John Anstis

John Anstis (29 August 1669 – 4 March 1744) was an English officer of arms and antiquarian. He rose to the highest heraldic office in England and became Garter King of Arms in 1718 after years of political manoeuvring.

Anstis was born at St Neot, Cornwall on 29 August 1669. He was the first son of another John Anstis and his wife Mary, the daughter of George Smith. Anstis matriculated at Exeter College, Oxford, on 27 March 1685 and entered the Middle Temple on 31 January 1690. On 23 June 1695 he married Elizabeth, daughter and heir of Richard Cudlipp of Tavistock, Devon. They had eight sons and six daughters. Anstis was called to the bar on 19 May 1699.

In March 1701, Anstis received permission from the Earl Marshal, Henry Howard, 7th Duke of Norfolk, to collect materials from the College of Arms library to assist in the defence of the jurisdiction of the Earl Marshal, which was under attack. Anstis was also elected to Parliament for St Germans in 1702. When the Garter King of Arms, Sir Thomas St George, died in March 1703 Anstis was in a position to advise Lady Howard on how to protect her son's rights from the threat of a royal nomination of a new Garter on the one hand and the assumption of the nomination by the deputy earl marshal. Sir Henry St George was nominated to be Garter and succeeded his brother in June 1703.

Anstis did not stand for election to Parliament in 1705. In May 1707 Anstis was nominated Carlisle Herald of Arms Extraordinary and Norfolk Herald. This was part of a plan to persuade Garter St George to administer the office jointly with Anstis doing most of the work. In spite of the nomination, Anstis was never appointed to either post. Anstis's main rival to succeed St George was now John Vanbrugh, who had become as Clarenceux King of Arms in March 1704 to strengthen his own claims to the office. In December 1710 Anstis used a change in administration to try again at securing the Gartership. On 20 January 1711 Anstis was re-elected to Parliament and changed his strategy with St George. He continued to secure offices related to public records for himself and he remained loyal to the tory ministry in Parliament. With his influential political friends Anstis was eventually able to obtain promise of an appointment to the office of Garter King of Arms, on 2 April 1714.

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