Thursday, June 6, 2024

The Heraldic Glass in the Chapter House of York Minster: Part 2 of 7 (the North Window)


Continuing our circular perambulation around the Chapter House in York Minster, we come to the heraldry in the North window.

Again, you can click on the image below to go to a larger, more detailed photograph.


In the rose window at the top, we have the arms of England (on a ground of azure, with two fleurs-de-lis or), and immediately below it, the arms of Gilbert de Clare, senior, Earl of Gloucester and Hertford (d. 1295), or Gilbert de Clare, junior, Earl of Gloucester and Hertford (d. 1314), Or three chevrons gules.

In the large rose window on the left, we have the arms of Robert de Clifford or Thomas Clifford, Checky or and azure a fess gules. Immediately below that are the arms (again) of Gilbert de Clare, senior, Earl of Gloucester and Hertford (d. 1295), or Gilbert de Clare, junior, Earl of Gloucester and Hertford (d. 1314), Or three chevrons gules.

In the large rose window on the right, we have the arms of England (without the background of France), Gules three lions passant guardant in pale or. And immediately below England, we see the arms of Warenne, Checky or and azure. Browne, in his book A Description of the Representations and Arms on the Glass in the Windows of York Minster says these should be the arms of John de Dreux, Checky or and azure a canton ermine, but there is clearly no canton of any tincture there.

In the small rose window on the left we have once again the arms of Warrenne, Checky or and azure.

In the small rose window on the right, Weir's A Guide to the Heraldry in York Minster says this shield is Warrenne, but I am not at all sure that it is even a coat of arms at all! Browne does not note it, stating that in this window there are “only seven shields.”

It's always interesting, even if not at all fun, to try to mediate between two different knowledgeable authors to come to a conclusion about something that I am looking at with my own eyes. And in this instance, I'm pretty sure I'm going to go with Browne, and say that this last is not a coat of arms, and that there are only seven coats in this window.

What do you think?

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