Petitioning the College of Arms
For as long as I can remember, I’ve been fascinated by my family’s history. It’s had so many twists and royal intersections, and it’s stories span centuries. That fascination led me on a genealogy journey that chronicled what may be thousands of years of ancestral connections: from the Norman kings of England to Stewart monarchs of Scotland and back through the deep roots of medieval lineages. As proud as I am of that research, I now want something more formal — a verified pedigree drafted and recognised by the College of Arms in London.
The College of Arms has served as the official repository of heraldic matters in England since 1484, maintaining records of family trees and arms for individuals, corporations and lineages alike.
While the family tree I’ve built reflects meticulously researched descent from multiple medieval royal lines — Henry II, Henry I, Robert II, Robert III and William I of Scotland — it exists primarily in the digital and personal realm. I want to take that research fruther by having an official pedigree examined, validated, and placed on record by the College of Arms, so it holds genealogical (and perhaps heraldic) legitimacy that stands up to historical scrutiny.
A recorded pedigree with the College isn’t merely decorative. It becomes part of a centuries-old tradition of genealogical verification. Pedigrees formally recorded here are painstakingly checked against original documentation (birth, marriages, legal records, charters, etc). They’re not based on family lore or online trees: they require provable evidence for each connection.
I took years of research to find a documented connection from me to Robert III of Scotland — a connection I was so excited to find, especially a documented one. Since my relation to Robert III of Scotland was found, I’ve diggen even more into my family and found some supposed connections to Henry I and Henry II of England — I’m currently going through the process of getting all legal records regarding Henry I and Henry II, as well as my descent from William I of Scotland.
Petitioning the College of Arms isn’t a casual request. It begins with a detailed memorial (petition) outlining who I am, what I’m asking for, and why the pedigree should be formally recorded. For genealogical pedigrees, the College will expect each generation laid out with as much documentary proof as possible. These proofs (certified birth, marriage, death certificates, wills, deeds) form the backbone of the pedigree’s legitimacy.
There’s also the consideration that a formal pedigree, once accepted, enters official historical and heraldic record —a distinction from my current private genealogy. It is research vetted by experts who specialize in lineage tracing and heraldic law.
I’m not doing this for vanity. My goals with this petition are:
To anchor my family’s history in a verified historical record, acknowledged by a centuries-old institution.
To contribute a well-documented pedigree to the academic and genealogical tapestry preserved by the College of Arms.
To seek the possibility of being granted heraldic arms.
To inspire others who might feel their family histories are too obscure, or ancient — and show that with dedication, these stories can be formally recognised.
— Alexander FitzJames