Death of the Grand Master of Malta

 
gselvester
 
Avatar
 
 
gselvester
Total Posts:  2683
Joined  11-05-2004
 
 
 
12 March 2008 07:46
 

His arms as Prior of England. Of course now they will exclude the canton of the Order and the arms will be quartered with those of the Order.

http://excoboard.com/forums/18883/user/133625/265751.jpg

 

My own "cut and paste" version of the achievement (with an assist from Marco Foppoli’s artwork from Fra Andrew’s arms)

 

http://excoboard.com/forums/18883/user/133625/265752.jpg

 
George Lucki
 
Avatar
 
 
George Lucki
Total Posts:  644
Joined  21-11-2004
 
 
 
12 March 2008 14:25
 

From what I understand Matthew Festing (Festing of Birk) is the lineal descendent of an orginally German family. His direct ancestor Michael Christian (von) Festin, referred to as a count of the Holy Roman Empire (haven’t had a chance to look at this) and was a captain and served as adjutant to the famous general Prinz Eugene of Savoy. He was killed on the first day at the Battle of Blenheim in 1704 carrying a dispatch. His widow, two sons and daughter came to England sometime after the war with the assistance or support of Churchill, the 1st Duke of Marlborough. The arms might be German. I think the family had some distinguished musicians as well as contributing some distnguished soldiers (his father was Chief of the Imperial General Staff ans also adjutant-general to HM the Queen and his grandfather was also a general officer, etc.). I’m surprised that Burke’s wouldn’t have any information. Does anyone subscribe to their database?

 
James Dempster
 
Avatar
 
 
James Dempster
Total Posts:  602
Joined  20-05-2004
 
 
 
12 March 2008 16:38
 

George Lucki;55315 wrote:

I’m surprised that Burke’s wouldn’t have any information. Does anyone subscribe to their database?


I don’t subscribe to their database but this is what I have found in the 1937 BLG, Armorial Families (6th Edition, 1910) and the 1909 Debretts (Companionage section).

 

BLG - Nothing.

 

Armorial Families - Nothing

 

Debretts - Two entries. Nothing to show any relationship

 

Major Arthur Hoskins Festing CMG DSO FRGS: 3rd son of Henry Blathwayt Festing, formerly of Bois Hall, Addlestone, Surrey & Eppleton Hall, Durham.

 

b 1869, educated Germany, Switzerland & RMC Sandhurst. A military career (1888-1905) with the Royal Irish Rifles (though almost all seconded to the Royal Niger Company’s Forces). DSO 1899, CMG 1902.

 

Major General Edward Robert Festing CB: Son of Richard Grindall Festing of London.

 

b 1839, educated King’s School, Bruton & RMA Woolwich. Royal Engineers. Served Indian Mutiny. Director of Victoria & Albert Museum 1893-1904. CB (Civil) 1900.

 

m 1871 Frances Mary, dau of Rev. Arthur Legrew of Caterham.

 

James

 
David Pritchard
 
Avatar
 
 
David Pritchard
Total Posts:  2058
Joined  26-01-2007
 
 
 
12 March 2008 17:00
 

I have written off to a friend about von Festin/Festing who has a wonderful library of German noble genealogy books. Hopefully I will hear back from her soon with more information.

 
David Pritchard
 
Avatar
 
 
David Pritchard
Total Posts:  2058
Joined  26-01-2007
 
 
 
12 March 2008 18:45
 

Some information was revealed about the new grandmaster’s family on the website of the SMOM: http://www.orderofmalta.org/site/index.asp?idlingua=1

THE 79TH GRAND MASTER OF THE ORDER OF MALTA

 

Rome, 11 March 2008

 

Fra’ Matthew Festing, 58, an Englishman, becomes the 79th Grand Master of the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of St John of Jerusalem of Rhodes and of Malta, elected this morning by the Council Complete of State (the Order’s electoral body). In accepting the role, the new Grand Master swore his Oath before the Cardinal Patronus of the Order, Cardinal Pio Laghi, and the electoral body. He succeeds Fra’ Andrew Bertie, 78th Grand Master (1988-2008), who died on 7 February.

 

The new Grand Master affirms his resolve to continue the great work carried out by his predecessor. Fra’ Matthew comes with a wide range of experience in Order affairs. He has been the Grand Prior of England since the Priory’s re-establishment in 1993, restored after an abeyance of 450 years. In this capacity, he has led missions of humanitarian aid to Kosovo, Serbia and Croatia after the recent disturbances in those countries, and with a large delegation from Britain he attends the Order’s annual pilgrimage to Lourdes with handicapped pilgrims.

 

Educated at Ampleforth and St.John’s College Cambridge, where he read history, Fra’ Matthew, an art expert, has for most of his professional life worked at an international art auction house. As a child he lived in Egypt and Singapore, where his father, Field Marshal Sir Francis Festing, Chief of the Imperial General Staff, had earlier postings. His mother was a member of the recusant Riddells of Swinburne Castle who suffered for their faith in penal times. He is also descended from Sir Adrian Fortescue, a knight of Malta, who was martyred in 1539.

 

Fra’ Matthew served in the Grenadier Guards and holds the rank of colonel in the Territorial Army. He was appointed OBE (Officer of the Order of the British Empire) by the Queen and has served as her Deputy Lieutenant in the county of Northumberland for a number of years.

 

In 1977 Fra’ Matthew became a member of the Order of Malta, taking solemn religious vows in 1991.

