Porny - [Pyron du Martre] - Heraldry - 1799

UNPUBLISHED TREATISE ON HERALDRY: MINIATED PORNY MANUSCRIPT ON ENGLISH ARISTOCRACY
Extraordinary autograph manuscript dated 1799 dedicated to the Elements of British heraldry, attributed to Antoine Pyron du Martre, known in England as Mark Anthony Porny, master active at Eton College. The work, entirely unpublished and not derived from any printed edition, stands as a genuine unique specimen: an original didactic manual conceived for aristocratic education, in which theory and practice intertwine through a refined series of coats of arms drawn in ink and finely watercolored. It is not a copy or transcription, but a direct intellectual product, probably destined for a high-ranking pupil. The volume represents an exceptional testament to late eighteenth-century heraldic culture and its formative function among British elites.
MARKET VALUE
Original, unpublished heraldic manuscripts attributed to figures active in the Eton milieu are extremely rare on the market. A specimen like the present one falls within a range of 5,000 to 10,000 euros.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION AND CONDITION
Later full morocco binding, gilded spine, slightly discolored. Manuscript mainly written on recto. 128 handwritten pages with numerous heraldic coats of arms drawn in ink and finely watercolored, of notable quality of execution. Paper with a watermark datable to 1799.
Small tear at the lower margin of p. 65 without loss of text; uniform browning. Pencil signature “Edward Morant” on p. 1; bookplate of Charles Mackechnie Jarvis on the front pastedown. Endpapers renewed.
In old manuscripts, with a history spanning centuries, some imperfections may be present that are not always noted in the description.
Collation: pp. (4); 6 ll.; 114; (4).

FULL TITLE AND AUTHOR
Heraldry.
Watermarked 1799.
Attributed to Antoine Pyron du Martre (Mark Anthony Porny).

CONTEXT AND SIGNIFICANCE
In the context of late eighteenth-century aristocratic education, heraldry constituted a fundamental discipline, not only as antiquarian study but as a codified language of rank, descent, and noble rights. In England, and particularly at Eton College, it fit into curricula intended for the ruling class.

This manuscript represents an exceptional case: not a copy of existing manuals, but an elaborate original, built as a direct teaching instrument. The structure of the text, coupled with the systematic presence of illuminated examples, indicates an advanced pedagogical use, wherein the student learns not only the theory of blazoning but also the concrete visualization of coats of arms.

The graphic quality and internal coherence suggest a unified project, probably executed for a single recipient. In this sense, the manuscript is not merely a study document but the project for the realization of a work that was never published, on the transmission of heraldic knowledge.

BIOGRAPHY OF THE AUTHOR
Antoine Pyron du Martre (1731–1802), known in England as Mark Anthony Porny, was a French language teacher at Eton College and author of grammar manuals intended for the education of the British aristocracy. A prominent figure in the Franco-English cultural context of the 18th century, he contributed to the dissemination of the French language and culture among the Georgian elites.

His teaching activity likely extended to complementary disciplines such as heraldry and genealogy, fundamental to noble formation. The present manuscript, in terms of structure and quality, fits coherently within this field, suggesting the author's direct involvement in its drafting.

PRINTING HISTORY AND CIRCULATION
As an original, unpublished manuscript, the work does not belong to a printing tradition but to the rarer tradition of drafts of original books. The watermark dated 1799 allows precise placement in the final years of Porny’s activity.

The possession signatures (Edward Morant) and the ex libris of Charles Mackechnie Jarvis attest to circulation within educated British circles between the 18th and 19th centuries, confirming the use and preservation of the volume within aristocratic and academic contexts.

BIBLIOGRAPHY AND REFERENCES
Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, s.v. “Porny, Mark Anthony (Antoine Pyron du Martre)”, Oxford, OUP.
ESTC – English Short Title Catalogue, records of works by Mark Anthony Porny (Eton context and educational publications).
Boutell, Charles, Heraldry, Historical and Popular, London, 1863, pp. 45–78.
Woodcock, Thomas; Robinson, John Martin, The Oxford Guide to Heraldry, Oxford, 1988, pp. 11–56.
Wagner, Anthony, Heralds and Heraldry in the Middle Ages, Oxford, 1956, pp. 210–245 (tradizione e insegnamento araldico).
British Library, Catalogue of Western Manuscripts, sections on heraldic manuscripts (comparative typology XVIII secolo).