The Escutcheon
Volume 3
Number 3 – Easter Term, 1998A Message from the President
Dear Members,
This, the final Escutcheon of the academic year, finds the Society in a very healthy position. The last speaker meeting of the year, in which the Revd Dr Peter Galloway told the history of the Royal Victorian Order, was well attended and fascinating. On Monday 4th May, a visit was arranged to see the Society’s library, as well as a few manuscripts of heraldic and genealogical interest in the collection of Sidney Sussex College. I hope this will have encouraged those who were able to attend to return in the future to borrow from the library.
At the Annual General Meeting, the new committee was elected. Tom Thurman (SID) was elected President and Rohan Stewart-MacDonald (CTH) Secretary (in both cases provisionally until October, when the posts will be reconsidered). Robin Millerchip (CL) was elected Junior Treasurer, and the ordinary committee members will be Tim Milner (PET) and Dan King ® (University) and Evelyn Logan and Tim Cockerill (Town), with an additional post with specific concern for London members and affairs to be held by Austin Dunn (JE). Richard Marquis-Hirsch has been elected ‘Membership Secretary’, and will be in charge of keeping the membership list up-to-date.
In the hope that many members will be able to attend the Accession Banquet on 6th June and the Champagne Punt Breakfast on 13th June, I extend my best wishes to the Society.
Nicolas Bell
Clare’s Stained Glass Armorials
Derek A. Palgrave
Visitors to the Hall at Clare College are very likely to be impressed by the splendid array of heraldic stained glass in the eight very large large windows, three facing north and five facing south. The glass is relatively modern, having been installed in 1910 as a result of a substantial donation by Henry Heywood Noble.
The artist G.W. Humphrey was commissioned to prepare suitable armorial designs featuring the arms of various College benefactors. Altogether be produced 78 separate panels which, in most of the windows, were arranged in five rows of two, each benefactor being identified by his or her name on a scroll. However in six instances monograms were substituted for heraldic devices.
The window at the west end of the south side features royal heraldry showing, in the first row, the Arms of Edward I (Gules three lions passant guardant in pale Or) and the Arms of his Queen, Alianore of Castile, on a lozenge Quarterly 1 & 4 Gu a castle Or, 2 & 3 Argent a lion Purpure. The next row contains the armorials of their daughter, Joan of Acre, and her husband, Gilbert de Clare. In keeping with the genealogy Elizabeth de Clare, the foundress and granddaughter of Edward I, is represented in the next row together with her first husband, John de Burgh. The final row of armorials includes the quarterly arms of Lionel, Duke of Clarence, with its label of 3 points Argent each charged with a canton Gules, together with those of his wife, Elizabeth de Burgh, granddaughter of the foundress. There is one other royal shield, attributed to Henry VI, but this is in the window at the east end of the south side.
The heraldry of the nobility is well represented in one or two rows of each of the windows. For example the arms of Thomas Pelham-Holles, Duke of Newcastle, Quarterly 1 & 4 Azure 3 pelicans Argent vulning themselves in the breast Gules, 2 & 3 Ermine 2 piles in point Sable, appear at the top left of the second window from the west end on the south side, whilst those of Thomas Cecil, Earl of Exeter Barry of 10 Argent and Azure overall 6 escutcheons Sable 3, 2 and 1 each charged with a lion rampant of the first, appear top right in the westerly window on the north side. In most cases, where appropriate, the artist also has added diminutive crests and supporters.
The arms of Bishops are very much in evidence more often than not impaled with the arms of their dioceses. Bishop Hugh Latimer is represented, in the top left hand corner of the second window from the east on the south side, with the See of Worcester Argent 10 torteaux 4, 3, 2 and 1 impaling Gules a cross patonce Or overall a bend Azure semy-de-lis of the second. Incidentally his unimpaled personal Arms also appear in stained glass at the west end of Clare chapel.
