Dr Joseph Morrow, 38th Lord Lyon King of Arms

Hot off the Heraldry press, we’re pleased to report that a new Lord Lyon King of Arms was appointed in Edinburgh last week. Dr Joseph Morrow, an advocate with degrees in theology law, was appointed as the 38th Lord Lyon following the resignation of David Sellar MVO, FSAScot, FRHistS late last year.

Dr Morrow has been a student of heraldry and has a special interest in ecclesiastical history and 35 years’ experience of the practical application of ceremonial within a variety of settings including State, Civil, Military and Ecclesiastical areas of Scottish life. The part-time appointment, made under section 3 of the Lyon King of Arms (Scotland) Act 1867, is based at Edinburgh’s New Register House. It was made following advertisement, interview of a short-list of candidates by a selection board followed by recommendation to the First Minister. The final decision on the appointment was made by the Queen.

The Lyon Court regulates and has jurisdiction over matters relating to Scottish heraldry, which includes establishing and issuing Coats of Arms and maintaining the Public Register of All Arms and Bearings and the Public Register of Genealogies and Birthbrieves in Scotland. Lord Lyon is the sole King of Arms in Scotland and is specifically responsible for determining and granting new arms. The Standing Council of Scottish Chiefs, the organisation that represents chiefs of clans and families in Scotland, will only invite chiefs to be members if they have been granted the Undifferenced Arms of the Name by Lord Lyon.

At present, Dr Morrow is the President of the Mental Health Tribunal for Scotland, and President of the Additional Support Needs Tribunals and a First-Tier Tribunal Judge dealing with asylum and immigration issues.

He has held a number of professional positions outwith the legal field including Convener of the Development Department of Dundee City Council, Board Member of Scottish Enterprise Tayside, Board Member of the Angus and Dundee Tourist Board, Chair of the Dundee Waterfront Development Board, Chair of the Trustees of the Tayside Superannuation Fund and Vice Chair of the Court of the University of Abertay.

In 2009 he was appointed as a Vice Lord Lieutenant for the City of Dundee and in that capacity has regularly received members of the Royal Family to the City. He is an Incumbent of the Chapel of Glamis Castle.

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Mr David Sellar, 37th Lord Lyon

The Lord Lyon King of Arms, Scotland’s chief heraldic officer and the most junior of Scotland’s Great Officers of State, is set to step down later this year. Mr. David Sellar was appointed to the role in 2008 and will retire in December after five years in the role.

The Lyon Court regulates and has jurisdiction over matters relating to Scottish heraldry, which includes establishing and issuing Coats of Arms and maintaining the Public Register of All Arms and Bearings and the Public Register of Genealogies and Birthbrieves in Scotland. Lord Lyon is the sole King of Arms in Scotland and is specifically responsible for determining and granting new arms.

The post is appointed on the recommendation from Scotland’s First Minister, and appointed by Her Majesty the Queen under section 3 of the Lyon Kings of Arms (Scotland) Act 1867. Applications are currently being accepted and close on the 31st of October. The vacancy listing on the Scottish Courts website states that applicants must be legally qualified.

Current and 37th Lord Lyon Mr David Sellar (1941) is a also a solicitor, herald and genealogist, with degrees from Oxford and Edinburgh in history and law respectively. He has published works on the Lordships of the Isles and the origins of many Highland families including the Campbells, MacDonalds, MacDougalls, MacLeods, Lamonts, Maclachlans and MacLeods. He is also a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society and has served as a member of the Ancient Monuments Board for Scotland and was the vice-president of the Society of Antiquities of Scotland.

The 300 year old Lyon Court, located just off Edinburgh’s Princes Street, is the oldest heraldic court in the world that is still in daily operation. It is fully integrated into the Scottish legal system and has the power to bring criminal charges against people in Scotland for the misuse of heraldry on behalf of the court’s dedicated prosecutor, the Procurator Fiscal. In 2008 Donald Trump faced prosecution by the court for using a coat of arms which had not been approved to promote his golf club.

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