Design Conformity: The Arms of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington, DC

Banners of arms of the Episcopal Church and the Diocese of Washington, DC.
Both arms were designed by la Rose.
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2024

There stands out one coat of arms which drew wrath from the pen of Pierre de Chaignon la Rose (1872-1941) regarding the state of heraldry in the Episcopal Church. The heraldic designer from Harvard made his life's mission to correct the wrongs inflicted by arm chair heralds in the US during the early-to-mid 20th Century and set a new standard for corporate heraldry. The coat of arms of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington, DC quickly became la Rose's favorite target highlighting the gross misunderstanding shared by many Americans when designing arms.

Excerpt from la Rose (1907): 

Perhaps the worst of all, as even though unconsciously, the most impudent and misleading of American coats [Diocese of Washington, DC]...From the foregoing it will be seen: first, that the dexter impalement of the diocesan arms is an incorrect version of the arms of the kingdom of Jerusalem; and secondly, that in using these arms the diocese and bishop are guilty of a bit of heraldic assumption which even the Patriarch of Jerusalem or the Anglican bishop in Jerusalem would never dream of" (64).

In the same article, the heraldic designer proposed the following revision:

La Rose's (1907) illustrations published in his article.

La Rose's revision appears deceptively simply, yet this coat reveals a level of mastery already at work in his early heraldic career--combining all the desired elements and yet clearly providing geographical identification at the same time.

Arms of George Washington.
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2024.

The blazon la Rose created for his proposal:  Argent, two bars and in chief, between as many stars, a mural crown of five towers all Gules; on a chief Azure a Jerusalem cross Or (La Rose, 1907).

 

Arms of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington, DC.
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2024.

Sometimes, however, those great designs cannot break through rife heralditis.  As such, the Diocese of Washington, DC would not take action on la Rose's proposal for 39 years.  During its annual convention in 1946 the Diocese would officially adopt la Rose's design (Chandler, 1946).  

Banner of arms for the Episcopal Diocese of Washington, DC
based on la Rose's design.
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2024.

Now in 2024, some 78 years later, the design of arms for the diocese has not changed, proving la Rose's eye for sensible corporate heraldry.

Works Cited

Chandler, G.M. (1946 December).  Seal of the Diocese of Washington--1946.  Washington Diocese, 5-6.

La Rose, Pierre de C. (1907 November).  Ecclesiastical heraldry in America II.  Diocesan arms.  In R.A. Cram (Ed.), Christian Art, 2(2), pp. 59-71.

Bridges & Cantabrigians

The impaled arms of The Rt. Rev. Augustine F. Hickey
as a Domestic Prelate, designed and painted in 1937
by Pierre de Chaignon la Rose.  Source:  The Pilot.

When designing corporate heraldry, providing clear geographical identification through abstraction transforms an otherwise acceptable coat of arms to an extraordinary one.  Heraldic designers who  understand and master this foundational principle, create arms with true carrying power.  In other words, these designs persist, standing the test of time and last.  One such designer, Pierre de Chaignon la Rose (1872-1941), expertly illustrated these skills in nearly all of his corporate work. 

La Rose's original design of arms
for the Archdiocese of Boston.
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2024.

Based at Harvard, la Rose created numerous arms for Boston area organizations using imagery to reflect the history and topography of one of the nation's oldest cities.  A trimount in base to reference Tremontinensis, an old Latin moniker for Boston, as one example of la Rose's skill used in his design of arms for the Archdiocese of Boston (La Rose, 1911, 5).  Crowns composed of crosses patte and fleurs-de-lis to reference St. Botolph's Town was yet another method la Rose employed for geographical identification in the arms of Boston College (he even used the trimount too).

By 1937, however, we see la Rose shifting gears and getting VERY local with his design of arms for St. Paul's Parish near Harvard Square--the heraldic designer's home parish.  While Brucker (1910) reveals that la Rose was an Episcopalian earlier in his life, at some point he "swam the Tiber" converting to Roman Catholicism.  

St. Paul's Harvard Square was la Rose's spiritual home and place of divine refuge, and whose sanctuary was the final "amen" and venue for the heraldic designer's requiem mass (The St. Louis Review, 7 March 1941).  

The person charged with la Rose's spiritual care was The Rev. Augustine F. Hickey (1883-1972), another Cantabrigian and a rather interesting cleric.  For a recent spotlight on Hickey's life, please read this article in The Pilot.  

Monsignor Augustine F. Hickey (1883-1972)
Source: The Pilot.

On January 18, 1937, Pope Pius XI named Father Hickey a Domestic Prelate, an honorific for Roman clergy and likely triggering an opportunity for la Rose to design a proper coat of arms for his pastor and parish (Wills, 1993, 16).  

La Rose's painting of Hickey's impaled arms above provides the following blazon:  Impaled arms.  Dexter, Gules, an embattled fess enarched Argent, in base barry wavy Argent and Azure and overall a sword in pale Or point to base (St. Paul's Parish).  Sinister, Gyronny of eight Sable and Or, on the first four acorns and on the last as many oak leaves counterchanged (Hickey).  Hickey's Latin motto, Primum Regnum Dei, translates to English as "first, the Kingdom of God."

Without any data, correspondence, or written blazon, la Rose's painting in full color is extremely helpful in piecing together the blazon.      

The arms of St. Paul's Parish (Cambridge, MA)
designed by Pierre de Chaignon la Rose.
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2024.

