Recent Posts

Tuesday, January 14, 2025

Recent Finds Part II

Arms of the Episcopal Diocese of Texas and Christ Church cathedral
Arms of the Episcopal Diocese of Texas and its cathedral
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025
As I keep coming across good heraldry found online, I've taken up the challenge to render and post here for the sake of preservation.  First up, the arms of the Episcopal Diocese of Texas--not a new coat to me but its cathedral, Christ Church is a new one.  I like the simplicity of the cathedral's design, especially by carrying the diocese's star over and placed in dexter quarter to show unification.  The designer of the cathedral's arms, unknown to me at present, clearly knew what they were doing.

Arms of Christ Church Cathedral Houston, TX
Arms of Christ Church Cathedral Houston, TX
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025

Blazon for the arms of Christ Church Cathedral in Houston, TX:  Argent, on a cross throughout Azure the Greek monogram for Christ (I and X) paleways Or in dexter quarter a mullet Azure.

Coat of Arms of Boutetourt Press Williamsburg, Virginia
Arms of Boutetourt Press Williamsburg, Virginia
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025
Here's a corporate coat of arms, those of Boutetourt Press located in Williamsburg, Virginia.  While not found on the Internet, these arms grace the dust jacket of my copy, "Hark Upon the Gale," a pictorial history book on the College of William & Mary.  I'm drawn to these arms because they are simply brilliant for a press to bear and use.  

Coat of Arms of Zion Episcopal Church, Manchester, VT
Arms of Zion Episcopal Church, Manchester, VT
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025
Creating the fretty for the arms of Zion Episcopal Church in Manchester, Vermont was quite the challenge for me.  But...see how the fretty in base creates the image of a six pointed star, or the Jerusalem star?  Brilliant!

Coat of arms of St. James Episcopal Church, Hendersonville, NC
What I believe to be the arms of St. James Episcopal Church, Hendersonville, NC
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025

The arms for St. James' in Hendersonville, North Carolina were discovered carved in relief on the parish's sign.  The three golden escallops were easily identifiable and the fretty design was also visible.  As to the tinctures/metals?  The top of the fretty was painted red, so the base has to be a metal.  I tried gold and the shells truly became lost due to the field's powerful color.  So, I used Argent.  Who knows which is correct at present?

Coat of Arms of All Saints Episcopal Church, Palo Alto, CA
Arms of All Saints Episcopal Church, Palo Alto, CA
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025

I like how the semy plays on the celestial crown which customarily represents "all the saints."  I think these arms were designed by The Rev. Ekford Dekay.  

Coat of  Arms of All Saints Episcopal Church Peterborough, NH
Arms of All Saints Episcopal Church Peterborough, NH
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025

The coat of arms of All Saints Episcopal Church located in Peterborough, New Hampshire were quite fun to recreate.  The image I found for the arms was rather small and I believe the charges between the canton's chevron are estoiles.  Moreover, there's a lot of symbolism packed into this design.  I fully suspect Col. Harry D. Temple (1911-2004) designed these arms.  The bordure contains the arms of the Diocese of New Hampshire to show the parish's unification and the canton refers to the arms of the Earls of Peterborough--argent, a chevron between as many estoiles sable.

Saturday, January 11, 2025

Orders and Medals

The authors's medals for membership in various orders/societies
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025
Click to enlarge 
I needed a break from shields, mottos, and the like.  I started thinking of a new project that would be quasi-heraldic and deeply personal, reflecting me.  Following my investiture in the Order of St. John this past fall, I've been awestruck since lost in disbelief that I would ever be worthy of such an honor.  The breast medal for my grade of Member is a constant reminder to serve all people--for the faith--and some days its hard to believe others thought so highly of me.  It is humbling.  Thus, that medal provided inspiration for my new project.  The spirit and intention is not to "peacock" my bling, but rather to challenge me in learning new design skills, etc.  So, this is not a bragging post!

On the advent of taking my first steps in the world of heraldry, circa 2011-2013, I began researching my family history as so much of it was unknown to me.  I wanted to learn whose footsteps were imprinted in my soul and share that with my children--sharing this story was everything to me.  While uncovering all manner of facts and legends, I wanted to somehow place a permanent marker in our timeline, documenting all that predated my existence.  Enter hereditary societies.  I knew nothing about this rather interesting world of genetically like-minded people whose ancestors' DNA and their human experiences created a common bond and medal to wear.

