Sir William Segar (in or before 1564?1633) was a portrait painter and officer of arms to the court of Elizabeth I of England who became Garter King of Arms under James I.
Like other artists of the Tudor court, Segar was active in more than one medium, painting portraits of luminaries of the court in addition to his duties in the College of Arms. He painted Elizabeth's favourite the Earl of Essex in his "Sable sad" (black) armour for the Accession Day tilt of 1590. The famous "Ermine Portrait" of Elizabeth is sometimes attributed to Segar.
Segar was trained as a scrivener and found employment with Sir Thomas Heneage, vice-chamberlain to Queen Elizabeth. Through Heneage's influence, Segar was admitted to the College of Arms in June 1585. While serving as Portcullis Pursuivant, he "reluctantly" accompanied Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester on his 1586 expedition to the Netherlands to serve as the Master of ceremonies for the St. George's Day festivities in Utrecht. A description of this festival in John Stow's Annales is based on "the true and faithful description by one William Segar, alias Portclose , an officer of arms in that service."
Segar was promoted to Somerset Herald in 1589 and to Norroy King of Arms in 1593 During his tenure as Norroy, Robert Cooke, Clarenceux King of Arms, was encroaching on the traditional privileges of Garter King of Arms, Sir William Dethick. In 1595 Segar sided with Dethick, criticizing Cooke for his inability to write clearly and for making many grants of arms to "base and unworthy persons for his private gaine onely."
In 1596, Segar accompanied the Earl of Shrewsbury to invest Henry IV of France with the Order of the Garter, witnessing Henry's famed Royal entry into Rouen.
As Norroy, Segar carried the Sword of state in the funeral procession of Elizabeth I (1603). A comtemporary manuscript shows Segar in the black gown and hood with liripipe of Tudor court mourning] worn with his herald's tabard. That same year, Segar was made deputy Garter to invest Christian IV of Denmark with the Order of the Garter in place of the unpopular Dethick. He was appointed as Garter by a signet bill in January 1604, although Dethick (who now described Segar as "a poor, base, beggarly painter, and an ignorant peasant") refused to resign until December 1606. Segar obtained a great seal patent, confirming him as Garter, on 17 January 1607. In 1612 he invested Maurice, Prince of Orange, with the Garter, and the same year was granted arms. He was knighted on 5 November 1616.
Segar was the author of The Booke of Honour and Armes which was published anonymously in 1590. An expanded and illustrated version was published as Honour Military and Civil 1602;
William Segar, Garter Principal King of Arms, early 17th century
http://i272.photobucket.com/albums/jj171/Azjahh/Art%20Museum/William_Segar_Garter_King_of_Arms.jpg
William Segar as Norroy King of Arms in the funeral procession of Elizabeth I, 1603.
http://i272.photobucket.com/albums/jj171/Azjahh/Art%20Museum/William_Segar_1603funeralprocession.jpg
Robert Devereux, Earl of Essex, c. 1590
http://i272.photobucket.com/albums/jj171/Azjahh/Art%20Museum/Devereaux_Segar.jpg
Queen Elizabeth, the "Ermine Portrait"
http://i272.photobucket.com/albums/jj171/Azjahh/Art%20Museum/Elizabeth1EnglandErmineSeger.jpg
((All information was taken from Wikipedia, all images are public domain))
Like other artists of the Tudor court, Segar was active in more than one medium, painting portraits of luminaries of the court in addition to his duties in the College of Arms. He painted Elizabeth's favourite the Earl of Essex in his "Sable sad" (black) armour for the Accession Day tilt of 1590. The famous "Ermine Portrait" of Elizabeth is sometimes attributed to Segar.
Segar was trained as a scrivener and found employment with Sir Thomas Heneage, vice-chamberlain to Queen Elizabeth. Through Heneage's influence, Segar was admitted to the College of Arms in June 1585. While serving as Portcullis Pursuivant, he "reluctantly" accompanied Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester on his 1586 expedition to the Netherlands to serve as the Master of ceremonies for the St. George's Day festivities in Utrecht. A description of this festival in John Stow's Annales is based on "the true and faithful description by one William Segar, alias Portclose , an officer of arms in that service."
Segar was promoted to Somerset Herald in 1589 and to Norroy King of Arms in 1593 During his tenure as Norroy, Robert Cooke, Clarenceux King of Arms, was encroaching on the traditional privileges of Garter King of Arms, Sir William Dethick. In 1595 Segar sided with Dethick, criticizing Cooke for his inability to write clearly and for making many grants of arms to "base and unworthy persons for his private gaine onely."
In 1596, Segar accompanied the Earl of Shrewsbury to invest Henry IV of France with the Order of the Garter, witnessing Henry's famed Royal entry into Rouen.
As Norroy, Segar carried the Sword of state in the funeral procession of Elizabeth I (1603). A comtemporary manuscript shows Segar in the black gown and hood with liripipe of Tudor court mourning] worn with his herald's tabard. That same year, Segar was made deputy Garter to invest Christian IV of Denmark with the Order of the Garter in place of the unpopular Dethick. He was appointed as Garter by a signet bill in January 1604, although Dethick (who now described Segar as "a poor, base, beggarly painter, and an ignorant peasant") refused to resign until December 1606. Segar obtained a great seal patent, confirming him as Garter, on 17 January 1607. In 1612 he invested Maurice, Prince of Orange, with the Garter, and the same year was granted arms. He was knighted on 5 November 1616.
Segar was the author of The Booke of Honour and Armes which was published anonymously in 1590. An expanded and illustrated version was published as Honour Military and Civil 1602;
William Segar, Garter Principal King of Arms, early 17th century
http://i272.photobucket.com/albums/jj171/Azjahh/Art%20Museum/William_Segar_Garter_King_of_Arms.jpg
William Segar as Norroy King of Arms in the funeral procession of Elizabeth I, 1603.
http://i272.photobucket.com/albums/jj171/Azjahh/Art%20Museum/William_Segar_1603funeralprocession.jpg
Robert Devereux, Earl of Essex, c. 1590
http://i272.photobucket.com/albums/jj171/Azjahh/Art%20Museum/Devereaux_Segar.jpg
Queen Elizabeth, the "Ermine Portrait"
http://i272.photobucket.com/albums/jj171/Azjahh/Art%20Museum/Elizabeth1EnglandErmineSeger.jpg
((All information was taken from Wikipedia, all images are public domain))