Blasons

1847 · 76786 — Ulster: N.p. 1847. Calligraphic and illuminated folded vellum document measuring 20 x 21 inches and with blue double-rule border and four armorial bearings including that of Martin in the upper left corner and the royal arms of Queen Victoria; signed by "W Betham Ulster King of Arms of all Ireland" at lower folded edge; accompanied by Betham's red wax seal in a cylindrical gilt metal skippet with crown relief. Skippet has come free of the ribbon but is present and in good condition. A very good examplar.This somewhat tragic grant of arms was granted to Jone Gonne Bell a cousin of Mary Letitia Martin upon their marriage his his change of name from Bell to Martin. Mary Letitia Martin was an Irish writer who was known as the "Princess of Connemara" as she was borne into the chief landowning family of Connemara the Martins of Ballynahinch Castle. An autodidact she was well read and fluent in numerous languages. She published two books in her lifetime and a third was published posthumously. As we can see she married her cousin in 1847 but when her father died two years later and she inherited the estate she soon found herself penniless due to the great famine. She and Arthur left Ireland for Belgium where she secured a living by writing for periodicals. In 1850 the same year as her autobiographical novel Julia Howard was published they set sail for America. She had her child prematurely on that voyage and ten days after arriving in New York both she and her baby died.Sir William Betham 1779–1853 was an Irish officer of arms an author and a member of the American Antiquarian Society. He served as Ulster King of Arms from 1820 until his death more than thirty years later. N.p. hardcover