The Society of Scottish Armigers (SSA) was founded by thirty-six (36) Charter Members as a Nonprofit Public Benefit Corporation under Title 26 CFR, Internal Revenue Code of 1986 as a 501(c)(3)/ 2055/ 2522 and State of California Revenue and Taxation Code Sections 214/23701(d) on March 5th , 2002 for charitable and educational purposes which was later authorized to operate internationally by the IRS as a nonprofit organization. The total membership exceeds more than 200 persons scattered around the globe who have been granted or matriculated Arms in Scotland including Peers, Clan Chiefs, House Commanders, Chieftains, and Armigers as well as Honorary and Associate members. Our Motto “Perge Mores Memor” or “Continue the Customs of Whence We Came” reflects our mission to educate the public concerning our Scottish heritage and customs, research and promote the practice of heraldry worldwide, and maintain our history and age-old traditions.
In particular, our heraldry is more than just a bunch of symbols; our Arms are a testament to our proud heritage and the values that unite our members. It serves as a reminder of our shared ancestry and especially the principles we as Scots uphold.
The object and purposes of the Society are:
To research, identify, and record Armorial Bearings which have been granted, matriculated, or otherwise recognised by the Scottish heraldic authority, The Court of The Lord Lyon.
To publish and disseminate an historical record of said Armorial Bearings along with biographical information regarding the Armigers.
To educate the public regarding the history and meaning of Armorial Bearings within the Scottish tradition.
To initiate, promote, and engage in scholarly, educational, and information endeavors, and to preserve and disseminate knowledge regarding Scottish heraldry, and to act as a resource center for those seeking information regarding the same.
To support and encourage knowledge regarding Scottish history and cultural heritage through leadership and participation in various cultural activities, such as Scottish Festivals, Highland Games, National Tartan Day (NTD), Scottish Country Music and Dancing, Kirkin’ of the Tartans, St. Andrew’s and Caledonian Society events, and the like.
Treasurer (Incoming) – Shaw / Pinho
President – Lord Lyon King of Arms – Dr Joseph J Morrow CBE KC FRSE
Dr Morrow was appointed to the office on 17 January 2014 and sworn in before the Lord President of the Court of Session on 27 February 2014. A member of the Faculty of Advocates, Dr Morrow took silk in September 2015. In 2008 he was appointed President of the Mental Health Tribunal for Scotland from which post he retired in 2019.
He has previously served as Her Majesty’s Commissioner for the Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland (1999-2006), as a First-tier Tribunal Judge (Immigration and Asylum Chamber) (2002-2013), and as President of the Additional Support Needs Tribunals for Scotland (2010-2014).In 2009 he was appointed as Vice Lord Lieutenant of the City of Dundee, having served as a Labour councillor for the Maryfield ward until that year.
He held the positions of Convenor of the Economic Development Committee and Convenor of the Dundee Waterfront Development Board, and was Depute Lord Provost during his time as an elected member.He is the incumbent of the Chapel of Glamis Castle, a former Chancellor of the Diocese of Brechin, an Honorary Canon of St Paul’s Cathedral, Dundee, and was recently installed as Chancellor of the United Diocese of Moray, Ross and Caithness. Lyon Morrow was created CBE in the New Year’s Honours List of 2018 for Services to Mental Health and elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh in 2019.
Chairman – Eglinton and Winton
ARCHIBALD GEORGE MONTGOMERIE, 18th Earl; b 27 Aug 1939; s 1966; ed Eton; Hereditary Sheriff of Renfrew: m 1964, Marion Carolina, only da of John Henry DunnYarker, of Le Château, 1814 La Tour de Peilz, Vaud, Switzerland, and has issue.
Arms – Quarterly, 1st and 4th grand quarters counter quartered, 1st and 4th azure, three fleurs-de-lys or, Montgomerie; 2nd and 3rd gules, three annulets or, stoned azure, Eglinton, all within a bordure or charged with a double tressure flory counterflory gules; 2nd and 3rd grand quarters counterquartered, 1st and 4th or, three crescents within a double tressure flory counterflory gules, Seton; 2nd and 3rd azure, three garbs or, Buchan; over all an escutcheon parted per pale gules and azure, the dexter charged with a sword in pale proper, pommelled and hilted or, supporting an imperial crown, the sinister charged with a star of twelve points argent, all within a double tressure flory counterflory gold. Crest — 1st, a lady dressed in ancient apparel azure, holding in her dexter hand an anchor or, and in her sinister the head of a savage couped suspended by the hair all proper; 2nd, a ducal coronet or, issuing therefrom a wyvern vomiting fire, his wings elevated proper. Supporters — Two wyverns vert, vomiting fire proper.
Residence — Balhomie, Cargill, Perth PH2 6DS.
Vice Chairman – Dunrossil
The Right Honourable Viscount Dunrossil, of Vallaquie on the Isle of
North Uist
Lord Dunrossil was born in London and educated at Eton and Oxford. He moved to the US in 1981, while working for a British Merchant Bank, and has lived in San Antonio for over 35 years. He is a former chairman of the American Financial Services Association. Today, he is active in Scottish causes. He’s the Vice Convenor of the Standing Council of Scottish Chiefs, a Director and Patron of Scottish Heritage USA, an Honorary Patron of the American-Scottish Foundation and serves on the Advisory Board of the Council of Scottish Clans and Associations. He served two terms as chairman of SSA before handing over to his former vice chair, the Earl of Eglinton. In 2024 he was given the National Tartan Day Award and was appointed by the Scottish Government to their Scottish Connections Advisory Board. He also serves as an Honorary Consul for the UK and is a chieftain of Clan Morrison. He has written two books: Connected Works, a combination of poetry and essays on related topics, and The Making of a Scottish Chief: Shakes and the Morrisons of Ruchdi, which is due out from Elm Grove Publishing in the spring.
