Oh, Look! Another Heraldic Rabbit Hole for Me to Go Down

It's always interesting to me, to discover at least some of the history of a person who has been remembered with an heraldic memorial.

But I often find myself spending a lot of time trying to learn more about them -- going down a veritable rabbit hole, if you will -- and sometimes not finding out very much more than what is inscribed on the memorial plaque.

And sometimes, because the plaque is at least partly indecipherable, even less.

Take the case of an armorial memorial in Westminster Abbey to Miss Mary Peters. Her monument, erected by her mother, states that she died 15 Sep. 1688, aged twenty-two. So she was born in or about 1666. (And what was familiar to me about that year? The Great Fire of London raged from September 2-6, 1666.)

The inscription is, however, somewhat worn and some of the words are difficult to make out. Here's the best that I can do, even after closely studying the two photographs that I took as well as another marginally more readable one on the website of the Abbey.

Near this place lyes interred ye body of Mis Mary Peters Whoes most Affectionate Deportment to her RELATIONS HIGHLY MERITED and was most entirely beloved By Them.

And in Memory of her Pa__e_s O____ This Was Erected by her Mother. Shee departed this Life the 15th of September 1688. Aged 22 yeares.

The memorial plaque is surmounted at the top with a coat of arms, and supported at the base by a cherub's head.

Per Burke's General Armory, these are the arms of Peters (London). Gules on a bend or between two escallops argent a Cornish chough proper between two cinquefoils azure.

Yes, I know that the cinquefoils here are not the classic cinquefoil, but neither are they the classic rose, but rather something of a hybrid between the two. This is something not uncommonly found in older heraldry, and indeed, in the earliest days of the art, the two charges seem to have been interchangeable.

Annoyingly, though, for all the time I spent in researching this monument and its coat of arms, I have been unable to find out anything else about the young Mary Peters, who her parents were, or how this coat of arms came to be carved onto her memorial.

Next time, maybe I'll go down some other rabbit hole, with perhaps (I hope, anyway!) more informative results.

Still Finding Heraldry Everywhere! - Part 2

Continuing our look at the stained glass windows of the Apostles in Wesley Hall of Spring Valley United Methodist Church in northern Dallas, now we come to:

Saint Bartholomew: A book and a curved or flaying knife, symbolizing his martyrdom (flaying alive).

Next is Saint Thomas: A builder's square and a spear, representing his role as a builder and his martyrdom by spear.

Then we have Saint James the Lesser: A fuller's club or, as here, a saw, representing his martyrdom. According to tradition, St. James was stoned and sawn by his attackers.

James is followed by Saint Matthew: A moneybag or purse, representing his past as a tax collector. St. Matthew is also sometimes depicted with a hatchet or halberd, and sometimes an angel.

Then we have Saint Simon the Zealot: A book and a fish. St. Simon, companions with St. Jude, was a fisherman by trade, but also known as a great fisher of men.

And finally we come to Saint Jude (Thaddaeus): A ship, symbolizing his missionary journeys.

So there you have it! The Twelve Apostles, as portrayed by their symbols or emblems, each placed on a stylized shield shape. Not really heraldry, but still, at least "heraldry-adjacent". 

And a totally unexpected find, something that I was clearly not looking for when I attended the monthly meeting of the Quilters' Guild of Dallas!

Proof once more of something I have said many times here in the past: "You can find heraldry everywhere!"

Still Finding Heraldry Everywhere! - Part 1

I had the opportunity earlier this month to attend the monthly meeting of the Quilters' Guild of Dallas at their new "home", Spring Valley United Methodist Church in northern Dallas, Texas.

I'm not a quilter myself, but my late wife was, and I was hoping to find new homes from some quilts that she had "rescued" from various garage sales and antique malls. She just couldn't stand the thought of quilts that someone had put their heart, soul, and time into creating being sold away from the creator's family, so she "adopted" them. She's gone now, and while I'm keeping three of her rescued quilts, I needed to try to find new homes for the others, and the Quilters' Guild seemed, and was, a likely place to do that.