Through his design for St. Paul's Parish, la Rose creatively explores a new method for geographical identification--no trimount or crowns here.  La Rose gets local, extraordinary so, with his design for the parish's arms.  The barry wavy lines in base is a clear reference to the Charles River which separates Boston and Cambridge.  Here's the plot twist.  By 1927, the Charles saw one newcomer bridging these two localities with the completed construction of the John W. Weeks FootBridge.  To render the overpass  abstractly, la Rose judiciously arched an embattled fess providing a heraldic reference for the footbridge.  The newly constructed walkway was not insignificant, for the Weeks Bridge effectively connected Boston directly onto Harvard's original campus.  

Perhaps there is another consideration for la Rose's rationale, as posited by my colleague Joseph McMillan of the American Heraldry Society.  There are examples of la Rose "Americanizing" arms by differencing through tincture or metal changes--the Diocese of Richmond (Virginia) is one such example.  The heraldic designer likely pull inspiration from the established arms of the city council of Cambridge in England.

Arms of the City Council of Cambridge in England.
Source: Wikipedia

The arms of Cambridge were granted from the College of Arms in 1575 and blazoned: "Gules, a bridge, in chief a flower de luce gold between two roses silver on a point wave three boats sable."

Banner of arms of St. Paul's Parish based on la Rose's design.
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2024.

Dorling (1911) notes that traditionally heralds ascribed arms for St. Paul using Gules (red) for the field along with a sword Argent (silver/white).  La Rose differenced the parish's arms by flipping the sword's metal from silver to gold.  Given the volume of designs he created, la Rose would need multiple methods for showing unification, differencing, and geographical identification in order to render clear, perspicuous arms.

Now in 2024, the arms of St. Paul's have reached a respectable age of 87-years old, proving the foundational principle of corporate heraldic design--well designed arms are lasting cherished symbols beloved by those corporate bodies.  La Rose's work, as seen through the eyes of the 21st Century, continues to both challenge and inspire.

Works Cited

Brucker, A. (1910).  The essentials of ecclesiastical heraldry.  The American Ecclesiastical Review, 42, 190-198.

Dorling, E.E. (1911).  Heraldry of the Church.  Mowbray & Co.

La Rose, P. de C. (1911).  Arms of His Grace the Archbishop of Boston.  The American Ecclesiastical Review, 45(5), 2-11.  

O'Grady, R.M. (2024, June 7).  Msgr. Augustine F. Hickey:  First resident of Regina Cleri.  The Pilot. 

https://www.thebostonpilot.com/article.php?ID=197573

The St. Louis Review. (1941, March 7).  Noted exponent of art of heraldry succumbs.  The St. Louis Review, 1(10), 3.

Wills, J. (1993).  The Catholics of Harvard Square.  St. Bede's.  

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.

The College of Arms Foundation

Arms and crest of the US-based College of Arms Foundation,
rendered by Chad Krouse, 2024.

This past June I had an awesome opportunity to participate in the annual meeting of the College of Arms Foundation held via Zoom at the College in London--being on a call with several heralds was an unforgettable experience!  Even more humbling, I might add, was being elected to serve on the US-based foundation's board of directors where I'll get to learn alongside some of the giants in our field.

Earlier this Spring, I co-authored the following description of the Foundation and its work:  

Founded in 1983, the College of Arms Foundation, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization that proudly holds a special place among US-based organizations dedicated to matters of heraldry and genealogy through its close working relationship with the College of Arms in London.  The College is the oldest heraldic authority in the world, a department of the Royal Household responsible for devising, granting, and regulating armorial bearings within England, Wales, Northern Ireland, and some of the Commonwealth realms. 

Arms of the College,
rendered by Chad Krouse, 2024.

Beyond heraldry, another preeminent role enjoyed by the College and its heralds is organizing State ceremonies, such as the annual State Openings of Parliament, while another is preserving and maintaining genealogical records collected over the centuries. 

Bound by mutual ties of affection, the Foundation’s four-decade partnership has produced lasting outcomes by funding critical projects at the College.  The Foundation unwrites projects that the College identifies to preserve the rich history of heraldry and genealogy for centuries to come. In recent years, the Foundation fully funded the conservation of two deteriorated pedigree manuscripts and partially funded the publication of A Catalogue of Manuscripts in the College of Arms, Records Volume 1. Completion of these projects preserves vital historical records while widening access for research and furthering our common understanding. 

Additionally, the Foundation promotes English heraldry and genealogy in the US by sponsoring programs and offering presentations on related subject matter with interested organizations.

Interestingly enough, there are two organizations on either side of the Atlantic working to raise funds to support the College--the Foundation here in the US and the UK-based White Lion Society.

The Foundation was established in 1983 and White Lion Society in 1986.  The Foundation received a devisal of arms on December 20, 1983, closely resembling the College's arms albeit differenced by a single tressure in each quarter.

Banners of arms: (L) the College of Arms and (R) the College of Arms Foundation (US),
based on their respective arms.  Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2024.

The blazon of arms for the Foundation: Argent, a cross and within four tressures Gules as many Doves their dexter wings elevated and inverted Azure beaked and legged Gules.

Arms and crest of the College of Arms,
rendered by Chad Krouse, 2024.

I'm excited to serve in this new capacity and help advance the work of the College--by far the oldest heraldic authority in the world.