The Arms of an Earl in the Supeme Court of the UK Building

Having looked at the arms of the 2nd Duke of Wellington on and in the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom building in our last post, today we're going to look at similarly placed arms of an earl.

These are the arms of George Henry Charles Byng, 3rd Earl of Strafford, on the exterior of the building:

The reasons for his arms appearing in this building are many:

In 1857, he became a Member of Parliament for Middlesex under the courtesy title Viscount Enfield and served as a junior minister under Gladstone. In 1874, he entered the House of Lords as Baron Strafford of Harmondsworth in the County of Middlesex, and later served as Under-Secretary of State for India (1880-1883) and 1st Commissioner for the Civil Service (1880-1886).

In 1884, as Viscount Enfield, he was appointed Lord Lieutenant of Middlesex. He became Earl of Strafford on his father’s death in 1886.

He also served with the Middlesex Militia. He was Honorary Colonel of the 17th (North) Middlesex to 1885, and of the 2nd Middlesex (The Edmonton Rifles) 1871-1878. In addition he was Honorary Colonel of the Royal Middlesex Rifle Militia and of the 29th Middlesex Rifle Volunteers, and Lieutenant-Colonel of the Middlesex Rifle Corps.

Later on, the Middlesex Guildhall (now the Supreme Court of the UK building) was the site where Edmund Byng, the 6th Earl of Strafford, served as a County Alderman and Deputy Lieutenant in the early 20th century, holding various offices and engaging in local administration within Middlesex County.

Here are some of the other representations of his coat of arms which can be found inside the building. First, once again, on the memorial plaque, here on the bottom right, next to the arms of Middlesex in the center:

In stained glass, on right, alongside the Middlesex coat of arms:

And in a window by itself:

The arms are blazoned: Quarterly sable and argent, in the first quarter a lion rampant argent overall in bend sinister a representation of the colours of the 31st Regiment.

Crests: 1st, Issuant from a mural coronet an arm embowed grasping the colours of the 31st Regiment and pendant from the wrist by a riband the gold cross presented by royal command for Lord Strafford’s gallant achievements and on an escroll the word “Mouguerre”; 2nd, An antelope statant ermine armed maned and unguled or.

Supporters: Dexter, An antelope ermine attired and crined or; Sinister, A lion argent.

Motto: Tuebor (“I will be seen”)

Once again, a wonderful display of the heraldry of a man important to the County of Middlesex.