The Heralds
1973 novel by Brian, f. 1928 Killick
The Heralds is a novel written by Brian Killick in 1973. It is a fictional account of the inner workings of the College of Arms in London. The book follows the exploits of the college's members after the announcement that the current Garter Principal King of Arms will be retiring.
Plot summary
The book begins with a brief introduction describing the lasting nature of the College of Arms through successive monarchs and governments. Immediately, though, the book shifts its focus to the current set of officers of arms at the college. At the end of the first chapter, Garter Principal King of Arms–the head of the body of heralds – announces his intended retirement from the post in six months time.
The announcement by Garter throws the entire College of Arms into confusion. Set in the late 1960s, the retiring King of Arms had led the college since the end of World War II. Each of the other, twelve officers of arms in ordinary begins calculating his own chances of promotion to the top spot. Some continue about their own business, knowing that their dutiful service will be rewarded, however, Cecil Gascoigne, who is Chester Herald, decides he will stop only short of murder in obtaining the coveted office.
Slowly, but surely, Cecil Gascoigne begins eliminating his competitors.
The public source identifies “The Heralds” as 1973 novel by Brian, f. 1928 Killick. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Heralds, novel and Brian.
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Reception evidence should be dated and situated: later canonical status may differ sharply from the work’s initial circulation. The source revision retrieved here is dated May 18, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q7739423. 1 of 1 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1973.
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This entry incorporates text from “The Heralds” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.