Families of Corporate Arms - 1 The Catholic Church

One of the pleasures of browsing the Lyon Register volumes is seeing the various generic groupings of corporate arms. As all eight Catholic Dioceses of Scotland have, since February of this year, been granted arms, I thought I might start with them.

The history of the registrations is itself of interest to HSS members as it was a former Chairman, and Fellow of the Society, Peter Drummond-Murray, who realized in the late 1980s that although for historical reasons RC Dioceses in England were not able to apply for a grant of arms, this probibition, or more accurately lack of qualification, did not apply in Scotland where the national church has neither bishops nor dioceses so no confusion would arise.

PDM persuaded six of the eight dioceses of Scotland to apply for arms: Glasgow held out as Archbishop, later Cardinal Winning preferred to use his personal arms, and Galloway did not get aound to it. Glasgow finally received its grant in 2002 and Galloway in 2018/9.

Archdiocese of St Andrews and Edinburgh   

                            

Arms granted 13th June 1989. PRAABS vol 73 fol 16
Azure a saltire Argent charged on each of the upper limbs with a cross pattée fitchée Sable and at the centre a castle triple-towered and embattled of the Last, masoned of the Second and topped with three fans Gules, windows and portcullis shut of the Last, situate on a rock proper.

The arms were intended to stylise an archbishop’s pallium with Edinburgh Castle for difference but the current Archbishop has now petitioned to alter the design to make the pallium more explicit. The revised arms were granted in 2019:

Archdiocese of Glasgow

Arms granted in 2002 PRAABS Vol 81 fol 78

Blazon:  Vert two keys in saltire, the dexter Or the sinister Argent.  

The Diocese of St Asaph in Wales, also founded by St Kentigern, also uses the Petrine crossed keys. Note the supporting salmon with a ring in its mouth, first used in this way by Archbishop Blackadder (in office 1492-1508) although ring-bearing salmon occur in Glasgow bishops’ seals from as early as the 13th century as the main symbol of St Mungo/Kentigern. 

Diocese of Aberdeen

Arms granted 15th May 1990 PRAABS vol 75 fol 15

Azure a fret of salmon Argent

The fret of salmon is an ancient device associated with Aberdeen. As well as referring to a local i ndustry and using one of the earliest of Christian symbols, the ichthos, the fret of salmon is traditionally associated with the Holy Trinity.

Diocese of Argyll and the Isles    

Arms granted 18th March 1990 PRAABS vol 69 fol 119  

Gyronny of eight Argent and Azure a lymphad sails furled Gules. 

The gyronny field refers to the coat of the Earls and Dukes of Argyll and the lymphad to the Lord of the Isles. 

Diocese of Dunkeld

Arms granted 4th March 1990 PRAABS vol 69 fol 118

Purpure an open book Argent binding and fore-edges Or, charged with three passion nails Sable conjoined and piercing a heart Gules, and perching upon the book a dove, wings displayed Argent holding in its beak an olive branch. 

Based on mediaeval seals, the book with the dove for St Columba (who founded the original diocese) is shared with the episcopal diocese; the passion nails appear (although only two) on an ancient coat of arms for the Diocese.

Diocese of Galloway

Arms granted 26th February 2019 PRAABS vol 90 fol 116

Argent, the Kirkmadrine cross Azure.

The eight Kirkmadrine Stones include three of the oldest Christian memorials in Scotland, dating to the 500s AD. The remaining memorials date from the 700s to 1100s AD, and demonstrate the growth of the Scottish church in this time. 

They confirm the existence of an early Christian church at Kirkmadrine, and play a pivotal role in our understanding of northern Britain after occupation by Imperial Rome in the early first century AD. The cross is clearly an adaptation of the Chi-Rho symbol from Apostolic times.

Diocese of Motherwell

Arms granted 25th April 1990 PRAABS vol 69 fol 120

Azure a fountain between three fleurs-de-lys in pairle, that in base reversed Argent.

The use of Azure and Argent, combines with the fleur-de-lys  to create a Marian effect and the fountain in the middle represents the local ancient well, hence "Mother-Well".

Diocese of Paisley 

Arms granted 20th November 1989 PRAABS vol 69 fol 116

Or a saltire chequy Argent and Azure between in the flanks two escallops Gules and in base on a mount of three coupeaux a dove close and reguardant holding in its beak an olive branch slipped all Proper, overall a representation of St Mirren vested and habited as an abbot the dexter hand raised in blessing and the sinister holding a crozier likewise all Proper.

The diocese is largely co-terminous with Renfrewshire, the “cradle of the Stuart kings” so uses the Stewart chequy. The scallop shells are a reference to ancient Paisley connections with St James while the arms of Pope Pius XII Pacelli (with canting arms of the dove of peace) in whose pontificate the diocese was formed, are in the base.