Nonetheless, these hereditary societies work assiduously preserving evidence-based family lineages focusing one theme or another.  This shared interest--documenting family lineages with the evidence--solved my problem of how to plant that familial stake in the ground while I still roam above it.  Thus, I "earned" a rack of medals.  

Precedence for ordering hereditary society medals is set by the founding date of the organization.  Highly recommend the Hereditary Society Community's website for any reader interested to learn about all of these groups.  Please click this link to see the medals/insignia for each society.

1. The Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem

Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025

Medal of a Serving Member.  The Order of St. John, of course, is not a hereditary organization but an order of chivalry bound through the "fount of honor" the Sovereign Head, HM King Charles III.


2.  The Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States (1865)

Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025
For ancestors who served as officers in the Union Army during the American Civil War.

3.  The Sons of the Revolution (1876)

Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025

For ancestors who served the cause of freedom and fought during the American Revolutionary War.

4.  The Sons of the American Revolution (1889)

Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025

For ancestors who served the cause of freedom and fought during the American Revolutionary War.

5.  The Royal Society of Saint George (1894)

Royal Society of Saint George member medal
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025
In support of all things English and dedicated to promoting "Englishness"


6.  The Order of Washington (1895)

Order of Washington member medal
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025
For descendants whose ancestor(s) served in the cause for freedom during the lifetime of George Washington


7.  The Hereditary Order of First Families of Massachusetts (1985)

Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025

For ancestors who, "settled within the bounds of the Massachusetts Bay Colony before the year 1650."

8.  The Order of First Families of Rhode Island and Providence Plantation (1991)

Member medal 8.  The Order of First Families of Rhode Island and Providence Plantation
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025

For ancestors, "resident on land presently a part of the State of Rhode Island
and the Providence Plantations prior to January 1, 1647-1648."

Recent Finds

Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025

Every now and then I stumble upon a rather attractive coat of arms from an unknown designer living on the Internet or social media, providing its owner with a dignified symbol.  It so happens that the four designs I rendered and posted above are ecclesiastical coats from parishes in the Episcopal Church.  When the subject of heraldry in the Episcopal Church emerges, we find ourselves in the lawless deserts of the wild west.  Truly, and I mean it, anything goes...or rather seems appropriate to adorn an escutcheon.  

The other ironic feature of these four coats of arms is the clear theme of barry wavy.  Additionally, my study of these four proves once again that a decent emblazonment makes all the difference.  The modernization of these designs leave much to the imagination...Nonetheless, I am committed to preserving good corporate heraldry in the US, regardless of the designer.

Coat of Arms, St. Patrick's Episcopal Church Brewer, Maine
Coat of Arms, St. Patrick's Episcopal Church Brewer, Maine
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025

St. Patrick's Episcopal Church bears a lovely coat of arms with striking originality.  My favorite design of this set.  I only wish there was some form of geographical identification incorporated into the design--absolutely illustrate the dedication of the parish but don't go overboard!  I chose to use an ancient Celtic crozier rather than some shiny new crook.  The symmetry of the snake's head facing dexter with the crook to sinister works nicely I think.

Coat of arms, Holy Trinity Episcopal Church, Branford, CT
Coat of arms, Holy Trinity Episcopal Church, Branford, CT
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025

Coat of arms, Grace Episcopal Church, Massapequa, NY
Coat of arms, Grace Episcopal Church, Massapequa, NY
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025

Coat of arms, Trinity Episcopal Church, Galveston, TX
Coat of arms, Trinity Episcopal Church, Galveston, TX
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025

I'll keep hunting for more.  These designs give me hope and prove that there is such a thing as good American heraldry.

Two late comers, but worthy nonetheless...

Coat of arms, Church of the Holy Trinity, New York, NY
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025 

Coat of arms, Christ Church Alexandria, VA
Coat of arms, Christ Church Alexandria, VA
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025

Thursday, January 9, 2025

La Rose & Music City

Diocese of Nashville Seal and Coat of arms
Proposed seal and arms for the Diocese of Nashville
produced by Pierre de Chaignon la Rose in 1932
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025
Some years ago, I was fascinated to learn that Pierre de Chaignon la Rose (1872-1941) had been commissioned for arms in the State of Tennessee.  Why?  After spending three years in graduate school/seminary in Tennessee, to find something as foreign as heraldry displayed seems, well, foreign.  Sewanee, of course, being the exception to this observation.  In fact, my research over the years has uncovered four corporate coats of arms produced by la Rose in the 1930s.

