Parish of Upper Coquetdale
All Saints Rothbury
Chancel Screen
Coats of Arms
The text in this booklet is from a Common Place book found in the Rector’s vestry.
It was originally researched by David Dippie Dixon and was first published in the Parish Magazine.
The fly leaf reads:
The Chancel Screen was erected and the vestry screen decorated in 1901edicated by the Bishop of Newcastle
All Saints Day 1901
Designer;- Mr . A.B. Plummer, Newcastle
Carver;- Mr Ralf Hedley, Newcastle
Rev. C.E. Blackett-Ord - Rector
Lord Armstrong Churchwarden D.D. Dixon Churchwarden Dr. J.Barrow Churchwarden Thos Shell Churchwarden
The Chancel Screen and Coats of Arms
The riches of the interior of the Rothbury Parish Church was greatly enhanced by the erection of a carved oak pulpit, choir stalls and chancel screen.
The pulpit is an exquisite piece of workmanship and contains the figurers of St. Columba, St Paulinus, St Hilda , St Aidan and Bernard Gilpin. The figures occupy niches beneath finely carved canopies. An inscription around the base of the pulpit reads:
“To the glory of God and in affectionate memory of Margaret, wife of Baron Armstrong, of Cragside who died on the 2nd September, 1893 in her 86th year.”
The pulpit was erected by William and Winifreda Watson Armstrong, November 1901.
A brass pate on the massive and handsome oak choir stalls contains the following inscription:
“Dedicated to the glory of God and in loving memory of Edward Mallet Young, Rector of Rothbury 1894-1900 and Honorary Canon of Newcastle, by his wife, brothers and sister. All Saints Day, 1901.”
The screen of seven arches, a large centre one and three smaller ones on each side, resting on a solid panelled basement, filled with flowered tracery surmounted by a richly carved cresting and cross, fills up the wide and lofty Early English Chancel arch with good effect. Arranged on the mouldings of the beam are a series of eighteen shields blazoned with the arms of Land Owners, Benefactors, Patrons and th Communities connected with Rothbury Church and parish from the 12 century down to the present time.
The inscription on the lower part of the screen runs:
“To the glory of God and in loving memory of William George Baron Armstrong of Cragside. C.B. Born November 26th 1810 Died December 29th 1900.”
This screen was also erected by William and Winifreda Watson Armstrong November 1901.
The oak screen that divides the chancel from the priests vestry is embellished with graceful tracery work, and in its twelve panels are the coats of arms of the Rectors of Rothbury.
On the front of the chancel screen are nine shields. From the left they are the Arms of;-
Clavering, Percy, Cartington, Hepple, Armstrong, Ogle, Wharton, Smart and Dawson.
1. Clavering
The shield is quartered, the first and fourth quarters are gold, the second and third are red, with a black band across the shield from the top right hand corner down to the left hand corner.
The latter blazonry of the Claverings invariably show a bend but this coat of arms was chosen as belonging to Robert Fitz-Roger the first Clavering lord of Rothbury. A favourite with the king, he received grants of the manor of Corbridge in 1204, of Newburn and Rothbury in 1205.
The coat is a copy of that found on a seal attached to his grant of a rent charge from his mill at Warkworth for the purpose of maintaining the light before St. Cuthbert's Shrine. The seal is of green wax, on which Robert Fitz–Roger appears on horse back in a characteristic fashion brandishing a huge sword. His arms “Quarterly a bendlet” can just be discovered on the long shield.
2. Percy
A blue lion on a gold shield.
Henry Percy IV, already the possessor of the barony of Alnwick, acquired in 1332, the Clavering baronies of Warkworrth, Corbridge, Newburn and Rothbury.
The ancient Percy arms were five golden spindles of fusils
on a blue shield, but Henry Percy III, adopted the azure lion on a gold shield, which was also borne by his son Henry Percy IV. This coat is placed on the screen to represent the first Percy, Lord of Rothbury. He remained true to the azure and gold of the ancient Percy coat, which was emblazoned on the lambrequin that flowed from his knightly helm.
The Dukes of Northumberland are lords of the Manor of Rothbury, and at the restoration of the Church in 1850, the then Duke gave £800 to the restoration fund.