Anyway, the meeting was in the multipurpose room of the church, Wesley Hall, which has a row of stained glass windows down each side of the room. With shields on them.

There are fourteen of these windows in the hall, but two of them (the ones on the left in the above photo) are plain; one is Gules and the next one is Or. Ah, but the others!

I suspected from the start that the shields in these windows represented the Twelve Apostles from the New Testament of the Bible. And, sure enough, in less than ten minutes research after getting home and looking at the pictures I took, I learned that that hunch was indeed correct!

So today, we're going to look at the first six windows, beginning on this side of the room. 

Saint Paul: A sword, symbolizing his martyrdom (beheading). Also often (as here) depicted with a book or scroll, representing his writings in the New Testament. St. Paul has been here substituted for St. Matthias, whose symbols were an open book surmounted by an axe. The axe refers to his martyrdom. St. Matthias was chosen to replace Judas Iscariot.

Next, we have Saint Peter: Two crossed keys, representing his role as the keeper of the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven and his authority. Sometimes (as here) depicted with an upside-down cross, signifying his martyrdom. The keys refer to the keys of Heaven, and the inverted cross refers to Peter’s crucifixion.

The next window is Saint James the Greater, with his scallop shells, often associated with pilgrimage, particularly by sea. St. James was the first to go on a missionary journey.

The next window is Saint John. His symbol is a chalice with a snake, referencing a story of a poisoned cup he was offered. (He is sometimes shown as an eagle, symbolizing his gospel's focus on the divinity of Christ.)

Saint John is followed by Saint Philip: Two baskets of loaves of bread and a cross, referencing the miracle of the loaves and fishes.

And finally, rounding out the first six Apostles symbolized in these windows, we have Saint Andrew: An X-shaped cross (also known in heraldry as a saltire), on which he was crucified.

Next time, we'll look at the windows and emblems of the remaining six Apostles.

Marshalled Arms

It's always interesting to see marshalled arms -- where two coats of arms are placed side-by-side on a single shield -- and to then determine whose arms and why they are placed together.

Often, of course, indeed, probably the vast majority of cases, it is the arms of a husband and wife which are so combined. Sometimes, even, over the course of several generations, like this example from the Turberville family of Dorset, England.

But periodically, and not infrequently, we find marshalled arms that are a combination of an office which carries armorial status (e.g., an ecclesiastical office of high rank, an officer of arms, certain civic or corporate entities, etc.) with the personal arms of the incumbent.

And today, we' re going to look at one of those.

This is a stained glass window in Westminster Abbey containing the impaled arms blazoned: Azure a cross patonce between five martlets or, on a chief or a pale quarterly France and England between two roses gules barbed and seeded proper; impaling Argent on a bend azure three stag’s heads cabossed or (Stanley).

The arms on the dexter (left as you look at it) side of the shield are those of, naturally enough, Westminster Abbey.

The arms on the sinister (right) side are those of Arthur Penrhyn Stanley (1815-1881), known as Dean Stanley, who held the position of Dean of Westminster from 1864 to 1881.

He was, we are told, a significant figure in the Abbey's history, known for his leadership as a Broad Churchman and author of works on Church History and Westminster Abbey. During his tenure, the Abbey saw a period of reform and expanded its national role. He oversaw the expansion of the Abbey's national role, gave a major impulse to the practice of inviting distinguished preachers to the Abbey pulpit, and worked to preserve and repair its many monuments. He is buried in the Abbey with his wife, Lady Augusta Stanley.

So, a significant figure in the history of the Abbey, and a really nice display of marshalled arms!

An Older Westminster Coat of Arms

We looked at the arms of the City of Westminster, Borough of London, England in our last post. But did you know that Westminster had an earlier, different coat of arms?

It did, and it can still be seen today.

This building is 22, Tavistock Street, Covent Garden, London.

Its current occupant is Charles Fox, suppliers of professional make-up for Film, Theatre, Television & Fashion. Charles Fox himself was reputed to be a flamboyant character and much of his character also exists in the shop to these times.