For the see of Nashville, la Rose proposed the design for a seal in the vesica format with new arms as illustrated above in 1932.  I've not encountered another Roman Catholic see whose seal is rendered in this format.  As far as I know, there is no evidence that the Diocese of Nashville adopted this particular shape, but thankfully their archives preserved la Rose's proposals and correspondence on the matter.

The vesica shaped seal with arms is widely used by dioceses in the Episcopal Church, as la Rose fashioned nearly 30 seals for Episcopal dioceses using this same format.  I do have one basilica that la Rose produced a seal with arms in the vesica shape which is still in use today. 

The Dominican Congregation of St. Cecilia, based in Nashville, worked with la Rose on a number of designs as the sisters established or took over leadership of a number of primary/secondary schools in the region.

L-R: Arms of Notre Dame High School and
the Dominican Congregation of St. Cecilia
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025
The Sisters established St. Cecilia's Academy in Nashville and the school uses the undifferenced arms of the Congregation.  To the south of Music City, Chattanooga became another focal point for the Congregation and ran Notre Dame High School which still operates and uses the arms la Rose designed, though their modern branding has the entire armorial ensigns in green/white reflecting their livery colors.  I'm working with the sister in charge of the Congregation's archives as I've inquired about three more schools which appear to bear arms that are suspiciously la Rosian.  So, more to come.

If you know, please share!
This is an exact replica from la Rose's drawing.
Of interest to me and my colleagues with the American Heraldry Society, I cannot identify the sinister charge in base of the high school's arms.  What is it?  If you know, please email me at chad(dot)m(dot)krouse(at)gmail(dot)com.

La Rose's design theory and framework was very much rooted in the medieval tradition.  La Rose believed that arms for a branch of a religious community should have in base the undifferenced arms of the main order while using a chief for differencing and creating unique identification for the new branch.  Countless examples exist illustrating la Rose's faithful adherence to this rule.  With St. Cecilia's Congregation, however, we see the reverse used--its important to bear in mind that the high school's arms had been created before the congregation's request for a design.

I can offer only some guesses for this new design arrangement:  1) the gyron for the Order of Preachers is quite striking and likely presents certain design challenges, 2) St. Cecilia Congregation did request a coat of arms similar to the design rendered for Notre Dame High School, or 3) given what he had to work with to create a simple and clear coat of arms, he had no choice but to change up his framework.  Thus, the chief of the Dominican arms becomes the unifying symbol in the arms for both foundations and corporate sole and the base allows for differencing creating unique identification of the bearer.  Fascinating. 

We see other examples within the Dominican family where la Rose changed things up in order to produce clear and perspicuous heraldry.

L-R: Arms of Albertus Magnus College and the Dominican Province of St. Joseph
both designed by la Rose
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025
In the 1920s, la Rose produced designs for Albertus Magnus College in New Haven, Connecticut and the Province of St. Joseph in New York.  Here we see la Rose placing an inescutcheon on top of the undifferenced arms of the Order of Preachers using their gyronny of eight and cross.  The visual effect creates a rather striking bordure effect--immediately you know that somehow the Dominicans factor into this corporate body!  

A foundation of the St. Cecilia's Congregation that I'm actively pursuing
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025
Finally, I'm going on a limb suggesting that la Rose also used the other coat of arms in the Dominican family for a foundation of St. Cecilia.  I'm currently waiting on evidence from the archives so stay tuned.  Regardless who designed these arms, I think they're lovely.

The final corporate coat is that of Father Ryan High School in Nashville founded in 1925.  The school is beginning its centennial year in 2025.  I was honored to work with the official author writing the school's history regarding la Rose's design which is to be published this year as part of the celebration.  La Rose designed the school's arms in 1931 

Seal with coat of arms of Father Ryan High School
Seal with arms of Father Ryan High School
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2025
La Rose's blazon for the high school:  Gules, between a cross saltire Or, three laurel wreaths and in base a covered ciborium all Or.  The ciborium found in base is a clear reference to Father Ryan.  The seal with arms arrangement above is the typical design format la Rose used for scholastic arms--a wafer style containing a gothic quatrefoil holding the arms in center.  I've simplified his design somewhat for a modern feel.

Tennessee, after all, does have good heraldry within its borders...you just need to dig a little.