3. Cartington
Shield with a red ground, divided by a horizontal band of gold, between three gold wheels.
As early as 1278 there was a John de Cartington. There was also a “lance” of that name at Agincourt in 1415, but the arms quoted are those of a John de Cartington as they occur on a seal to a document in 1452.
He was probably the same man who in 1458 was appointed commissioner together with Henry, Earl of Northumberland, and other gentleman, to raise a body of archers in the County of Northumberland.
About 1494, Ann the daughter and heiress of Cartington married Sir Edward Radcliffe, a member of the Derwentwater family. Thus the manor of Cartington passed from the Cartingtons to the Radcliffes whose arms are emblazoned on the shield above the doorway leading from the chancel into the priests vestry, once known as the Cartington Chantry.
3. Hepple
Ground shield ermine – a small red shield with indented edges in the centre.
Soon after the conquest the surname Hepple appeared as owner of a moiety of Hepple - probably old Saxon tenants who held their lands under tenure, but on the marriage in 1331 of Joan, the heiress of Hepple to Sir Robert Ogle, the name ceased, and the lands of the Hepples passed into the possession of the Lords Ogle.
5. Armstrong
Shield with a red ground with spear between two armour cased arms .
Lord Armstrong, of Cragside, besides being a great benefactor of the Church and Parish of Rothbury, was the rector's churchwarden from the year 1866 until the day of his death in December 1900.
6.Ogle
Shield with a red band between three red half moons
The advent of the Ogles into Coquetdale came about by the marriage of Joan de Hepple to Sir Robert Ogle in 1331.
In 1363 there was a Robert de Ogle at Hepple and in 1541 the Ogles were still the owners of the Hepple barony, which eventually passed to the descendents of this ancient Northumbrian family, by way of the Duke of Newcastle in 1663, the Earl of Oxford in 1724, and the Dukes of Portland until 1803.
7. Wharton A white sleeve on a black background, gold border with eight pairs of lions paws crossed.
The name of Thomas Wharton, gentleman, occurs in the list of Vestrymen for 1659 and judging from the various entries in the vestry books, it is evident that the Whartons had been a family of some importance in the Parish.
In 1731 William Wharton of Brockley Hall, in Rothbury Forest presented a silver flagon to the Parish Church of Rothbury on which is engraved the Wharton arms as blazoned on the screen. The fanciful border to the shield was an
augmentation granted by Edward V1 to Lord Wharton, Warden General of the Marches.
8.Smart Shield quartered 1st and 4th, white with a black chevron between three arrowheads, 2nd quarter, red, with a black border and red pellets, a half lion of gold.3rd quarter, black with two white shin bones crossed, the right over the left)
The first notice of the Smart family in Coquetdale may be found in the Poll book 0f 1748, where a William Smart had a freehold in Netherton in the Parish of Alwinton.
Later they became the owners of part of Trewhitt, and around 1805 , Trewhitt Hall was built by John Smart, the antiquary. In 1879 the Trewhitt estate was purchased by Lord Armstrong, then Sir William George Armstrong. The south transept of All Saints is known as the Trewhitt Porch, in which two of the original lancet windows are filled with stained glass to the memory of members of the Smart Family.,
9, Dawson
A blue shield, with a white indented bend with three Jackdaws.
The family of Dawson were once owners of a greater part of Holystone, but several of their ancestors, on the maternal side belonged to Rothbury.
In 1785 a family member, George Farquhar Esq., presented a fire engine to the town and Parish of Rothbury. This fire engine is still in existence and refurbished a few years ago,may now be found in the Bailiffgate museum in Alnwick.
As recorded on the brass tablet on the tower arch, Miss Mary Dawson of Ripon, in 1893, gave the fine ring of eight bells now in the Church Tower.
She also provided money for a building to be used for the first cottage hospital, near the top of the High Street. The building was converted to apartments when the cottage hospital was relocated to Cemetery Bank. On the rear (altar) side of the chancel screen are nine shields. From the left they are the Arms of:
Mowbray, Henry 1. Tynemouth Monastery, See of Carlisle, See of Newcastle, See of Durham, Duchy of Lancaster, Riddle, Watson-Armstrong.
