John Guillim

Most sources date the birth of John Guillim to 1565 in the county of Hereford.

This part of England is very close to the border with Wales and Guillim's ancestors were probably of Welsh extraction.

[2] The first record of his involvement with heraldry is the Earl Marshal's warrant, dated 23 February 1604, permitting him to wear the tabard of the Portsmouth Pursuivant Extraordinary.

From Michaelmas 1613 he was receiving a salary from the College of Arms, although his official appointment as Rouge Croix Pursuivant of Arms in Ordinary was not made until 1618[4] The Display of Heraldry was written in about 1610 and was re-printed as early as 1611.

[2] The early writings on English heraldry, including Guillim, "not only perpetuate the nonsensical natural history of olden days but are largely responsible for erroneous beliefs about heraldic charges having definite symbolic meanings and their being granted as rewards for valorous deeds—beliefs that today are perpetuated by the vendors of mail-order and shopping mall family coats of arms.