The Heraldry of England's Nazareth

Arms of Our Lady of Walsingham
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025

Walsingham, or more properly, "England's Nazareth," is the holiest of places in England where the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to the Lady Richeldis.  The Shrine of Our Lady has been host to kings and queens, along with countless pilgrims seeking intercession from the Blessed Virgin Mary.  

As I continue to dabble in digital design, I thought it would be best to render the arms of the name of this blog's dedication.  More to point, I've never encountered a digital emblazonment for Walsingham and I rather liked the challenge to see what I could do.  

The emblazonment above is the earliest known coat from the Augustinian priory established in Walsingham.  The arms are blazoned:  Argent, on a cross Sable five Madonna lilies slipped and seeded proper.

Arms of the College of Guardians of the Holy House of Our Lady of Walsingham. 
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025

In 1945, a grant of arms was made to the College of Guardians of the Holy House of Our Lady Walsingham based on the historic coat borne by the Augustinians, albeit differenced of course.  Please click here to read more about the College's grant.  

Processional banner of the arms of the College of Guardians
designed by Chad Krouse, 2025

The arms of the College of Guardians of the Holy House of Walsingham are blazoned:  Argent, on a cross Sable five Madonna lilies slipped and seeded proper on a canton Azure a holy house Or.

Arms of the College of Guardians supported by Our Lady's throne
Concept and rendering by Chad Krouse, 2025

The biggest challenge I had in pulling these arms together was digitally creating an image of the Holy House.  In heraldry, a specifically named object such as the Holy House, is rendered abstractly with only minor detail--enough to provide identification to the viewer.

Banners of arms
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025

Once I had the Holy House dialed in, I began creating a number of assets, one of which had to be a banner of arms.  Ecclesiastical flags in the Church of England are regulated by the Earl Marshal's Warrant of 1938 which codified a template for flags.  Essentially, a parish flag would use as the basis a white field with the red cross of St. George and differenced by the escutcheon of the diocese in dexter canton (seen in the top flag above).  

However, if one were to simply translate the Guardians' arms into a banner of arms, the result would look similar to my rendering in the flag below--beautiful even if not in compliance with the Earl Marshal's directive.

Arms of The Rev. Alfred Hope Patten
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025

No discussion would be complete without mentioning the coat of arms borne by The Rev. Father Alfred Hope Patten (1885-1958), Anglican priest and Restorer of the Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham. 

Impaled arms of Patten with the arms of the Guardians
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025

As illustrated in the arms above, Father Hope preferred two black tassels from his galero--the number traditionally indicates the office of a dean.  My rendering of Father Hope's arms are based on an image of his ex libris in my collection.  I love seeing Father Hope's arms impaled with those of the Guardians as he was in many ways the founder of it all.

The blazon for the arms of The Rev. A. Hope Patten: 

Arms:  Lozengy Sable and Ermine, a canton Gules

Motto:  Nulla Pallescere Culpa, Latin for "to turn pale at no crime"

Arms of the National Shrine and Basilica of Our Lady of Walsingham
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025

Nearby, the Roman Catholic National Shrine and Basilica of Our Lady of Walsingham uses the undifferenced arms of the Augustinian Priory of Walsingham along with the external ornaments appropriately reflecting its status as a basilica.  Click here to read my proposal for a revision to the arms of the National Shrine and Basilica.

Some Recent Shield Work

The arms of St. George's School (RI) designed by la Rose.  
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2024.

I figured my rectangular-flag-shaped world needed some spice, and so we're now moving (albeit slowly) into proper shields.  Here are a few of my latest attempts.

The arms of Lancaster Catholic High School (PA) designed by la Rose.
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2024.

The coat of arms of Brooks School (MA) designed around 1932, a suspiciously la Rosian design.
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2024.

The arms of St. Vincent Archabbey (PA) designed by la Rose.
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2024.

The arms of St. Mary's Abbey (NJ) designed by la Rose.
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2024.

The arms of Harvard University.
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2024.

The arms of the Episcopal Church designed by la Rose.
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2024.