10. Mowbray
A silver lion erect, on a red shield
No doubt in Saxon times a church stood on the site of the present Parish Church. It was customary for Saxons to build their churches in the midst of the “Clearing” where their meeting of Justice were held. With the exception of the remains of the cross that now forms the shaft of the font there is no trace of this early church.
The first record we have of the Church of Rothbury is when Robert de Mowbray, in the 11th century, granted the tithes of ROWBYR to Tynemouth Monastery.
The Mowbray lion now occupies the 4th quarter of the Duke of Norfolk having been carried into the Howard family by the marriage of Sir John Howard, with Margaret daughter of Thomas de Mowbray, the last Duke of Norfolk of that name. It was about 1090 when Robert de Mowbray, Earl of Northumberland, gave the rectorial tithes of Rothbury to the Benedictine monks of Tynemouth. Mr. Horatio A. Adamson of Tynemouth advised that Robert de Mowbray died a monk at St. Albans in 1106.
11. Henry 1
Two golden lions, walking, with faces to the front on a red shield
At some period before 1128, Henry 1, granted the church of “Rodeberia” to his Chaplin Richard de Aure Valle for life. At his death the living reverted to the canons of St. Mary at Carlisle.
It was during the reign of Henry11, who, having married Eleanor of Aquitaine, that the third lion was added to the coat of arms of England, these were originally three golden leopards the arms of Normandy and Aquitaine but now known as the lions of England.
12. Tynemouth Monastery
Three gold crowns on a red shield
Henry 1, confirmed all that had been given to the monastery of Tynemouth by Robert de Mowbray.
viz., the tithes of Corbridge, Rothbury, and Wooler. The same as previously confirmed by King John.
13. See of Carlisle
A black cross on a silver shield: a bishops hat in the centre with gold ribbons
This see was founded in 1133, and from the time of Henry 1, until 1872 Rothbury was exchanged for several smaller livings in the diocese in Carlisle, belonging to the Duchy of Lancaster. Therefore Rothbury is now vested in the Chancellor of the Duchey of Lancaster. Dr Ainger was the last rector presented by the bishop of Carlisle to the Rectory of Rothbury in 1871.
14. See of Newcastle
The upper half of the shield is blue with a gold cross, the lower half, red with three castles.
In 1882 the ancient See of Durham, which included the two counties of Durham and Northumberland, was divided and the County of Northumberland was formed into the Diocese of Newcastle. Rothbury being in the Northern
Diocese, the Episcopal Arms of Newcastle occupy the place of honour on the centre shield of the eastern side of the screen.
15. See of Durham A blue shield divided into four quarters by a gold cross: a gold lion in each quarter
The County of Northumberland having been within the jurisdiction of the Diocese of Durham for more than a thousand years is why the coat of arms of that ancient See is placed next to those of Newcastle on the Chancel screen in Rothbury Parish Church.
16. The Duchy of Lancaster
A red shield with three gold lions walking and watching with a white label of three points across the top of the shield:
The Rectory of Rothbury is now in the gift of the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster.
Three appointments have been made since the exchange of the living in 1872.
Arthur Octavius Medd in 1887 Edward Mallet Young in 1895 Charles Edward Blackett Ord in 1901
These arms are the three lions of England, with a label as a difference for a prince of the house of Lancaster. On the keep at Alnwick Castle the Plantagenet shield shows a label of five points, but the number varies, and as the connection of Rothbury Parish with the Duchy is quite modern, the arms on the seal in the office of the Duchy of Lancaster in London were used.
17. Riddells of Hepple
A white ground, with a red chevron between three heads of rye. Natural colour
Although this family has only been resident in the parish of Rothbury for abut a century their ancestral tree shows a long and honourable pedigree.
The Riddells were of note in Normandy long before Galfridus de Ridel fought under the banner of William the Norman at Hastings.
The paternal home of the Riddells after settling in England was on the Riddell Water in Roxburghshire until Sir John Buchanan Riddell, grandfather Sir John Buchanan Riddell, purchased the Hepple Barony from the Duke of Portland, and settled in Coquetdale in 1803.
