Stall Plates of the VII Chapter of the Order of the Golden Fleece (1445), Part 1

On November 30, 1445, the VII Chapter of the Order of the Golden Fleece was held in St. Bavo’s Cathedral, Ghent. The Grand Master of the Order at that time was Philip III (the Good), Duke of Burgundy.

Still displayed in the Cathedral are the stall plates of the members of the Order. (Another Chapter of the Order of the Golden Fleece was held in the Cathedral in 1559, and those stall plates are displayed in the Cathedral as well. We will look at those after we see those from the 1445 Chapter.)

I will number the photographs in the order that I took them as we toured the Cathedral (which isn't necessarily the order in which they perhaps ought to be viewed). The number will be useful, as there are several instances where a coat of arms appears more than once, where two (or more) brothers, or a father and son(s) may have all been members of the Order at that time. Where this occurs, I refer to the number of the other photograph(s) with the duplicative arms to make it easier for you to cross-review and compare them.

And as there are a lot of pictures, I am breaking them up into three groups, to avoid visual overload.

Today, we look at the first of these groups of stall plates. The names, ranks, and blazons of the arms run from left to right in each photo. (As usual, you may click on any image to go to a larger version where you can see these plates in greater detail.)

As you will note, each stall plate contains the arms of the individual within the collar of the Order of the Golden Fleece, the helm and crest of that individual, and script naming the person and his landholdings.

1.

Mathieu de Foix-Comminges, Count of Comminges: Quarterly: 1 and 4, Argent a cross formy throughout; 2 and 3, Per pale, Or in pale two cows statant gules collared and belled argent, and Or three pallets gules;

Reinoud II van Brederode, Seigneur [Lord] of Brederod and Viane: Quarterly: 1 and 4, Or a lion rampant gules a label of three tags sable; 2 and 3, Argent a lion rampant queue forchy gules;

Jean IV, Seigneur of Auxy: Checky or and gules; and

A blank shield.

2.

Jehan de Vergy, Seigneur of Fouvans and Vignorry: Gules three cinquefoils or;

Charles of Burgundy, Count of Charolais: Quarterly: 1 and 4, Azure semy-de-lys or a bordure compony gules and argent; 2, Per pale, Bendy or and azure a bordure gules, and Sable a lion rampant or; 3, Bendy or and azure a bordure gules, and Argent a lion rampant gules crowned or; overall a label of three tags argent;

Ruprecht, Count of Virnebourg: Or seven mascles four and three [conjoined?] gules;

Jean VI, Duke de Bretagne [Duke of Brittany] and Count of Montfort Trepassé: Ermine.

3.

Pierre de Bauffremont, Count of Charny and Montford: Quarterly: 1 and 4, Vairy or and gules; 2 and 3, Gules three cinquefoils or; overall an inescutcheon Gules three escutcheons argent;

Jehan de Croy, Seigneur of Tour sur Marne: Quarterly: 1 and 4, Argent three bars gules; 2 and 3, Argent three axes the two in chief addorsed gules; overall an inescutcheon Quarterly, i and iv, Gules bezanty; ii and iii, Or a lion rampant sable [see also photo number 10, Antoine de Croy];

Simon de Lalaing, Seigneur of Santes: Gules ten lozenges conjoined three three three and one argent the first charged with a lion rampant gules.

4.

Jehan de Luxembourg, Count of Ligny: Argent a lion rampant queue forchy gules langued and crowned or overall a label of three tags azure;

Florimond de Brimeu, Seigneur of Massincourt: Argent three eagles displayed gules beaked and membered sable [see also photographs numbers 10, Jacques de Brimeu, and 11, David de Brimeu];

Baudouin de Lannoy, called le Bègue (the Stutterer), Seigneur of Molembaix: Argent three lions rampant sable (should be vert) langued and crowned or overall an inescutcheon Argent four bars azure;

Pierre de Bauffremont and Jehan de Croy appeared in photograph number 3.

5.

Jehan de la Trémoille, Seigneur of Jonvelle: Or a chevron gules between three eagles displayed sable;

Jehan de Luxembourg, Florimond de Brimeu, Baudouin de Lannoy, and Pierre de Bauffremont all appeared in photo number 4.

Next time, Part 2!