Æthelmearc Supplemental Letter of Intent
January 19, 2011 (AS 45)

Unto Olwynn ni Chinnéidigh, Laurel Queen of Arms; Juliana de Luna, Pelican Queen of Arms; Tanczos Istvan, Wreath King of Arms; and the Members of the College of Arms, does Fridrikr Tomasson, Garnet Herald, send most courteous greetings!

It is the intent of the College of Heralds of the Kingdom of Æthelmearc to submit for registration the following:

1: Æthelmearc, Kingdom of - New Order Name

OSCAR finds the name registered exactly as it appears in January of 1998, via Æthelmearc

White Lion, Order of the

No major changes.
Language (English) most important.

Originally submitted as The Company of the White Lion. The designator was changed at Kingdom to match the precedent that says:

Dun Carraig, Barony of. Household name Company of Wayfarers of Dun Carraig (see RETURNS for badge).

Submitted as an order name, Company is a designator that applies only to household names.(LoAR, 10/99)

White - Oxford Universal English Dictionary, v. X, p. 2420, cites White to ME. This spelling is current in the 16th c. the online Middle English Dictionary <http://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/m/mec/med-idx?type=byte&byte=242364439&egdisplay=compact&egs=242373641 > cites white to 1537: a1500(c1477) Norton OAlch.(Add 10302) 1537: These ij colours, Rufe and citryne, Be meen colours bitwene white & redde.

LIon - Oxford Universal English Dictionary, v. V, p. 1149, cites lion to ME. The on-line Middle English Dictionary cites this spelling to circa 1450: a1450(a1400) Medit.Pass.(2) (Add 11307) 517: Þe lion whan him hongreþ sore, He gynneþ for to crye and rore.

Name Formation - Julia Smith (Juliana de Luna), Medieval Secular Order Names: Standard Forms of Order Names <http://heraldry.sca.org/laurel/names/order/new/ListingOfStandardForms.html#AllColorCharge>, cites Order of the White Greyhound as an order in Navarre in period times. "This Navarese order was created as the "lebrel blanco" according to Domínguez Casas by Carlos II of Navarre (died 1387). This seems likely to be a period form."

Discussion

In a Google search for "White Lion Herald", I discovered the White Lion Society, which is

A society of friends of HM College of Arms.

The Society raises funds to support the work and activities of Her Majesty's College of Arms in London. Membership is open to all who are interested in heraldry and supporting the College of Arms.

At a meeting of the Heraldry Society in 1984 it was suggested to John Brooke-Little, then Norroy and Ulster King of Arms, that it would be appropriate to found a "Society of Friends" of the College of Arms. He noted that the late Wilfrid Scott-Giles, Fitzalan Pursuivant Extraordinary, had previously suggested the same idea, giving it the notional name of THE WHITE LION SOCIETY (the heraldic supporters of the College of Arms being two white lions taken from the Earl Marshal's Mowbray Supporters). The idea was put before the Chapter of the College by John Brooke-Little and received its approval. The first meeting of the White Lion Society was held in the College of Arms on May 8th 1986.

The website is <http://www.whitelionsociety.org.uk/>. We are uncertain whether this is sufficiently important to warrant protection.

Perhaps more significantly, I have found The Order of the White Lion <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Order_of_the_White_Lion> & <http://www.vyznamenani.net/CSR/Military_Order_of_the_White_Lion_for_Victory.html>:

The Order of the White Lion is the highest order of the Czech Republic, which continues a Czechoslovak order of the same name created in 1922 as an award for foreigners (Czechoslovakia had no decoration for its citizens in 1920s and 1930s). It was inspired by the Czech Nobility Cross created in 1814 by the Emperor and King Francis I and awarded to 37 Bohemian noblemen.
The Order is still current in the Czech Republic <http://old.hrad.cz/kpr/rady/rblp_uk.html>. It is described in law as follows:
The Order of the White Lion shall be conferred or awarded by the President of the Republic

a) to honour citizens of the Czech Republic for most distinguished services to the state, particularly in the fields of politics, public administration, furtherance of the nation's economy, science, technology, culture, arts or education, for eminent contributions to the defence and security of the state, for excellent command and combat performance, for scientific accomplishments and expertise in the military and defence fields and for illustrious deeds enhancing the nation's international reputation;

b) to honour persons who are not citizens of the Czech Republic for superior accomplishments contributing to the welfare of the Czech Republic.

Again, we are uncertain whether or not this is significant enough to be protected. In any case, it is a call for Lady Pelican.
This concludes the Æthelmearc Letter of Intent, dated 19 January AS 45 (ce 2011), being the Feast of Saint Sebastian.
OSCAR counts 1 New Order Name. This item is chargeable, Laurel should receive $3 for it. There is only one item submitted on this letter.