u/TheContrariat

With news that the Medieval cathedral at Coventry is becoming damaged in large part because the inside was never supposed to be exposed to the elements for as long as it has been - is it unreasonable to want to see an effort mimicking that of the campaign that saved and restored Notre Dame, and finally see it rebuilt 80 years after its destruction? I understand the arguments against: that it's supposed to be a memorial to the wartime fire bombing of Coventry; that it provides a tranquil space for reflection in the city centre... But a reconstruction doesn't damage its role as a memorial, if anything it could instead represent a powerful symbol of reconciliation, resilience and healing, finally restoring a scar on the city’s landscape. Beyond preserving an extraordinary piece of British heritage, a rebuilt cathedral could revitalise Coventry’s city centre, attract international tourism, create jobs and generate millions for the local economy, much as the new tomb of Richard III brought an estimated £79 million in Gross Value Added to Leicester. Given we have a Prime Minister interested in redevelopment outside London, and the King is an avid lover of saving important British architecture isn't now finally the time for a campaign to restore this midlands icon?

Hi, I’m planning to submit an application for arms to the Lord Lyon. I have a design in mind. My surname is unusual, borne by only one family, and to the best of my knowledge a grant of arms has never been made in Scotland to someone with this surname before. The family did receive a coat of arms in England in the 1500s (I have not personally inherited these as I inherited the name through an unmarried woman) and in Ireland (I have not inherited these either as they represent a different branch of the family) slightly later. The Irish arms were based on the English grant.

My understanding is that in the Scottish tradition arms take influence from the original grant of arms (is this the chief of name and arms?) to that surname in Scotland.

So three questions:

1. How can I confirm definitively that nobody else with my surname has had a grant of arms before? I already checked the Public Register of All Arms and Bearings in Scotland online (no results).
2. Will my arms be treated as an entirely new grant without the need to be influenced by a prior coat of arms? (Would the Lord Lyon look for the closest Scottish surname to have been granted arms or seek to take influence from the English or Irish grant of arms perhaps?)
3. How does that work in respect of the Chief of Name and Arms? If my application were successful would I be recognised as a Chief of Name and Arms or is that only applied to those with a ‘following’?