Diocese of Hereford

From Heraldry of the World
Jump to navigation Jump to search

DIOCESE OF HEREFORD

Country : United Kingdom
Denomination : Anglican (until 1557 Roman Catholic)
Established : 676

Arms (crest) of Diocese of Hereford

Official blazon

Gules three Leopards' Faces reversed jessant-de-Lis two and one Or.

Origin/meaning

The arms were recorded at the College of Arms.

The arms are base on the arms of the powerful House of Cantilupe from which came Thomas de Cantilupe, Bishop of Hereford from 1275 to 1282. Adam Orlton, the next bishop but one after him, had two such fleurs-de-lis engraved in his seal, and after his time these arms came to be regarded as the arms of the See.

The leopards' heads are usually drawn reversed, but there is good reason for believing that they are nothing more than a decorative elaboration of the ball or knop from which the leaves of the flowers spring. The earliest examples of the arms of Cantilupe show three golden fleurs-de-lis on red, and the seal of a fifteenth-century Bishop of Hereford gives them in the shield of the See with very large plain knops. But usage has decided that the knops shall be leopards' heads reversed.

Arms of Roman Catholic Bishops

Arms of Anglican Bishops

Literature:


Religious or Ecclesiastical heraldry portal



This page is part of the
Ceh.jpg
Ecclesiastical heraldry portal


Logo-new.jpg
Heraldry of the World

Catholic heraldry


Other Christian churches


Other religions


  • Total pages in the Ecclesiastical section : 18,802
  • Total images in the Ecclesiastical section : 17,728

Contact and Support

Partners:

Your logo here ?
Contact us



© since 1995, Heraldry of the World, Ralf Hartemink Ralf Hartemink arms.jpg
Index of the site Image from Wills's Arms of the Bishopric.