Archbishop John Tillotson’s armorial, See of Canterbury: Azure an archiepiscopal staff erect Or ensigned with a cross patty Argent surmounted by a pall of the last charged with 4 crosses formy-fitchy Sable edged and fringed Gold impaling Azure a bend cotised between 2 garbs Argent, appears immediately adjacent to that of Hugh Latimer in the same window of the Hall. Although most of the bishops are associated with English dioceses, the arms of Anthony Ellys impale the See of St David’s in Wales whilst the arms of Charles Brodrick impale the See of Cashel and those of Josiah Horte impale the See of Tuam, both in Ireland. The latter diocesan arms have a remarkably complex blazon: Azure 3 figures erect, in the middle the Blessed Virgin with child in her arms, on the dexter side a mitred abbot with his dexter hand giving benediction with the sinister holding a crozier bendwise, on the sinister side St John holding his dexter hand upwards and in the sinister a lamb, each in proper vestments all Or hands and feet proper, over each of their heads a piece of Gothic architecture of the second.
There are several examples of canting arms including Or on a bend cotised Azure 3 horseshoes of the field, in the middle window on the north side, for Nicholas Ferrar; Argent a chevron between 3 Catharine wheels Sable, in the middle window on the south side for Abraham Wheelock; Azure 3 lozenges in fess between as many covered cups Or 2 and 1, in the most easterly window on the south side for William Butler and also two others both featuring buglehorns for Henry Hornby and John Langhorne respectively. No doubt the presence of Cornish choughs in the arms Sable goutty d’eau on a fess Argent three Cornish choughs proper for Charles, Marquess Cornwallis is not a coincidence.
Readers may be interested to know that during a recent heraldry course, arranged at the St Mark’s Centre in Cambridge, by the University Department of Continuing Education, the participants were given permission to compile an inventory of these stained glass armorials as part of their fieldwork The preliminary results of their survey are complete and it is hoped that it will be possible to supplement the blazons with suitable photographs or line illustrations.
| Hugh Latimer Gules a cross patonce Or overall a bend Azure semy-de-lis of the second |
Thomas Richardson Or on a chief Sable 3 lions’ heads of the field |
Book Reviews
A Dictionary of Suffolk Crests: Heraldic Crests of Suffolk Families, Joan Corder, The Boydell Press for Suffolk Records Society, Woodbridge, 1998. 260pp, 235 x 152 mm, hardback. ISBN 00 85115 554 5
This long-awaited book is a companion volume to Joan Corder’s superb Dictionary of Suffolk Arms which appeared in 1965. She has adopted the same format for the new book as she did for the previous one thirty five years ago. Although this is very logical it is, nevertheless somewhat unusual, for no other book or listing, devoted to crests, has arranged them in the form of an ordinary. It has, therefore, proved a considerable challenge for the author as it was not a straightforward adaptation from earlier models dealing solely with shields. For obvious reasons the list of headings is rather different and, furthermore, it has not been possible to treat each section in the same way. These necessary deviations are very well explained in the introduction but, to further assist the reader, a glossary of terms relating just to the headings, is included immediately before the actual list of headings.
There are just over 200 pages of classified entries, each page being divided into two separately numbered columns to facilitate reference. Every crest is blazoned and, where appropriate, supplemented with detailed quotations from original sources. In general, this format is more than adequate to permit the identification of unknown crests so it has not been considered necessary to provide a wide range of illustrations although some forty or so are exemplified. For readers wishing to establish which crests have been granted or attributed, to specific individuals and families or corporations, there is a good surname index occupying 22 pages. The inclusion of variant forms and aliases is welcomed.
As Sir Conrad Swan observes in his foreword, the contents of the book are firmly rooted in Suffolk but many of the families mentioned often had strong links with other English counties, especially Norfolk. For this reason readers with rather broader geographical interests are likely to find much of value.