The arms of St. Edward's Seminary (WA) designed by la Rose.
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2024.

The arms of The Catholic University of America designed by la Rose.
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2024.

The former arms of Harvard Law designed by la Rose.
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2024.

The arms of Harvard Business School designed by la Rose.
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2024.

The arms of former Calhoun College at Yale, both name and arms have since been retired by the university.  Designed by la Rose.  Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2024.

A few arms not designed by la Rose:

The arms of Kenyon College in Ohio designed by The Rev. Canon Watson in 1908.
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2024.

The arms of Bexley Hall Seminary which was under Kenyon College in Ohio.  Designed by The Rev. Canon Watson in 1908.  Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2024

The arms of the College of Guardians of the Holy House of Our Lady of Walsingham, granted by the College of Arms in 1945.  Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2024.

Some Recent Scholastic Flags

Armorial flag of the University of Notre Dame (IN).  Arms originally designed by Pierre de Chaignon la Rose in 1930.  Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2024.

As I continue to explore Pierre de Chaignon la Rose's (1872-1941) corporate heraldry and transfer a select group of those into banners of arms, I continue to be amazed at the level of detail and execution he employed at such a high level.  In the pre-digital age, seeing la Rose's exacting hand at work has been impressive.  I'm enjoying the process and learning loads of minute details that would otherwise go unnoticed.  Below are several of his designs for academic institutions that I recently completed.

Armorial flag of Berkeley Divinity School at Yale.  Arms originally designed by Pierre de Chaignon la Rose in 1906.  Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2024.

Armorial flag of Rice University.  Arms originally designed by Pierre de Chaignon la Rose in 1912.  Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2024.

Armorial flag of Notre Dame of Maryland University.  Arms originally designed by Pierre de Chaignon la Rose in 1914.  Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2024.

Armorial flag of the Catholic Students Mission Crusade.  Arms originally designed by Pierre de Chaignon la Rose in 1924.  Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2024.

Armorial flag of Lancaster Catholic High School (PA).  Arms originally designed by Pierre de Chaignon la Rose between 1928-1930.  Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2024.

Armorial flag of St. Paul's School (NH). Arms originally designed by Pierre de Chaignon la Rose in 1931. Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2024.

Armorial flag of The Catholic University of America (DC). Arms originally designed by Pierre de Chaignon la Rose in 1933. Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2024.

Armorial flag of St. George's School (RI).  Arms originally designed by Pierre de Chaignon la Rose in 1939.  Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2024.

To shake things up, here are two armorial flags that are not designed by la Rose.  These flags are based on the coat of arms of Kenyon College and its seminary Bexley Hall located in Ohio.  Both were designed by The Rev. Canon Orville E. Watson (1857-1951) in approximately 1908.  Click here to learn more about these armorial bearings.

Armorial flag of Kenyon College (OH).
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2024.

Armorial flag of Bexley Hall Seminary at Kenyon College (OH).
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2024.

Endangered No More: The Arms of St. Edward's Seminary

St. Edward's Seminary in Kenmore, WA.
Photo:  Wikipedia.

When my research on Pierre de Chaignon la Rose (1872-1941) commenced in 2014, an internet search uncovered a blog post on the arms of St. Edward's Seminary located in Kenmore, WA.  I was so intrigued that I wrote my own blog post.  To read an early article on the arms of St. Edward's Seminary, please click this link.  The brief article by the Friends of St. Edward State Park detailed important information regarding the coat of arms la Rose designed for the seminary in 1931, along with his line drawing of the arms.

Jointly operated in 1930 by the Archdiocese of Seattle (then it was a diocese) and the Society of the Priests of St. Sulpice, the seminary trained clergy until its doors closed in 1976.  The property is now a state park and the physical building is now something of a resort destination.  The Lodge occupies the former seminary offering luxury amenities.  If only those walls could talk...

Line drawing of the new arms for St. Edward's Seminary by la Rose in 1931.  I've spent time cleaning up the image as the original was quite bad.

