Personal Arms and a Civic Trust Badge

Yet another historical marker in York, England bears, in addition to the badge of the York Civic Trust (Azure a fleur-de-lys dimidiating Gules a crowned leopard's face or), a personal coat of arms.

The arms (on the upper left on the plaque. Feel free to click on the image above to go to a larger version which shows the arms, and badge, much more clearly) are those of Miles Coverdale (c1488-1569), Bishop of Exeter, a native of York, and are blazoned: Quarterly per fess indented gules and or three fleurs-de-lis two and one and three roses one and two all counterchanged. (An equally accurate, though longer, blazon would be: Quarterly per fess indented gules and or in chief a rose between two fleurs-de-lis and in base a fleur-de-lis between two roses all counterchanged.)

The booklet Heraldry and the Buildings of York, p. 81, notes the propriety of the placement of this historical plaque on the part of York Minster which housed its library from about 1420 until 1810.

Bishop Coverdale has his own entry in Wikipedia at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myles_Coverdale. Additionally, more information on Bishop Coverdale can be found on the website of the York Civic Trust at https://yorkcivictrust.co.uk/heritage/civic-trust-plaques/miles-coverdale-1488-1569/

So much information that can be found based on this one little heraldic marker in historic York!

And what an interesting coat of arms, as well!