Joan Corder is to be congratulated on an excellent compilation drawn from over 170 sources. She has given due acknowledgment to the works of David Elisha Davy, who did so much to catalogue the heraldry of Suffolk, to Washbourne, Fairbairn and many other writers and recorders in this field. More importantly the author has also drawn upon her personal collection of almost 100 manuscripts featuring East Anglian heraldry and related topics. We are indeed fortunate to have access to a work into which she has been able to distil so much of her knowledge and experience.
Specialist Indexes for Family Historians, Jeremy Gibson and Elizabeth Hampson, The Federation of Family History Societies, Birmingham, 1998. 64pp, A5, paperback. ISBN 1 86006 078 1. £3-50.
This is a new addition to the well-known range of guides compiled by Jeremy Gibson and his collaborators. It features material which was originally published in the long out-of-print Unpublished Personal Name Indexes in Record Offices and Libraries, supplemented by details relating to the ‘other’ indexes formerly listed in Marriage, Census and Other Indexes. As we have all come to expect, any new initiative associated with Gibson is almost certain to result in a worthwhile reference work for historians who specialise in our field.
There is no doubt that indexes are powerful tools in the hands of researchers, so this handy booklet, which helps us to locate them, is more than welcome. It deals with both national and local indexes not only in record offices and libraries but also those in the hands of dedicated individuals with a special interest in particular topics. This publication deserves a place on every family historian’s bookshelf.
Basic Facts about English Nonconformity for Family Historians, Michael Gandy, The Federation of Family History Societies, Birmingham, 1998. 16pp, A5, paperback. ISBN 1 86006 072 2. £1-50.
Those of us researching our English ancestry, prior to the institution of Civil Registration in 1837, tend to concentrate on church registers i.e. those of the Anglican Church. However from the seventeenth century onwards, dissenting congregations were being established with their own forms of organisation and records. In this booklet, Michael Gandy provides a useful summary of the major developments which occurred and puts into perspective the growth of the dominant religious sects over a 300-year period.
He makes the point that substantial numbers of Nonconformist registers were deposited with the Registrar General in 1840 and that these are now in the Public Record Office and also widely available locally as microfilm copies. There are three extremely useful pages of bibliography and contact addresses. The booklet provides real encouragement to those family historians who suspect that they may have some nonconformist ancestors but have never made an effort to find out about them.
South West Family Histories, Stuart A. Raymond, The Federation of Family History Societies, Birmingham, 1998. 128pp, A5, paperback. ISBN 1 86006 073 0. £7-50.
Stuart Raymond is justifiably well-known for his comprehensive range of county bibliographies but this book is something of a departure by virtue of of its breadth of coverage. For the first time he has grouped together the six counties, Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Gloucestershire, Somerset and Wiltshire. Published histories of families, associated with any of these six counties, are listed in alphabetical order together with full references. These are not confined to books, which have been published, but also include relevant articles in magazines and journals.
There are not only indexes to surnames but also to placenames, including those outside the South West, reflecting the way families have countrywide connections especially when an account of a given family spans several centuries. Furthermore access to placenames enables researchers, whose family names may not be listed, to ‘home in’ on locations where they know they may have connections.
Keeping up to date with publications featuring specific families is essential for all of us, so regular compilations of this sort provide important avenues to current awareness. Congratulations to the author on yet another valuable contribution in this field.
