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Pursuivant

A pursuivant is a junior officer of arms in the heraldic authorities of the British Isles. In the College of Arms in London, pursuivants rank below heralds and the Kings of Arms, and they assist senior officers in heraldic and genealogical work as well as in ceremonial duties. The title is used in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, while Scotland maintains its own heraldic framework under the Court of the Lord Lyon.

Duties of pursuivants traditionally include researching family lineages and pedigrees, examining evidence submitted in support of

The office derives from medieval court practice, where pursuants served as messengers and agents of the crown,

See also: heraldry, College of Arms, Court of the Lord Lyon, arms granting and pedigree research.

arms
claims,
and
assisting
with
the
preparation
of
grants
of
arms
and
genealogical
records.
They
participate
in
heraldic
visitations,
record-keeping,
and
ceremonial
processions,
and
they
may
be
assigned
to
support
heralds
during
state
occasions,
proclamations,
and
other
official
events.
While
not
as
senior
as
heralds
or
Kings
of
Arms,
pursuivants
perform
skilled
research,
documentation,
and
administrative
tasks
essential
to
the
functioning
of
heraldic
authority.
often
pursuing
or
carrying
matters
on
behalf
of
the
sovereign.
The
name
reflects
this
origin,
from
the
French
pour
suivre,
meaning
to
pursue
or
follow.
In
modern
institutions,
pursuivants
are
recognized
by
their
insignia
and
titles,
which
are
often
historical
or
symbolic.
Examples
of
named
pursuivant
offices
have
included
titles
such
as
Portcullis
Pursuivant
and
Rouge
Dragon
Pursuivant,
among
others,
reflecting
the
tradition
of
designating
offices
by
heraldic
or
geographic
associations.