STEPHEN FRIAR, FSHA (Retired)

Stephen is a writer and historian, specialising in medieval and architectural history and heraldry. He has written fourteen books, many of which remain in print, including A Dictionary of Heraldry (Harmony Books, 1987), the ever popular Basic Heraldry (The Herbert Press, 2000), splendidly illustrated by John Ferguson, FSHA, and the Companion series of books for The History Press, all of which include an element of heraldry, notably The Companion to Heraldry which was revised in 2011. His most recent publication is the eponymous The Heraldic Art of John Ferguson (The Boydell Press and The Heraldry Society, 2018), which Stephen edited as a tribute to the late heraldic artist.

A former member of Arts Council England, he is a Fellow of the Heraldry Society and of the Society of Heraldic Arts which he founded in 1987. In 2000 he was awarded a Master of Philosophy degree by the University of Southampton.

Stephen also currently serves as the President of The Society of Heraldic Arts.

Additional titles include:

• Heraldry for the Local Historian and Genealogist (Sutton Publishing, 1992).
• The Companion to Churches (The History Press, revised 2011).
• The Companion to Local History (The History Press, revised 2011).
• The Companion to Castles (The History Press, revised 2011)
• The Companion to Cathedrals and Abbeys (The History Press, revised 2011)