Chester Herald

Chester Herald of Arms in Ordinary is an officer of arms at the College of Arms in London. The office of Chester Herald dates from the 14th century, and it is reputed that the holder was herald to Edward the Black Prince. In the reign of King Richard II the officer was attached to the Principality of Chester, which was a perquisite of the then Prince of Wales. In the reign of King Henry VIII the title lapsed for a time but, since 1525, the office of Chester has been one of unbroken succession, as a herald in ordinary. The badge of office is taken from the arms of the Earl of Chester and is blazoned as A Garb ensigned of the Royal Crown Or.

Chester Herald

The heraldic badge of Chester Herald of Arms in Ordinary
Heraldic tradition	Gallo-British
Jurisdiction	England, Wales and Northern Ireland
Governing body	College of Arms

The current Chester Herald of Arms is Dominic Ingram.

Holders of the office

Arms	Name	Date of appointment	Ref
	John (surname unknown)	(1393)
	William Bruges	1398–1413
	James Billett	(Henry VI)
	William Tyndale or Tendale	1443–1447
	John Tyndale	(1447)
	William Whiting	(Henry VI)
	John Water or Walter	(1455)
	Richard Stanton	(Henry VI/Edward IV)
	Roger Stamford	(Edward IV)
	Roger Bromley.	(1483)
	Thomas Whiting	(1493)
	Randolph Jackson	1533–1540
	William Flower	1540–1561
	Robert Cooke	1562–1566
	John Hart	1566–1574
	Edmund Knight	1574–1592
	James Thomas	1592–1603
	William Penson	1603–1617
	Thomas Knight	1617–1618
	Henry Chitting	1618–1637
	Edward Walker	1638–1644
	William Dugdale	1644–1660
	Thomas Lee	1660–1667
	Thomas May	1677–1689
	Charles Mawson	1689–1721
	Edward Stibbs	1721–1739
	Francis Hutchenson	1739–1752
	John Leake	1752–1790	[1]
	George Leake	1791–1834	[2]
	Walter Blount	1834–1859	[3]
	Edward Stephen Dendy	1859–1864	[4]
	Henry Lane	1864–1913	[5]
	Thomas Joseph-Watkin	1913–1915	[6]
	Sir Arthur Cochrane	1915–1926	[7]
	Sir John Heaton-Armstrong	1926–1956	[8]
	James Frere	1956–1960	[9]
	Sir Walter Verco	1960–1971	[10]
	Hubert Chesshyre	1978–1995	[11]
	Timothy Duke	1995–2014	[12]
	Christopher Fletcher-Vane	2017–2023	[13]
	Dominic Ingram	2024–present	[14]

See also

• Heraldry
• Officer of arms