18. Watson-Armstrong (2nd Lord Armstrong)
Quarterly, 1st and 4th gules, in a fess a tilting spear or, headed argent, between two dexter arms embowed in armour couped at the shoulder fess wise, proper, 2nd and 3rd argent, a fess raguly between two crosses, botony, in chief, and a martlet in base,all gules, (W.H.A.F. Watson- Armstrong) Impaling azure, a fess dancette or,between three cherubims heads argent, crined of the second.(Adye).
The arms of the donors of the Screen, W.H.A.F. Watson- Armstrong and his wife, now Lord and Lady Armstrong and a daughter of the late general Sir John Adye, G.C.B., R.A.
Lord and Lady Armstrong are the generous and liberal benefactors of the town and parish of Rothbury.
The Vestry Screen and its Coats of Arms
From the left these are the Arms of 12 of the rectors of Rothbury. As follows:
Burdon, Cooke, Percy, Nevill,Jones, Thomlinson, Sharp, Harcourt, Ainger, Medd, Young, Blackett Ord and Radcliffe
19. Burdon
A blue shield covered with small gold crosses and three pilgrims staves
John de Burdon was rector of Rothbury 1310-1352 and his name occurs frequently as a witness in various local documents during the reigns of Edward 11 and Edward 111.
Although it is not certain that these are the actual arms of rector Burdon, yet they are an early coat of that North Country family, and may fittingly represent John de Burdon a fourteenth century rector of Rothbury.
20. Cooke A red shield, with a flower of five centre petals, surrounded by six crosses
Alexander Cooke, rector 1435- 1471.
This coat of arms is not only the arms of the Cookes, but is the same as that on the carved stone shield in the west front of Whitton Tower which also shows a cinquefoil between six crosses.
The only difference is in the form of the six crosses. This is not of much importance, as at that period a variety of crosses were often found in the arms of the same family.
21. Percy.
Shield quartered: 1st and 4th red, having three pikes erect with mouths open. 2nd and 3rd are gold, with a lion erect, all within a border.
These are the recorded arms of William Percy, Bishop of Carlisle,1452-1462.
George Percy, Rector of Rothbury, 1474, was the Bishops brother so this rather unusual blazonry of the Percy arms was selected where the lucies are first and the Percy lion are second.
It is worth noting that the scientific name for pike is Esox Lucius, commonly called Lucy and this term is frequently used in heraldry.
George Percy, the sixth son of Henry Percy, second Earl of Northumberland, was also rector of Coldbeck, and a Prebend of Beverley. He died in 1474 and was buried in Beverley Minster near to the tomb of Lady Eleanor Percy, He bequeathed to the high alter of the Church of Rothbury a missal and a vestment of damask.
22. Nevill
A red shield with a white Saint Andrews Cross. George Nevill.
Who from the year 1550 had been Archdeacon of Carlisle, became Rector of Rothbury in 1565, but still continued to hold the Archdeaconry.
23. Bishopric of Kildare
The lower part of the shield white with a red saint Andrews Cross, the upper part blue with and open book. Ambrose Jones, Rector of Rothbury 1643-1653 was elected to the living during the Commonwealth, for his loyalty to the Church and King, but he outlived the Usurpation and afterwards became Archdeacon of Meath.
In 1667 he was consecrated Bishop of Kildare. He died in Dublin, December 1678 and was buried there in Saint Andrews Church. Not having been able to identify this rectors coat of arms, amongst some twenty or more of the Jones family, the coat of the now extinct See of Kildare has been placed on the screen to represent Ambrose Jones, the Royalist Rector of Rothbury.
24. Thomlinson
Shield divided from the top to bottom, one half being white, the other green, across the shield three greyhounds running. The name of Dr. John Thomlinson, who was Rector of Rothbury 1679-1720, is a household word throughout the parish, having at his death bequeathed a considerable charity for the purpose of education.
He was rector for the long term of forty one years. A monument to the memory of John Thomlinson and his wife Mary adorns the north wall of the chancel.
26. Sharp.
A blue shield, with a gold border containing eight white balls, an arrow-head in centre of shield.
