The Committee on Heraldry

Arms of the Committee on Heraldry, American Ancestors.
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2024.

It may come as a surprise to many readers to learn that the United States has the oldest non-governmental heraldic body in the world.  Formerly known to many as the New England Historic and Genealogical Society's (NEHGS) Committee on Heraldry, the Committee on Heraldry was established on 3 February 1863 and remains headquartered in Boston.  While NEHGS has since been renamed to American Ancestors, the Committee's work collecting and preserving American arms continues.  Two distinct functions of the Committee's work:  1) Registering historical arms of early Americans and immigrants, and 2) recording modern armorial ensigns used by Americans today.  Note the distinction between registration and recording!  Both functions require a detailed process for acceptance.  

Click here to go to the Committee on Heraldry's website.     

Recently, both American Ancestors and the Committee served as host for the 36th International Congress of Genealogical and Heraldic Sciences held this past September in Boston.  Congress brought together both genealogical and heraldic scholars from around the world for fellowship, research collaboration, and  presentations.  I was proud to have been among those selected to share a portion of my la Rose research at Congress.

I had every good intention to emblazon the Committee's arms before Congress, however, that didn't happen until this past week.

Banner of arms, the Committee on Heraldry.
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2024.

As far as I know the Committee's arms have been in use for quite some time and I wanted the challenge of recreating theses in my newly developing style of sorts.

My blazon for the arms of the Committee on Heraldry:  Argent, a ship under sail Azure, sail and flag Argent a cross throughout Gules, and in base barry wavy Azure and Argent.

Arms of the Committee on Heraldry.
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2024.

Back in 2014, I had the good sense to have my own assumed arms recorded with the Committee, something that was meaningful for me to be counted among so many others bearing arms in our country.

36th International Congress of Genealogical and Heraldic Sciences

What an incredible week in Boston!  Attending the 36th International Congress of Genealogical and Heraldic Sciences was truly special--the first time this gathering has been held in the US.  The action took place inside Old South Church on Boylston Street in the heart of the Back Bay area.

And there were so many highlights.

First and foremost, meeting colleagues for the first time in person was truly memorable.  It is astonishing how one can write, share, and collaborate with others while never having met in person.  Whether from Facebook, Discord, or even Instagram, it was awesome to put actual faces to usernames. I actually believe, now, that having met so many folks in person has enriched those professional relationships while giving me an even great depth of appreciation for who they are and their contributions to our field.

I was able to connect with fellow board members from the American Heraldry Society as well as the College of Arms of Foundation.

Title slide from my presentation.

Secondly, it was a high honor to have been selected to present a portion of my research on Pierre de Chaignon la Rose (1872-1941) during the Congress.  To say I felt pressure to give la Rose the appreciation he deserves--especially in his adopted hometown of Boston--would be an understatement.  

Slide showing la Rose's breakdown via frequency distribution for his heraldic work in the Episcopal Church. Click to enlarge.

I spent a lot of time, perhaps too much, in creating all the digital emblazonments for the presentation.  I wanted everything to be streamlined and in full color so that audience participants could visually understand la Rose's methods.  In exactly 30-minutes, I think I was able to do justice for the American heraldic designer without belaboring any minute point which I may have felt critical for understanding.  

Example of how la Rose used the ancestral arms of the Dominican Order
to create new identities for US-based Dominican institutions.  Click to enlarge.

Now as the Congress winds down today, I will write my article to be published in the Congress journal in 2025--another extraordinary opportunity to make a meaningful contribution for la Rose!  

O Canada!

Arms and crest of the Canadian Heraldic Authority,
rendered by Chad Krouse, 2024.

When my heraldic journey commenced years ago, I became utterly fascinated with my eyes saw coming from the heralds to the north.  Canadian heraldry has come into its own during the 21st Century and decidedly different from its English roots.  

Some of my favorites, L-R:  The Royal Heraldry Society of Canada,
Canadian Heraldic Authority, and Order of St John in Canada.
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2024.