Chief Operations Officer (COO) – Charles Houston Shaw, III, MStJ
In the Public Register of All Arms and Bearings in Scotland, videlicet:- Azure, a compass rose Or in base centered between two covered cups of the Second, on a chief Argent a pale Vert all within a bordure nebuly Argent for difference. Above the shield is placed a Helm befitting his degree with a Mantling Azure doubled Or, and on a Wreath of the Liveries is set for Crest an white tailed eagle Proper armed Or rising from a branch of magnolia granflora Proper and in an Escrol over the same this Motto “AUT MORS AUT
LIBERTAS”; For Pennon 120 centimetres long or thereby of these Liveries Or and Azure with rounded end with the Arms of the Petitioner in the hoist bearing his motto “AUT MORS AUT LIBERTAS” in two lines counterchanged, the said Pennon being limited to the petitioner and his successors in Arms. Charles Houston “Chuck” Shaw, III served 24 years in the US Army with tours in the US, Europe, Middle East, and Latin America; as well as 24 years as a Defense Industry Executive. Chuck has been a member of the SSA since 2015 matriculating his own Arms in 2019 serving as Treasurer since 2020 and COO since 2025. He is also a National Councilor for the Scottish American Military Society (SAMS) previously serving as SAMS Representative to the Friends of Scotland Caucus on Capitol Hill, National Tartan Day (NTD), and delegate to The Gathering of the Clans and Scottish Parliament in 2009. Chuck is also a Member of the Order of Saint John (MStJ), Lord Lyon Society, Heraldry Society of Scotland (HSS), Council of Scottish Clans &; Associations (COSCA), Ulster-Scots Society of America (USSA), ShawClansUSA, and numerous festival and games associations. He resides in Louisville, MS and Tucson, AZ volunteering with the Veteran’s Administration (VA), Disabled American Veterans (DAV), Paralyzed Veteran’s of America (PVA), Esperanza En Escalante (Hope Rising) Veteran’s Center, and other causes.
Chief Information Officer (CIO) – D. McAlpine
Secretary – M. McAlpin-
Michael T McAlpin was an executive with United Parcel Service (UPS) for 37 years with varying responsibilities in operations and engineering in the US, South America, Canada, Europe, Middle East and Asia, retiring in 2008 as Vice President of Corporate Strategy. He holds patents for sortation systems, and aircraft modification.
Michaels arms were matriculated in 2008. He is a member of the Lord Lyon Society, and the Heraldry Society of Scotland (HSS).
He was commissioned Commander of the House of McAlpine as of 19 April 2017. Michael was elected to the SSA Board of Governors at the Annual General Meeting on 21 October 2017.
He resides in Milton, GA and Winters, TX and is married with two children and four grandchildren. He is an active board member of several non profits.
In the Public Register of All Arms and Bearings in Scotland, videlicet:- Gules, on a bend Argent between in chief a fir tree eradicated Argent and in base an ancient crown Or a sword in bend Gules hilted and pommeled Or, a bordure engrailed parted per pale Azure and Argent. Above the shield is placed an helm befitting his degree with a Mantling Gules doubled Argent, and on a Wreath of the Liveries is set for Crest a green darner dragonfly Proper, and in escrol over the same this Motto “NA BITHEAM COITCHEAN”
A Scottish Armiger is a person who has a coat of arms recorded in the “Public Register of All Arms and Bearings in Scotland” by the Court of the Lord Lyon in Edinburgh. Actually, Scotland has perhaps the most scientific system of heraldry in the world today and is governed by a series of laws dating back to 1587. These “Acts” establish how one can acquire Arms, matriculate Arms, and publicly present Arms as well as establish penalties for misrepresentation or misuse of Arms in Scotland. It should be noted that in Scotland and most other countries, a coat of arms belongs to a single individual at a time and there is no such thing as a “Family” coat of arms or crest. However, clan or family members may wear a buckled crest showing allegiance to the chief or commander of that clan or family with permission.
Outside the jurisdiction of the Lord Lyon, it is in the worst possible taste to pretend that someone else’s Scottish arms are your own, although many people do not realize that this is the case. The best modern analogy is identity theft. Arms were the symbol of a person’s identity back in the days when most people were illiterate; likewise, they had an important use on the battlefield (Who’s my ally in this fight? Oh, I see his banner!) and at great gatherings. To use someone else’s Arms was a great insult and downright dangerous, and the reaction was at least as strong as anyone would feel now if his identity was stolen by hackers.
The basic or undifferenced arms and crest are the property of the Chief of the Clan . The Scottish system of armorial differencing distinguishes the arms of various individuals, and identifies the Chief, Commanders, Chieftains, and cadets of each organized name. Although a coat of arms belongs to a single individual and is the mark identifying that individual, most coats of arms for persons of the same surname will bear some resemblance to the arms of the Chief. A trained eye will recognize how individuals are related by observing their arms.
Although the Scottish system of heraldry reaches back to the Middle Ages, it is possible for those of Scottish descent to obtain authentic Scottish Arms today, as well as establish the right to matriculate and use the Arms of an ancestor with appropriate differencing. Members of our Society can tell you how a person may obtain Scottish arms of his or her own, and can even help you to do so. More information is available on Court of the Lord Lyon’s website and the
Resources section of this website or contact any member.
