View source for Richard St George 1554/5-1635

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===[[personal title::Sir]] [[name::Richard]] [[name::ST GEORGE]]  [[date of birth::1554;1555|1554/5]]-[[date of death::1635]]===
[[file:RichardStGeorge.jpg|thumb|The armorial stamp of Richard St George (British Armorial Bindings)]]
====Biographical Note====
Born at [[place of birth::Hatley St George, Cambridgeshire]], son of [[family::Francis St George]], a member of a long established gentry family there.  Matriculated at [[education::St John's College, Cambridge]] 1575, but did not graduate.  Became a member of the [[organisations::Society of Antiquaries]] founded ca.1586, and subsequently entered the [[organisations::College of Arms]], where he became [[occupation::Berwick Pursuivant]] in 1602, and [[occupation::Norroy King of Arms]] in 1607.  He carried out numerous visitations and in 1623 was promoted to [[occupation::Clarenceux King of Arms]], on the death of [[crossreference::William Camden 1551-1623|William Camden]].  He was knighted in 1617.

====Books==== 
Books, rolls of arms and manuscript collections were always part of the stock in trade of heralds, and numerous [[format::manuscript|manuscripts]] either owned or written by him are now in the [[present repository::British Library]], and the [[present repository::College of Arms]].  [[format::Printed]] books from his library also survive in various places.  He had regular contact with many of the other antiquaries of early 17th century [[location::London]], including [[crossreference::Robert Cotton 1571-1631|Cotton]] and [[crossreference::William Camden 1551-1623|Camden]], and [[associates::John Weever]], the compiler of Ancient funeral monuments, referred to St George's help.  In his will, he [[bequest::bequeathed]] all his books and evidences in his study in [[location::Holborn]], together with all the books, household stuff and other furniture in his chamber at the [[organisations::College of Arms]], to his [[beneficiary::son]] [[family::Sir Henry St George]] (1581-1644); he also made a specific [[bequest::bequest]] of the large Church Bible in his [[location::Holborn]] study to the church of [[beneficiary::Hatley St George]].

====Characteristic Markings==== 
St George had an armorial stamp which is commonly found gilt-stamped on his books.  He typically inscribed his books with "Liber Ricardi St George Norroy" or similar, sometimes adding the date; Cambridge UL M*.1.18-21 has a hand-drawn shield, and in the second volume the motto "Fero et spero".  Examples: Cambridge UL M*.1.18-21, R*.8.8(B); Bodleian MS Willis 52; Maggs catalogue 1121 (1990)/7; Bloomsbury Book Auctions 16.3.2006/108.

====Sources==== 
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*[https://armorial.library.utoronto.ca/stamp-owners/SAI001  British Armorial Bindings]. 
*Godfrey, W. ''The College of Arms'', 1963, 86-7. 
*Woodcock, Thomas. [https://doi.org/10.1093/ref:odnb/24491 "St George, Sir Richard (1554/5–1635), herald."] ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography''.
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{{DEFAULTSORT:St George, Richard, Sir}}

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