Thomas Hawley facts for kids
Thomas Hawley (died August 22, 1557) was an important official who worked with coats of arms and ceremonies at the College of Arms in London. He started his royal service as a helper to Queen Margaret of Scotland from 1503 to 1508. He might have been given a special role called Rose Blanche Pursuivant during the time of King Henry VII. His first official job dealing with heraldry (the study of coats of arms) began in 1509.
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Becoming a Royal Herald
King Henry VIII officially appointed Hawley as Rouge Croix Pursuivant of Arms in Ordinary on August 26, 1509. This was an important step in his career. In this role, he traveled with the Earl of Surrey during a military campaign in 1513 against King James IV of Scotland.
Captured Before Battle
During this campaign, Hawley was captured and held as a prisoner before the famous Battle of Flodden. Luckily, he was released before the actual fighting began. Because of his good work in Scotland, especially in diplomacy (talking between countries), he was promoted. On November 1, 1514, he became Carlisle Herald. The king also gave him a regular payment of 20 marks, which was a good amount of money back then.
Important Jobs and Visits
As Carlisle Herald, Hawley continued to perform many ceremonial duties. In 1530, he became the assistant to Thomas Benolt, who was the Clarenceux King of Arms. In this role, Hawley visited churches in London to check on their coats of arms. This was called a heraldic visitation.
Correcting Coats of Arms
His job was "to reform all false armory and Arms devised without authority." This means he had to correct any coats of arms that were wrong or made up without official permission. His notes from this visit are the oldest record we have of a heraldic visitation.
After several more trips to Scotland for diplomatic reasons, Hawley was promoted again. He became Norroy King of Arms on June 15, 1534. Hawley also had a long-running disagreement with the Garter Principal King of Arms about their special rights and duties.
Clarenceux King of Arms
On May 19, 1536, Hawley was appointed Clarenceux King of Arms, a very high position. He was given permission to conduct more heraldic visitations in 1541, 1552, and 1555. However, it's not clear if he actually carried out all of these visits.
Later Life and Legacy
Thomas Hawley passed away at his home in the Barbican, London on August 22, 1557. He was buried two days later in a special ceremony at St Giles Cripplegate church. It is believed he never married. In his will, he named William Harvey, who was Norroy King of Arms at the time, as the person to handle his affairs. Hawley also left Harvey his large collection of books, which he had received from Thomas Benolt, his predecessor as Clarenceux.
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