Some recent additions to the Society’s Library
Avery, Derek, Military Insignia (Ware: Wordsworth, 1995)
Blatchford, Robert and Geoffrey Heslop, The genealogical services directory 1998 (York: G.R. Specialist Information Services, 1998)
Burnett, Charles J. and Mark D. Dennis, Scotland’s heraldic heritage: the lion rejoicing (Edinburgh: the Stationery Office 1997) Presented by Sir Malcolm Innes of Edingight, Lord Lyon King of Arms, 14th March, 1998
Davies, Rosemary, Basic facts about family history research in Glamorgan (Birmingham, F.F.H.S., 1998)
Fairbairn, James, rev Laurence Butters, Fairbairn’s crests of the families of Great Britain and Ireland (Poole, New Orchard Editions, 1986)
Federation of Family History Societies, General guidelines for indexing projects (Birmingham, F.F.H.S., 1998)
Federation of Family History Societies, Let’s start family history (Birmingham, F.F.H.S., 1998)
Federation of Family History Societies, Handbook 1998/9 (Birmingham, F.F.H.S., 1998)
Gandy, Michael, Basic facts about English nonconformity for family historians (Birmingham, F.F.H.S., 1998)
Gibson, Jeremy and Elizabeth Hampson, Marriage and census indexes for family historians (7th edition. Birmingham: F.F.H.S., 1998)
Gibson, Jeremy and Mervyn Medlycott, Local census listings 1522-1930: holdings in the British Isles (3rd edition: Bimingham, F.F.H.S., 1998)
Gibson, Jeremy and Pamela Peskett, Record offices: how to find them (8th edition: Birmingham, F.F.H.S., 1998)
Guild of One-Name Studies, Register of One-Name Studies 1998 (14th Edition. Microfiche. Guild of One-Name Studies, 1998)
Hawgood, David, I.G.I. on computer; the International Genealogical Index from CD-ROM (London: with the author, 1998)
Humphery-Smith, Cecil R., Armigerous Ancestors: a catolgue of sources for the study of the Visitations of the Herald in the 16th and 17th centuries with referenced lists of names (Canterbury: Family History Books, 1997) Presented by the author 14th March 1998
Pelling, George revised and updated by Pauline Litton, Beginning your family history (7th Edition, Birmingham: F.F.H.S., 1998)
Raymond, Stuart A., South west family histories: Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Gloucestershire, Somerset, Wiltshire (Birmingham: F.F.H.S., 1998)
Raymond, Stuart A., Kent: a genealogical bibliography: Volume 1: Genealogical sources; Volume 2: Inscriptions and wills (2nd edition. Birmingham: F.F.H.S., 1998)
Raymond, Stuart A., London and Middlesex: a genealogical bibliography: Volume 1: Genealogical sources (2nd edition. Birmingham: F.F.H.S., 1998)
Rowlands, John and Sheila [editors], Welsh Family History: a guide to research (2nd edition. Birmingham FFHS, 1998)
Periodicals
The Coat of Arms: N.S. Vol IX No. 155. Autumn 1991; Vol X Nos 162, 164-6. Summer 1993 - Summer 1994; Vol XI Nos 169, 172-3, 175. Spring 1995-Autumn 1996; Vol XII No 178 Summer 1997. Presented by Don Hefferon
Family History News and Digest (The official Journal of the Federation of Family History Societies); Vol 11 No 3 (Apr 1998)
The Heraldry Gazette (The Official Newsletter of the Heraldry Society) New Series XXIX (Sep 1991), LVI (Jun 1995), LVIII-LXI (Dec 1995-Sep 1996). Presented by Don Hefferon
Quaker Connections (Magazine of the Quaker Family History Society) Nos. 11-13 (Jul 1997-March 1998). Presented by the Quaker F.H.S.
Root and Branch (The Journal of the West Surrey Family History Society) Nol 24, Nos. 3-4 (Dec 1997-March 1998). Presented by W. Surrey F.H.S.
Forthcoming Conferences and Other Events
| June 27th, 1998 | Yorkshire Family History Fair, York Racecourse |
| July 4th, 1998 | One Day Conference, organised by Bedfordshire F.H.S. for East Anglian Region Societies, Mark Rutherford School, Wentworth Drive, Bedford |
| September 4th-6th, 1998 | Weekend Conference – Nottinghamshire FHS incorporating FFHS Council Meeting, Nottingham University |
| April 8th–11th, 1999 | Weekend Conference – Hampshire F.H.S. incorporating F.F.H.S. A.G.M. and Council Meeting, Winchester |
| June 16th-18th, 1999 | Guild of One-Name Studies Annual Conference |
| September 3rd-5th, 1999 | Weekend Conference – N.W. Kent F.H.S. incorporating FFHS Council Meeting, Greenwich University, Avery Hill |