Faslane

 The article in the News at the weekend about the attempted entry of the nuclear submarine base at Faslane https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c80mej47xz0o reminded me of my late friend, Father Florian OSB, a member of the Bavarian Benedictine Abbey but stationed as a missionary in Kenya. 

His obituary can be found HERE.

He told me that as a student he and a friend had gone on a cycling tour of Scotland. On a Sunday morning, he found himself outside Rhu and enquired of a local as to where they might find Mass. They were informed that a priest said Mass every Sunday at the Submarine Base at Faslane. Off they rode to the base and were duly admitted.

I told this story to the current Commander of the base who nearly had a fit!

World Meteorological Day

For over 70 years, March 23rd has been designated World Meteorological Day. Here are the arms of His Majesty's Astronomer Royal for Scotland, a post created in 1834 and granted arms in 1996.

Bleu celeste, on a pale Or voided Sable between two James Short reflecting telescopes, that on the dexter in bend sinister and that on the sinister in bend, both mounted upon tripods Or, eight mullets Argent (representing the constellation Orion) and on a chief Azure with a fillet in base Or a saltire Argent and in the centre point an open crown Or.

You may be interested in some more information as to James Short and his reflecting telescopes: https://www.whipplemuseum.cam.ac.uk/.../shorts-telescope 

The arms are unusual in some respects - the fillet or thin fess only occurs in a few arms in the Register while the specification of two shades of blue is unique, clearly as the Scottish saltire needs a dark blue and the sky has to be celeste. 

Happy St Patrick's Day!

Happy St Patrick's Day! To mark the occasion, here are two related coats of arms from the Register.

The former St Patrick's High School, Coatbridge, granted in 1960:

and The Hibernian Football Club, granted in 2001:

And now a little film from the doomed St Patrick's Church, Anderston:

International Genealogy Day

For International Genealogy Day here are some images from the archive of birthbrieves, reference material and genealogies held in the Lyon Office. The images here show a sample of the assets we hold, maintain and make available for third party researchers to access, research not being a service offered by the Lyon Court staff. In our MS safes, there are 170+ manuscripts, the first 17 of which are indexed online at archive.org (a search for “genealogies in the Lyon Office”), many predating the inauguration of the Public Record of all Arms and Bearings in 1672. Our plan chests hold over 350 large genealogies, many of which are handwritten on parchment. 

                                       

International Bagpipe Day

 Today is International Bagpipe Day. Here are two splendid heraldic representations of that wonderful instrument.

Maclennan of Maclennan

Rhoderick MacLeod Prior.

More from Mark Dennis...

 Another bijou from the Master - Mark Dennis's disrespectful caricature of George Way of Plean as Falkland Pursuivant. 

 

Another superb work by Mark Dennis.

  When The Queen was approaching the point when she would overtake Queen Victoria as our longest serving monarch, Very Rev Sir Iain Torrance, then Dean of the Chapel Royal in Scotland, approached Mark and asked if he could possibly devise a card celebrating the event which he could send HM from the Chaplains to The Queen in Scotland.  

They agreed on a cartoon-style foot race, with The Queen overtaking Queen Victoria but with the road continuing a long way into the future.  

This is what Mark produced and The Queen was amused by his surprise caricature of Sir Iain holding the finishing tape.

Memorial Service for Mark Dennis

  The Lord Lyon, representing HM The King, attended the Memorial Service this morning in St Salvator's Chapel, St Andrews, for the eminent artist and umquhile Ross Herald Extraordinary, Mark Dennis. The Lord Lyon gave the eulogy and the Officers of Arms attended in levée dress.

Mark's funeral hatchment was magnificently painted by Kevin Greig and Stanley Bird. The hatchment was borne in towards the end of the service preceded by the Officers of Arms while the organist played "The Herald's March" with which the Army Band often accompanies the procession of Officers of Arms from the Signet Library to the Mercat Cross for proclamations.

Video by Liam Hackett

In his Eulogy, Lyon referred to the stir Mark's attire caused when he was a guest at the Coronation. 

 

New Grant

 The Lord Lyon has granted arms to Benjamin Steven Nossiter. The artist is Adel Gaspar.

Azure a fess nowy Argent between two polar stars of six points Or, on a chief Or a kangaroo leaping Azure between two Ordnance Survey Benchmarks Sable.

Lonach Pipe Band

  The Lord Lyon has granted arms to Lonach Pipe Band. The artist is Adal Gaspar.

The blazon is: Per saltire Or and Vert in chief a stag's head cabossed tined of twelve Tenné and in base a thistle in bloom slipped Proper.

St Peter's Basilica 1626-2026

 The Holy See has announced events for the 4th centenary of the re-dedication of St Peter's Basilica by Urban VIII Barberini in 1626. Unusually for recent Vatican designs  the logo is tasteful and beautiful and a great contrast to the awful thing which signified last year's Jubilee Year.

Here for comparison is last year's monstrosity:

The 4th Centenary logo uses the marble intarsia crosses bottony from the wall of the Basilica for its inspiration.  

  

Lord Elgin 102nd birthday

 Warmest congratulations to the oldest Knight of the Thistle, Andrew Bruce, 11th Earl of Elgin and 15th Earl of Kincardine on his 102nd birthday today.  Ad multos annos! 

Here are Lord Elgin's arms in a glorious emblazonment by the late Mark Dennis.

Richard d'Apice detection

 Richard d'Apice spotted an item in Dreweatt's Auction catalogues and did some detective on it, finding it was a 17th century heraldic panel which had been stolen from St Leonard's Church Flamstead in 1996. Despite being listed in the Art Loss Register the auction house had missed the entry. It has now been returned to the church.