 

As well as his passion for the decorative arts and for history, for which his encyclopaedic knowledge of the history of the Order is legendary, as is his very British sense of humour, Fra’ Matthew spends any free time possible in his beloved Northumberland countryside.

 
gselvester
 
Avatar
 
 
gselvester
Total Posts:  2683
Joined  11-05-2004
 
 
 
18 March 2008 14:34
 

Not that anyone asked or anything but I just like this kind of thing. One of the aspects of heraldry I like is to see the arms of a particular office depicted so that you can see how the arms change depending on who the incumbent is. Below are the arms of the last four Prince and Grand Masters of the SMOM. Left to right they are:

Fra’ Ludovico Chigi Albani della Rovere ( 1931-1951)

Fra’ Angelo di Mojana di Cologna ( 1962-1988 )

Fra’ Andrew Ninian Bertie ( 1988-2008 )

Fra’ Matthew Festing ( 2008- )

 

http://img20.imageshack.us/img20/2459/smomgmsrg6.jpg

 
Marcus K
 
Avatar
 
 
Marcus K
Total Posts:  3368
Joined  06-05-2005
 
 
 
18 March 2008 15:14
 

Father Guy I notice a gap of 11 years between Fra’ Ludovico Chigi Albani della Rovere and Fra’ Angelo di Mojana di Cologna what is the reason for this?

 
gselvester
 
Avatar
 
 
gselvester
Total Posts:  2683
Joined  11-05-2004
 
 
 
19 March 2008 00:23
 

The Order was led by a Lieutenant because disputes concerning the Order’s sovereignty dictated that the Holy See asked them not to elect a new Grand Master. When the disputes were settled a new Grand Master was elected.

When Fra’ Ludovico died in November, 1951 he was succeeded immediately by Fra’ Antonio Hercolani Fava Simonetti who served as Lieutenant ad interim until April, 1955. He was succeeded by the election as Lieutenant of Fra’ Ernesto Vittorio Paternò-Castello dei duchi di Càrcaci who served until May, 1962.

 
Donnchadh
 
Avatar
 
 
Donnchadh
Total Posts:  4101
Joined  13-07-2005
 
 
 
19 March 2008 02:05
 

How would the arms be represented by the lieutenant instead of the GM? Or would there be a difference as it didn’t exist like this at all?

 
gselvester
 
Avatar
 
 
gselvester
Total Posts:  2683
Joined  11-05-2004
 
 
 
19 March 2008 02:53
 

Read post #11 in this thread for the answer to that question.

 
Michael Y. Medvedev
 
Avatar
 
 
Michael Y. Medvedev
Total Posts:  844
Joined  18-01-2008
 
 
 
19 March 2008 04:35
 

BTW, when the GM’s collar was introduced as such, and in the GM’s arms?

 
Marcus K
 
Avatar
 
 
Marcus K
Total Posts:  3368
Joined  06-05-2005
 
 
 
19 March 2008 08:05
 

gselvester;55663 wrote:

The Order was led by a Lieutenant because disputes concerning the Order’s sovereignty dictated that the Holy See asked them not to elect a new Grand Master. When the disputes were settled a new Grand Master was elected.

When Fra’ Ludovico died in November, 1951 he was succeeded immediately by Fra’ Antonio Hercolani Fava Simonetti who served as Lieutenant ad interim until April, 1955. He was succeeded by the election as Lieutenant of Fra’ Ernesto Vittorio Paternò-Castello dei duchi di Càrcaci who served until May, 1962.


Thanks for this clarification Father Guy.

 
Donnchadh
 
Avatar
 
 
Donnchadh
Total Posts:  4101
Joined  13-07-2005
 
 
 
19 March 2008 12:17
 

I did read post #11 in this thread and the thread in its entirety. I wasn’t speaking of that of course. What I was speaking of, specifically, is about the specific situation with the "in-fighting" that you and Marcus were talking about in the immediately preceding posts and not a normal situation – specifically if there was a difference in that situation or not, which is what I asked about – perhaps not as clearly as could have been I guess.

However, I thank you for your time in answering me by directing me to an earlier post, but that was not what I asked and I will research it on my own now. Thank you for your time in responding Rev. Selvester.

 
gselvester
 
Avatar
 
 
gselvester
Total Posts:  2683
Joined  11-05-2004
 
 
 
20 March 2008 02:57
 

Michael Y. Medvedev;55687 wrote:

BTW, when the GM’s collar was introduced as such, and in the GM’s arms?


That’s an excellent question. I’m not sure. I know that the Grand Master’s arms can be depicted with the shield surrounded by a chaplet or by the collar of the Grand Master but I’m not sure when the practice of doing the latter came into use.

 
Marcus K
 
Avatar
 
 
Marcus K
Total Posts:  3368
Joined  06-05-2005
 
 
 
25 April 2008 12:49
 

gselvester;55312 wrote:

His arms as Prior of England. Of course now they will exclude the canton of the Order and the arms will be quartered with those of the Order.

http://excoboard.com/forums/18883/user/133625/265751.jpg

 

My own "cut and paste" version of the achievement (with an assist from Marco Foppoli’s artwork from Fra Andrew’s arms)

 

http://excoboard.com/forums/18883/user/133625/265752.jpg


Do you know the reason why Fra Festing while Prior of England placed the Arms of the Order in the Canton. It that the ordinary way of all Priors?