Recent Finds Special Edition: Arms of St. Anne's Parish

Coat of arms of St. Anne's Episcopal Parish, Annapolis, MD
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025

Founded in 1692, St. Anne's Episcopal Church located in Annapolis, Maryland proudly boasts more than 333 years of proclaiming the Gospel in North America and stands tall among the oldest houses of worship in the US.  There's loads of information online regarding St. Anne's history, so let's focus on its heraldry.  

One of the more interesting coats of arms that I've discovered online during my search for corporate heraldry shaping the American tradition, are those of St. Anne's Parish.  These arms stand out boldly, much like a peacock.  Certainly not in a bad way, but rather unusual when compared to arms from its brother and sister parishes.  Then again, most of those faith communities have not been around for more than 300 years.  

The designer, a well educated cleric with extensive research in American colonial Anglicanism, would abstractly combine parish history and its location forming a quartered coat of arms.

St. Anne's banner inside Washington National Cathedral during an Acolyte Festival
Image Source: Washington National Cathedral Facebook page

The Rev. Canon Arthur Pierce Middleton (1916-2020) sounds like the perfect guest for a dinner party, given his wide range of life experiences.  Take a minute to read Bay Journal's article celebrating Middleton's life.  I wonder if its fair to say Middleton was living history?  One of his ancestors, after all, signed the Declaration of Independence.

According to Hjortsberg (2011), Middleton designed the coat of arms which St. Anne's formally adopted in November 1989.  Middleton found inspiration from the church's historical foundation which may explain the quarterings used from the arms of Queen Anne of England in his rendering.  Furthermore, Hjortsberg (2011) notes that Middleton was well supplied with assistance and research by Dr. A. Weems McFadden (1925-2010), a decorated US Naval officer and noted dermatologist.  The design for the parish's arms, it seems, was highly researched and intentional with each element and charge.

Processional banner, St. Anne's Episcopal Parish, Annapolis, MD
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025

The quarterings for #1 and #2 are from the Royal arms used by Queen Anne, and quarterings #3 and #4 from Calvert and Crossland used for Maryland.  The four arms abstractly identify the owner as one who was founded during the reign of Queen Anne of England and located in the Baltimore-Maryland region.  The chevron, ermine, and crown likely serve to add sufficient marks of differencing to the arms lest anyone gets the idea that this colonial parish is a royal household.  Nonetheless, the visual references are rather immediate but not all together clear, at least to me. 

Shortened blazon for the arms of St. Anne's Parish in Annapolis, Maryland:  Quarterly; 1: France quartering Plantagenet (England); 2: Stuart (Scotland); 3: Calvert; 4: Crossland, overall on a chevron ermine an imperial crown proper.

When I view St. Anne's arms through Pierre de Chaignon la Rose's (1872-1941) framework for corporate heraldry, I sense a better solution likely exists that renders both historical and geographical identification more clearly.  Consider the examples from other Episcopal and Roman Catholic arms illustrating dedication and/or geographical location using the least amount of charges possible.  This design formula was la Rose's manna.   

Examples of Episcopal Church arms incorporating elements from Calvert and Crossland
Click to enlarge
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025

The illustration above shows all the arms in my data from the Episcopal Church using various elements from Calvert and/or Crossland in their arms.

Top Row:  Episcopal Diocese of Maryland

Middle Row (L-R):  Trinity Cathedral, Easton and St. Augustine Parish, Chesapeake City

Bottom Row (L-R):  Emmanuel Church, Baltimore, MD; St. Anne's Parish, Annapolis; Cathedral of the Incarnation, Baltimore

La Rose designed the arms for the diocese and its cathedral, and Col. Harry D. Temple (1911-2004) produced arms for Trinity Cathedral and St. Augustine Parish.

Examples of Roman Catholic arms incorporating elements from Crossland
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2024

The Archdiocese of Baltimore and Notre Dame University of Maryland are two Roman Catholic arms using elements of Crossland in their arms--both were designed by la Rose.

Abstractly illustrating historical foundation, saintly dedication, and geographical location are critical elements when constructing sound corporate heraldry.  Practice and research, I am discovering, are two ways to strengthen one's capacity to combine multiple references using the least amount of charges or design elements.      

Works Cited

Hjortsberg, Carol (ed.) (2011).  St. Anne's Annapolis: History and times, Vol. II.  St. Anne's Parish.