Lyon

or Lord Lyon King-at-Arms . The chief heraldic officer for Scotland, whose title is derived from the lion rampant in the royal escutcheon. The Scottish king-at-arms has, unlike his brother-kings of England, from an early period exercised jurisdiction independently of the constable and marshal, holding office directly from the sovereign by commi ion under the Great Seal. In early times he was occasionally designated the Lord Lyon; but the now prevalent custom of so calling him seems to have arisen from the circumstance that, since 1796, the office has been held by a peer. According to Nesbet, the Lyon has precedence of all knights and gentlemen not being officers of state, or senators of the College of Justice. Since the Union, he has ranked next to Garter; Clarencieux and Norroy follow; then Ulster; but it has sometimes been maintained that within Ireland, Ulster has place next after Lyon. The Lyon is king-at-arms to the order of the Thistle.