Banner of arms of the Royal Heraldry Society of Canada based on the Society's arms.
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2024.

The coat of arms of the Royal Heraldry Society of Canada.
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2024.

The coat of arms of the Canadian Heraldic Authority.
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2024.

Arms of the Order of St. John Canada
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2024.

36th International Congress of Genealogical and Heraldic Sciences

The logo for the 36th Congress created by the talented Matthew Alderman.

For the first time in its history, the International Congress of Genealogical and Heraldic Sciences (ICGHS) will be held in the United States this September.  Established by the Académie Internationale d’Héraldique, the first congress convened in Madrid during 1929 and quickly became an essential gathering for genealogical and heraldic scholars from around the world.  The 36th Congress will take place in Boston and being generously hosted by American Ancestors and its Committee on Heraldry.  Click here to view the full program and registration information for the 36th Congress.

The theme for the 36th Congress, "origins, journeys, destinations," informs the programs and presentations this year, while perfectly embodying the American spirit and history at the same time.  Genealogy and heraldry are equally balanced within the programming, forming the two core subjects.  In terms of heraldry, proposals were requested to address questions such as how does heraldry create, preserve, or reinforce group identity and proposals were to align with this theme.

This past Fall, I submitted a proposal to the Congress' Scientific Committee on la Rose's heraldic work for numerous Roman Catholic religious communities and their corresponding academic institutions they established.  My tailored focus on these particular communities thematically worked well, as they shared European origins and moved throughout the US in the early 20th century as a result of their missionary work.  In my mind, no proceedings on heraldry occurring in Boston would be complete without examining la Rose's work.    

I labored over the title and abstract, knowing I had but one shot at giving la Rose his proper place in the annals of the Congress.  Ultimately, I chose, "The Heraldic Carpenter:  Pierre de Chaignon la Rose Fashioning New American Identity," honoring la Rose's role as a heraldic carpenter of sorts, effectively constructing designs that honored the origins of these communities while identifying their destinations at the same time.  A certain reader will happily note that I no longer refer to la Rose as a "herald," acquiescing to reason and sound argument.  My thinking continues to evolve on the use of this particular noun.  

With a 300 word limit, I submitted the following abstract (in 290 words, no less):

"Corporate heraldry in the United States experienced a significant revival during the early 20th Century, fueled in part by the missionary work of several Roman Catholic religious communities and their need to authentic diplomas for newly established educational institutions. These religious communities, founded in Europe, required a new American identity and placed their faith in the capable hands of Pierre de Chaignon la Rose (1872-1941) of Harvard.

"As the nation’s leading expert in ecclesiastical heraldry, la Rose assiduously built his reputation within the Roman Catholic Church following his landmark commission for arms in 1910 for the Archdioceses of Baltimore and Boston.

"Through a thematic analysis of 250 designs of corporate arms by la Rose, this paper will examine how the designer constructed a framework without any precedence in the US to illustrate the ancestral origins of several Roman Catholic religious communities while accomplishing unification and differencing in their arms at the same time. 

"Void of any heraldic authority in the US, la Rose built his methods based on the ancient rules and customs of heraldry, while forging a new pathway for corporate arms in America. La Rose fashioned new identity for these communities by employing unique charges representing their European foundations for unification, while differencing their arms based on their destinations, such as new colleges or branches of the community. 

"La Rose filled a critical need in the US and was the first herald to employ these methods to create and preserve group identity while setting a high standard for best practices in designing corporate arms.

"Through the brilliance of la Rose’s designs for these communities, he would render clear and perspicuous heraldry and many are still used today for identification."

The result?  I'm going to Boston!  

When I received the official notification, I nearly fell down.  I was filled with lots of emotions.  It's rather quite difficult to render words that do justice to my long and winding journey researching la Rose.  I never imaged 10 years ago where I would be standing today.  

All in all, I'm feeling the magnitude of what this opportunity means for me, and I promise to not let la Rose down.