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| The impaled arms of Bishop Peter Mews of Winchester Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025 |
A few observations. The arms I've rendered, interestingly enough, would be considered historical as these prelates have long since fulfilled their earthly ministry. In my data of personal arms for bishops, I have two designs for active bishops, one for a retired bishop, in the Episcopal Church. Perhaps the idea of having personal arms, much less displaying an impaled version, has become a relic of the past in the Episcopal Church.
Ensigning personal and/or impaled coats of arms of bishops with a mitre rather than a galero is an Anglican method used widely to this day. While nothing prevents a bishop in the Episcopal Church from ensigning arms with the galero and pendant tassels, those arms would certainly stand out in a crowd of episcopal heraldry.
I liken this option to what can be seen in choir dress for bishops whose piety and theology is firmly rooted in the Anglo-Catholic tradition--while they might wear the rochet and chimere, a zuchetto finds its way into the ensemble. In other words, without regulation for coat armor in the Episcopal Church, anything goes.
The image above illustrates the impaled coat of arms of the Rt. Rev. Peter Mews (1619-1706) as Bishop of Winchester and Chancellor of the Order of the Garter. The arms of the See of Winchester are located in dexter (viewer's left) and Mew's in sinister (viewer's right). The arrangement of corporate arms on the left (dexter) with personal arms located to the right (sinister) is the template for impaling ecclesiastical arms. Translation to another diocese, thus, would only cause the dexter impalement to change as the prelate's personal arms typically do not.
The blazon for the personal arms of Bishop Mews: Or, three bars Gules on a chief Azure three crosses crosslet Argent. There is a version where the crosses crosslet in chief are rendered as gold (Or).
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| Impaled arms of Bishop Thomas John Claggett Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025 |
The impaled coat of arms of the Rt. Rev. Thomas John Claggett (1743-1816) as seen on a memorial plaque inside Canterbury Cathedral. Bishop Claggett was the first bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Maryland and the first to be ordained bishop on US soil.
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| Coat of arms of the Episcopal Diocese of Maryland Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025 |
The pheon from Claggett's coat of arms was incorporated into the design of new arms for the Episcopal Diocese of Maryland in 1915. Pierre de Chaignon la Rose (1871-1941) created the arms and used the pheon to both reference and honor the see's first bishop.
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| Impaled arms of Bishop Arthur Cleveland Coxe Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025 |
Zieber (1984) shares an illustration of the impaled coat of arms of the Rt. Rev. Arthur Cleveland Coxe (1818-1896), Bishop of Western New York and cites the blazon as, "Argent, a chevron Sable between three cock's heads erased proper" (p. 209). The good bishop had canting arms, an abstract pun upon the surname and seen through the "cock's heads."
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| Historical coat of arms for the Episcopal Diocese of Western New York Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025 |
The historical arms of the Diocese of Western New York, as far as I know, are the only ecclesiastical arms to incorporate a rainbow in the design. The arms of the see have since changed. Zieber (1984) provides the blazon for the Diocese of Western New York as, "Sable, a rainbow proper between three crosses Argent" (p. 209).
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| Personal arms of Bishop Charles Todd Quintard Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025 |
The personal coat of arms of the Rt. Rev. Charles Todd Quintard (1824-1898) found in Zieber (1984), but without the chief of the Order of St. John (p. 210). I omitted the chief so as to match the other arms without extra fussiness.
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| Coat of arms of the Episcopal Diocese of Tennessee Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025 |
Quintard was a medical doctor and Second Bishop of the Diocese of Tennessee. He is commemorated at my alma mater, The University of the South.
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| Personal arms of Bishop Edward Makin Cross Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025 |
The personal coat of arms of the Rt. Rev. Edward Makin Cross (1880-1965), Third Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Spokane. The arms are unusual but simple and clear at the same time. It is interesting to see the pallium used as a charge, and my guess is that it was an attempt to show unification with the See of Canterbury. I could be wrong.
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| Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025 |
Bishop Cross may have been a supporter for changing the arms of Spokane around 1928-29, which evolved into its present day design. Pierre de Chaignon la Rose (1871-1941) created both designs for Spokane. Click here for more regarding the story of the arms of the Diocese of Spokane.
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| Personal arms of Bishop James Henry Darlington Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025 |
The personal coat of arms of the Rt. Rev. James Henry Darlington (1856-1930), First Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Harrisburg, now Central Pennsylvania.
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| Personal arms of Bishop Joseph Blount Cheshire Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025 |
The personal coat of arms of the Rt. Rev. Joseph Blount Cheshire (1850-1932), Fifth Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina (Zieber, 1984, 211).
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| Personal arms of Bishop Richard Grein Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025 |
The personal arms of the Rt. Rev. Richard F. Grein (1932-2024), 14th Bishop of New York, were designed by the Rev. Canon John G.B. Andrew, OBE, D.D. (1931-2014) and granted by the College of Arms. The maltese cross references the bishop's membership in Order of St. John.
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| Personal arms of Bishop Donegan Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025 |
The Rt. Rev. Horace W.B. Donegan (1900-1991), 12th Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of New York, used personal arms impaled with those of the diocese. The bishop's arms are a variation of the historical "Donegan" coat of arms.
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| Personal arms of Bishop Sumner Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025 |
The Rt. Rev. George R. Sumner (b.1955), Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Dallas, has personal arms granted by the Canadian Heraldic Authority (CHA) and blazoned: Argent on a pile reversed throughout Azure cotised Gules a mullet Argent, on a chief Azure between two open books a pale Argent charged with a cross Gules. Bishop Sumner's arms may be the only grant from the CHA for a bishop in the Episcopal Church. I'll be interested to know if there are others.
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| Personal arms of Bishop William K. Crittenden Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025 |
The personal coat of arms of the Rt. Rev. William K. Crittenden (1908-2003), Fifth Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Erie, were designed by the Very Rev. Frederic R. Murray (1910-1996) who served as Dean of St. Paul's Cathedral (Erie, PA) during Crittenden's episcopate.
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| Coat of arms of the Episcopal Diocese of Erie/Northwestern Pennsylvania Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025 |
Diocese of Delaware (1911) credits the Rev. Henry Martyn Medary (1871-1962) as the designer of the arms of the Episcopal Diocese of Erie, later renamed in 1981 as the Diocese of Northwestern Pennsylvania. Medary also designed the arms for the Diocese of Delaware in 1911.
Works Cited
Diocese of Delaware (1911). Journal of the 125th convention of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the Diocese of Delaware. Mercantile Printing, 22.
Pryor, M. (2018 October 16). Heraldry brings Sewanee a sense of “community” for residence halls. The Sewanee Purple, https://thesewaneepurple.org/2018/10/16/heraldry-brings-sewanee-a-sense-of-community-for-residence-halls/
Zieber, Eugene (1984). Heraldry in America. Crown Publishers.
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