of the Rev. Frederic Gardiner, rector of Llanvetherine, Monmouthshire. He died without issue.

Arms

Notes

;Attribution {{DEFAULTSORT:Courthope, William 1808 births 1866 deaths English officers of arms English genealogists English barristers 19th-century English lawyers