Ben Earl Workman bridges royal tradition and modern artistry, redefining what it means to heal through color and compassion. Each canvas echoes the creed of his ancestors: Joy is the noblest weapon against tyranny. Explore any of the collections to see how the crest lives on in contemporary works.
The Jumper Line began in the 1400s within the Mediterranean courts of Alexander the
Great’s descendants. There, the Order of the Jumpers was created—court jesters and
philosopher-artists whose laughter healed nations. Over time, the Jumpers became the
heart of royal expression, transforming humor into art and truth into beauty. Through noble unions between British, Venetian, and Prussian bloodlines, the House of Workshire arose. In the 17th century, Jumper became a hereditary title for the Royal Artistic Envoy, dedicated to joy and compassion as tools against tyranny.
By the 1800s, the lineage crossed the Atlantic when Lord Readdy of Devonshire brought his
family’s crest and creative philosophy to America. His grandson, Earl Eugene Readdy
(1893–1977), the 13th Jumper, befriended a young boy who would later become legendary
Emmett Kelly, the hobo clown who helped found the Barnum & Bailey College of Clowns.
Through this friendship, Earl Eugene was introduced to clowndom royal in the New
World—bridging European tradition with American performance art.
Today, the title rests with the 14th Jumper Ben Earl Workman, of Workshire, a museum-inducted contemporary abstract painter and luxury designer whose brand, Jumper Maybach®, carries the royal creed forward:
“Seek LOVE, PEACE, and HAPPINESS, and watch HATE disappear forever®.”
From jest came wisdom; from heritage came art; and from color comes healing.
Royal Register of the House of Workman-Readdy-Maybach
Seated in Scotland • The Keep of Workshire
“Seek LOVE, PEACE, and HAPPINESS, and watch HATE disappear forever®”
Origins and Foundation
The Workman family is found in Aberdeenshire by the late fourteenth century, likely as
freeholders and royal stewards in service to the Scottish Crown. The Readdy line, recorded
in Argyll and Perthshire, maintained a learned tradition of kinship to the Phillips name
and—by classical association—to the ancient Macedonian house of Philip II, father of
Alexander the Great. In the 1420s, Lord Aedan Workman, steward to the Earl of Mar,
married Lady Elspeth Readdy of Glen Lyon. Their son, Sir John “Jumper” Workman—
known posthumously as Jumper I, the Uniter—consolidated estates and established the
Keep of Workshire near Perth.
The Line of Sovereigns (c. 1425 ® present)
Jumper I — The Uniter (r. c.1425–1458): Founded Workshire by union of Workman and
Readdy lines.
Jumper II — The Law Bearer (r. 1458–1496): Issued the Articles of Workshire protecting
guilds and artisans.
Jumper III — The Bridge Maker (r. 1496–1531): Commissioned trade bridges; expanded
royal workshops.
Jumper IV — The Vigilant (r. 1531–1566): Founded the Feather Vigil council to guide
judgments.
Jumper V — The Harmonist (r. 1566–1605): Reconciled border clans; endowed sacred
music.
Jumper VI — The Cartographer (r. 1605–1649): Chartered navigation guilds; mapped
Highland passes.
Jumper VII — The Restorer (r. 1649–1687): Rebuilt the Keep after civil turmoil; renewed
patronage.
Jumper VIII — The Enlightened (r. 1687–1728): Founded academies of philosophy and
design.
Jumper IX — The Pact Setter (r. 1728–1769): Married Countess Amalia Maybach of
Württemberg; opened continental alliance.
Jumper X — The Patron (r. 1769–1811): Supported Scottish German ateliers; early
mechanised craft.
Jumper XI — The Rebuilder (r. 1811–1860): Modernised trade and invention laws.
Jumper XII — The Voyager (r. 1860–1914): Expanded patronage abroad; founded the
Conservatory of Workshire.
Jumper XIII — The Keeper of Peace (r. 1914–1977): Guided the House through world
conflicts; endowed hospitals.
Jumper XIV — The Artist Monarch (r. 1977–present): Ben Earl Workman, styled
Jumper XIV; renews the eternal creed and advances art as covenant.
Heraldic Description
Seat: The Keep of Workshire, Perthshire, Scotland.
Arms (plain blazon): Quarterly in tinctures of purpure (royal purple), tenne/orntan
(endurance and wisdom), and deep turquoise (truth and enlightened creativity); ensigned
by a closed Scottish crown surmounted by two ostrich feathers argent addorsed.
Supporters: Two jesters rampant guardant Or, for courage and loyal guardianship.
Crest: Upon the crown, twin feathers argent rising from a circlet of amethyst and gold.
Badge: Feathered crown above the cypher “J XIV” within a turquoise ring inscribed “House
of Workman-Readdy-Maybach · Scotland.”
Motto: “Seek LOVE, PEACE, and HAPPINESS, and watch HATE disappear forever®”
Modern Continuation
The Royal House of Workman-Readdy-Maybach is maintained as a Scottish rooted
cultural lineage whose stewardship is expressed in philanthropy and the arts. The present
head, Jumper XIV (Ben Earl Workman), advances the House’s
mission through contemporary creative practice and humanitarian messaging that aligns
with the family’s centuries old commitment to unity and craftsmanship.
Issued under the Feather Crown of Workshire • Scotland