But the building is also the former headquarters of the Strand District Board of Works. And the heraldry over the door attests to that. (If you click on the image below, you will be taken to the full-size, and thus more detailed, photograph.)

The legend reads around the central six-petalled rosette reads: The Board of Works for the Strand District 1855

And right smack dab in the center, we find the arms of the old Borough (not City) of Westminster surrounded by six monograms. At that time, in 1855, there were some 55 members of the Board; I don’t know for certain whose monograms these are.

The arms of the Borough are blazoned: Azure a portcullis on a chief or on a pale azure a cross flory between five martlets or (being the arms of King Edward the Confessor) between two Tudor roses proper.

So, similar to the current arms of the City of Westminster, though less complex. The only feature of them remaining the same is the charged chief.

Still and all, it's pleasant to be able to find in graphic form the history and development of a city's coat of arms right there still on its streets and byways.

Don't you agree?

They're Everywhere, They're Everywhere!

And who is this "they" of whom I speak in the title of this post?

Why, the arms of the City of Westminster, Borough of London, England, of course.

What did you think I meant?

Anyway, you can find the arms of the City of Westminster displayed in lots of different places there. For instance, on the facade of the Westminster Archives Center.

The arms are (as you can see) fairly complicated, and have a long blazon: Azure between two wolves' heads erased argent and on a base wavy argent and azure a female figure affronty vested and mantled and on her sinister arm a child also vested around the head of each a halo all or on a chief or on a pale azure a cross flory between five martlets or (being the arms of King Edward the Confessor) between two Tudor roses barbed and seeded proper. (In the above image, the gold seems to have faded out to nearly white. That's what you get for leaving it out in the weather, I guess.)

But there are other, more commonplace, places to see the City's arms. For example, on each post in a line of bollards:

Here's a close-up for greater detail:

And, of course, there is the always ubiquitous* litter bin:

With the close-up of the arms:

It is nice to see a city using its coat of arms, even if they are rather complex.

* Ubiquitous: "present, appearing, or found everywhere". Hence the inspiration for the title of this post.

"This Used to Be Ours, and Don't You Forget It"

Covent Garden Market in London had its beginning in 1835 when a patent was issued to hold a “public fair or mart” in the area of Richmond, Dundas and King Streets. In 1845, the Market found a permanent home when city business owners donated land near Richmond, Dundas and King Street.

The Russell family, as Dukes of Bedford, historically owned and developed much of the Covent Garden area, including the land where the market stands.

The coat of arms prominently displayed on the historic Covent Garden Market in London are those of the Russell family, Dukes of Bedford. The Market building itself was built between 1828 and 1831 for the 6th Duke of Bedford, John Russell, by the architect Charles Fowler.

The Duke of Bedford's coat of arms is blazoned: Argent a lion rampant gules on a chief sable three escallops argent. Here the shield is ensigned with the coronet of a duke. The motto is Che sara sara (What will be, will be).

In essence, the coat of arms serves as a reminder of the Russell family's significant historical connection to Covent Garden and their role in the creation and development of the famous market.

Does Goldsmith = Treasurer?

Well, according to the dictionary definitions, a goldsmith and a treasurer are not the same. However, "both roles may involve some degree of interaction with valuable assets or financial matters," so there's that.

And why did this question even arise? Well, because I walked past the Goldsmith Building in London, and photographed the coat of arms adorning its facade, that's why.

In researching both the building and the heraldry, I found that the Goldsmith Building is legal chambers, built in 1861 to the design of James Piers St Aubyn. (The attic story was added in the early 20th century.) It was built on the site immediately to the north of Temple Church, then known as Church Yard Court. The architect, James Piers St Aubyn (1815-95), who was known primarily as a church architect, was surveyor to the Middle Temple from 1815-95. He designed several buildings in the Temple, and undertook the restoration of Temple Church in 1862. The chambers were named after the author Oliver Goldsmith (1730-44) who was resident of the Temple and is buried in the Temple churchyard.

So, nothing to do with actual goldsmiths, then.  

But it turns out that James Anderson was the Treasurer of the Middle Temple in the mid-1800s, when the Goldsmith Building was constructed. Hence,  I presume, the reason for his coat of arms being placed so prominently there.

