[ANSTHRLD] branch pursuivant title instruction, please

[Jennifer Smith]

I'm going to take a stab at answering at least some of this... 

Kevin wrote:
> In looking through the administrative handbook dated 12/2007, I find 
> that Northkeep is the only barony in Ansteorra that does not have a 
> title "or serve award" registered. This information is a 
> little out of 
> date, as our baronial service award HAS been registered for a 
> few years 
> now, but that's not the question I have.
> 
> Actually, I have several.
> 
> 1) What IS the relationship between the branch pursuivant 
> title and the 
> service award name, if there is one? Does the service award name 
> function as a 'default' title for the branch pursuivant until and 
> unless the branch registers one?

There may or may not be one. You've noticed it's fairly common for them to
be related in some form or fashion. It *is* allowed to use the exact same
name as a registered award or order as a heraldic title -- for example,
Sable Crane, Award of the, leads to the use of Sable Crane
<Pursuivant/Herald/etc>.  

As the only registered Order name for Northkeep is "Lions Paw of Kenmare,
Order of the", I suppose you could use "Lions Paw of Kenmare Herald", but
that's rather wordy.  For that matter, you can use the placename, so
"Northkeep Herald" -- but again, that sounds less like a title and more like
a generic designator.

> 2) The handbook refers to "Heraldic titles registered to 
> Ansteorra", so 
> who actually owns a registered title, the branch or the 
> kingdom, and is 
> the owner the entity who initiates registration, or does the kingdom 
> hold the title but the branch must still initiate? (I know 
> that when a 
> branch dies, ownership of all armory and titles reverts to 
> the kingdom. 
> That's not the question either.)

The registering entity owns the title. In the case of a branch heraldic
title, the branch should initiate the registration, since they'll be the
ones holding it. (If the kingdom registered it, they could then transfer the
registration to the branch; that's how we do personal heraldic titles,
actually -- the kingdom registers them, and then later transfers them to the
individual.)

For reference, see the Admin Handbook (not the Ansteorran one, the
'top-level' one), II.B.4 - Registerable Items, Names for Groups, Heraldic
Titles:

4. Heraldic Titles - Titles for the use of heraldic officers at all levels.
Titles for Laurel staff are registered to the Society. All other heraldic
titles are registered to the branch in which they will be used, but must be
approved by the kingdom to which the branch belongs. Heraldic titles may not
be registered directly by individuals, but may be transferred to individuals
with the approval of the owning branch and the kingdom to which it belongs.

> 3) If it IS the responsibility of the branch to initiate the 
> registration by submitting a name/title for registration to 
> the kingdom 
> for review, what guidelines exist for that title? I can see that most 
> of the branch titles in this kingdom refer to something 
> associated with 
> the branch, a charge on their arms or a badge, or a service 
> award. Most 
> of them appear to be nouns, although 'Serpentine' could go also be an 
> adjective. Are other parts of speech, like adjectives or 
> verbs allowed?

See RfS III.2.b.iii. COMPATIBLE NAMING STYLE AND GRAMMAR, Name Style,
Non-Personal Names, Heraldic Titles:

iii. Heraldic Titles - Heraldic titles must follow the patterns of period
heraldic titles.

These are generally drawn from surnames ( Chandos Herald, Percy Herald),
place-names ( Windsor Herald, Calais Pursuivant, Sicily Herald), names of
heraldic charges ( Crosslet Herald, Estoile Volant Pursuivant, Noir Lyon
Pursuivant), names of orders of chivalry ( Garter King of Arms), and mottos
( Ich Dien Pursuivant, Esperance Pursuivant).

> 4) Is there a place I should have gone to to garner this 
> information so 
> I wouldn't have to bother you all? If it is in the online 
> handbook I am 
> too blind or obtuse to see it. A very quick scan of the 
> College of Arms 
> Administrative Handbook (1/20/2002) didn't turn up any 
> answers either, 
> save the implication that, as far as the COLLEGE is 
> concerned, branches 
> can own titles themselves, but I suspect that is an area that 
> could be 
> modified by kingdom law, and I haven't dug through that yet.

I always go check the RfS first
(http://heraldry.sca.org/heraldry/laurel/rfs.html) and then the Admin
Handbook there (http://heraldry.sca.org/heraldry/laurel/admin.html), and
then start doing google searches on site:heraldry.sca.org for anything I
think might be relevant.

I didn't immediately find anything useful, but someone may have done a
research project on "period heraldic titles" and webbed it somewhere, for
all I know. It's worth looking/asking around!

-Emma