John Heaton-Armstrong

[1] Heaton-Armstrong was born at Salisbury House, Edmonton, the son of the Austrian-born politician and businessman William Heaton-Armstrong and his wife, Baroness Bertha Adalberta Maximiliana Zois-Edelstein, who came from an ennobled Habsburg family.

[3] His first heraldic appointment at the College came on 6 April 1922, when he was made Rouge Dragon Pursuivant of Arms in Ordinary.

[5] While holding this post, Heaton-Armstrong took a leave from the College of Arms to fight in World War II.

[6] During this conflict, he rose to the rank of squadron leader in the Administrative and Special Duties Branch of the Royal Air Force.

[10][11] In 1956, with the death of Archibald George Blomefield Russel, Heaton-Armstrong was promoted to the office of Clarenceux King of Arms.