BRADY BRIM-DEFOREST OF BALVAIRD & BLAIRLOGIE

The Foundation previously funded the conservation on Norfolk 12 and Norfolk 3, important historical pedigree manuscripts with connections to America. Brady, one of our Directors, took a special interest when the Foundation leadership voted to conserve Arundel 3. Details on these three manuscripts appear on our Projects We Support page.

Brady’s Patron Statement:

“I have always been drawn to the things that survive only because someone cared enough to preserve them: buildings, books, family histories. Supporting the College of Arms, and the conservation of Arundel 3 in particular, is a way of taking my place in that long tradition of stewardship: receiving something entrusted to us by the past and helping to pass it, intact and alive, into the future.

“The work of the College speaks to something deeply human. Heraldry and genealogy are not simply matters of rank, ceremony or antiquarian interest; they are ways in which people have tried to understand who they are, where they have come from and how individual lives belong within a larger historical context. The records preserved by the College give visible form to memory. In caring for its records, the College safeguards not only beautiful and important artifacts but also part of the architecture of our collective memory.

“Wear is often the mark of use, and use is one of the surest marks of value. I find that far more compelling than the idea of an object preserved in pristine irrelevance. I like that Arundel 3 has not been long forgotten on a dusty shelf. It has remained an active part of the life of the College. Now it is asking to be looked after in return. I’m proud to be a small part of doing so.”

— Brady Brim-DeForest of Balvaird & Blairlogie