During the passage of time, the Friends blog has since been replaced and the article lost.  I am so thankful that I captured the data when I did.  The blog article from August 31, 2013 shares a letter from la Rose detailing his rationale for the seminary's new design along with a line drawing of the arms as seen above.  Usually, la Rose sends these letters directly to corporate sole, and in this case it would have been Bishop Edward John O'Dea (1856-1932): 

"Saint Edward himself has a very beautiful coat ascribed him by the medieval heralds-apocryphal, of course, as he lived before the rise of personal heraldry, but still, an actual emblem which he used on his coinage: a cross with five martlets.  This in conjunction with the Sulpician emblem, I shall make the basis of a carefully studied design.

"The arms ascribed to Saint Edward by the early heralds consist of a gold cross and five gold 'martlets' on a blue field.  The shapes and arrangement are the same as in my own drawing.  We may not use this coat unaltered, for to do so would imply, heraldically, that St. Edward was the Founder of the Seminary, instead of being simply its Patron.  I have therefore changed the coloring from blue and gold to red and silver - the colors of the diocesan arms. As for St. Edward's cross and martlets, they appear, as I think I told you, on his coins.  The significance of the birds I do not know, nor does anyone else.  In heraldry they are always shown as having no feet visible. 

"On the Sulpician 'inescutcheon' you will note the crescent (of the Immaculate Conception) which distinguishes the American house of the society from the French" (La Rose letter to Bishop Edward O'Dea, February 13, 1931).

And that's all the information we have regarding these arms.  There's no blazon, much less any colored emblazonments to be found--I know.  The archives of the Archdiocese of Seattle and the Associated Sulpicians of the United States Archives have the letter and line drawing but nothing else.  

La Rose never referred to himself as a herald per se, but he did identify as an architect and even an archeologist.  It does seem a bit strange given his educational background in English, regardless his designs were informed by human history, the past.  To dig up the past in order to create present-day identification--the sole purpose of heraldry--was la Rose's calling in a sense and his letters to clients reflect the seriousness he approached this task.  

Comparing the seminary's arms with those attributed to St. Edward the Confessor.
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2024.

In every design, la Rose meticulously researched the corporate body, or the individual's familial background, taking into consideration all known data to render clear and perspicuous coats of arms.  St. Edward's Seminary is no exception to his keen sense of creatively bringing the past into the present through the abstract language of heraldry.   

The coat of arms of St. Edward's Seminary designed by la Rose.
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2024.

As a heraldic researcher, I see my task as preserving la Rose's legacy through sharing and education.  I was deeply concerned that his design of arms for St. Edward's Seminary was endangered of being erased, and I wanted to ensure that would not happen.  Thus I've taken liberties to digitally render these arms myself, however elementary the emblazonments may appear, to ensure posterity of the design. 

The armorial flag or banner of arms for the Archdiocese of Seattle.  La Rose designed the arms in 1919 and the colors of red (Gules) and silver/white (Argent) form the color scheme for the seminary's coat. Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2024.

The armorial flag or banner of arms of St. Edward's Seminary.
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2024.

As far as I know, this may well be the first time these arms have ever been seen both digitally and in color.  The blazon I give for la Rose's design is:  Gules, on a cross floury Argent an escutcheon Azure charged with the Badge of the Society of Saint Sulpice in the United States between five martlets all Argent.  This blazon makes the most logical sense given la Rose's description in the letter even though we do not know the tincture for the Sulpician shield, blue seems appropriate.

Because I love armorial flags, I've laid out la Rose's design in this format.  I rather prefer the flag to the shield, as the martlets present so many challenges within the confines of the shield's shape for balance and symmetry.

I know of several additional designs by la Rose that equally face eradication.  As so many of those institutions bearing arms by la Rose closed towards the end of the 20th century, their muniments have been scattered or simply disappeared altogether.  I know of one such case for a college where literally everything has vanished!  So, I have my work cut out; I love the thrill of hunting down his designs as I know there must be hundreds buried and in need of some digging.  

It's my sincere hope that the arms of St. Edward's Seminary can now be shared and la Rose's design appreciated more widely.  It's a lovely design with clear identification and meaning created by the master.