I did not find the arms of James Anderson in my researches, though Burke's General Armory gave two which are very close:

Anderson (Dowhill). Argent a saltire engrailed sable between a crescent in chief and three mullets in the flanks and base gules all within a bordure azure.

Anderson (Edinburgh). Argent a saltire engrailed sable between a crescent in chief and three mullets gules pierced of the field two in fess and one in base.

Other Andersons listed in Burke all bear variants (as this one is) of the base coat Argent a saltire engrailed sable between four mullets gules.

All in all, an interesting heraldic find with a bit of a story to tell. I'm glad I ran across it when we were in London.

What Is This Coat of Arms Doing on an American Television Show?

I sometimes catch an episode or two of an American court TV show called "Court Cam" on A&E, the "Arts and Entertainment Network."

I watch it because, just like one of the police shows I watch, "On Patrol Live" (which I like to subtitle: "Or, a Series of Unfortunate Decisions"), it makes me feel ever so much better about my own somewhat humdrum, rather boring life. I mean, I clearly do not face the issues that a lot of these folks are having to deal with, which are often of their own making. Did you ever watch someone who was maybe, at most, going to get a traffic ticket, somehow talk and/or act themselves into a felony arrest? That has never, ever, happened to me, nor is it likely to occur at any time in my future.

Anyway, as I was saying, I occasionally catch an episode of "Court Cam", and have noticed that they use a few stock photos of courtroom interiors during the show. And it was one of these courtroom photos, which they seem to use about once each episode, that caught my eye. Because it is most definitely not an American courtroom.

See if you can tell what I mean:

Some of you may see it right away. For others, click on the image above to go to the full-size screenshot in more detail.

Right away, as a heraldry enthusiast, I noticed that the coat of arms over the judge's seat is not the arms of the United States, nor that of any of its constituent states. No, those are the arms of the Republic of South Africa! And to help confirm that, the flag is the corner on the right is, yes indeed, the flag of the Republic of South Africa.

I'm guessing that some poor assistant or intern was asked by the producers of "Court Cam" to find some pictures of courtroom interiors that A&E could obtain rights for that they could use as filler material in the show. And, presumably that individual didn't understand that this particular courtroom interior was not that of any courtroom anywhere in the United States of America, which is what the rest of the program is all about.

Still, I'm probably only one out of, what: thousands? millions? of viewers who would notice something like that. And yet -- it still jars me just a little bit every time I see it.

How do you feel about it?

Reel Heraldry

In recent months, I've been checking the Turner Classic Movies channel every week looking for movies which I have never seen before, but which I believe I should have. And they manage to air a couple of movies each week which meet that standard. For example, last month I saw The Searchers for the first time. Another week, it was Hang 'Em High. Then it was The Bedford Incident with Richard Widmark, Martin Balsam, and Sidney Poitier. And more recently, I saw1953's Roman Holiday with Gregory Peck and Audrey Hepburn. So like I say, movies I have never seen but which I think I ought to have.

Anyway, at one point, a large plane from the unnamed English-speaking kingdom that Hepburn's princess comes from lands at the Rome, Italy airport and discharges a bunch of men who are there to search for her because she's gone AWOL and they want her back.

Be that as it may, it is clear that although Princess Ann's home country apparently speaks only English, she is definitely not from the United Kingdom, as the coat of arms on the side of the airplane clearly demonstrates:

Though the movie was shot in black and white, I can make some guesses as to the tinctures used here. My best guess at a blazon would be: Quarterly: 1, Quarterly gules and argent a griffin segreant sable; 2, Argent (or Or?) three fleurs-de-lis palewise in bend sable; 3, Azure an eagle displayed or; 4, Sable a cross of Lorraine argent; overall on a point pointed ployé [or embowed] argent an estoile [or perhaps sun] or.

Anyway, it was a fun little movie to watch, and I can now say that I have seen it.

And, too, it is proof once again, that you can find heraldry everywhere! Even if it's only a fictional coat of arms appearing for all of four seconds in a late-night showing of an old movie.