Dr Thomas Sharp, Rector of Rothbury, 1720-1758, was also Archdeacon of Northumberland. Like his predecessor,. Dr. Thomlinson he left a liberal endowment
to the parish for educational purposes, now represented by Sharps Endowed School. The arms are engraved on a silver paten, which was given to the Church at Rothbury by Dr. Thomas Sharp: these arms having been granted in 1691 to his father Dr. John Sharp, Archbishop of York 1697-1714.
27. Harcourt Shield divided into quarters 1st and 4th quarters red and gold bars.2nd quarters white with a black fret or knot. 3rd quarter, gold ground divided by a blue bar, containing three gold sheaves of corn.
The Rev. Charles George Vernon Harcourt, Rector of Rothbury, 1822-1870 was also a Canon of Carlisle, and held a Prebends stall there.
He died at Carlisle and was buried within the Cathedral Close. Rector Harcourt's father was Archbishop of York who died 1847. The arms are copied from a carved shield on the porch at Whitton Tower.
28. Ainger An ermine shield, containing a griffen, one half of which is gold and the other half blue.
Canon George Henry Ainger D.D., who succeeded Canon Harcourt in 1871, was formerly Principal of Saint Bee's College.
Canon Ainger was rector of Rothbury for 15 years. He died at Whitton Tower in 1886 and was buried at Saint Bee's.
29. Medd A black shield with an ermine chevron between three golden pelicans, pecking and bleeding their breasts. The Rev. Arthur Octavius Medd, M.A. Was vicar of Amble 1869 – 1882. Vicar of Bamburgh 1882- 1886. Rector of Rothbury and Rural Dean 1887 – 1894. Mr. Medd was the first rector appointed to the living by the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster. He died at Whitton
Tower August 27. 1894 and is buried in the new portion of the Churchyard August 30, 1894.
30. Young
The upper part of the shield is black with two white lions erect, the lower part is white, with a black anchor, to which is attached a portion of rope. The rev. Edward Mallet Young, M.A. He was headmaster of Sherborne Schools 1878 – 1892. Honorary Canon of Salisbury Cathedral 1890. Rector of Rothbury and Rural Dean 1894-1900. Honorary Canon of Newcastle 1896.
He died in London, December 1900 and is buried in Rothbury Churchyard near to the Chancel door December 22 1900.
31. Blackett Ord
The shield is divided into four equal parts called quarters. The 1st and 4th of these quarters have three erect salmon, coloured silver, upon a ground divided perpendicularly in two halves coloured black and blue, the whole is surrounded by an ermine border for Ord.
The 2nd and 3rd quarters are silver with a black chevron between three black stars. On the chevron are three silver shells called escallops, the origin of which is the scallop shells placed in their hats by pilgrims coming from the Holy land.
The Rev. Charles Edward Blackett Ord. M.A. Is a member of an old Northumbrian family. He was vicar of Ovingham 1886-1891. Newburn on Tyne 1891-1895. Stanfordham 1895- 1901 Rector of Rothbury and Rural dean, Honorary Canon of Newcastle and Surrogate 1901-1918.
32. Radcliffe
A white ground with a black band across the shield from right to left.
The present vestry was in 1886 formed out of what had originally been the Cartington Chantry, a private chapel founded by one of the early owners of Cartington, and endowed for the maintenance of a priest to celebrate daily for the benefit of the souls of the founder and his family.
As the manor of Cartington was held by Sir Edward Radcliffe of Derwentwater, having in 1494 married Ann, the daughter and heiress of John de Cartington, the shield of the Radcliffes is found on the screen that divides the site of the Cartington Chantry from the chancel.
33. Rees
The last rector to live in Whitton Tower was Rector, Canon William Goodman Edward Rees M.A. D.D. (Honoris Causa) Glasgow, Emeritus Canon of Manchester, Proctor in Convocation, Rector of Rothbury 1918 – 1934 and Rural Dean who retired the living in 1934 after serving this parish for 17 years.
He moved to Devon and it is thought that the small shield near to the piscina in the chancel represents his family.
34. Nemo
This shield is dedicated to all those who labour long and hard for so little reward or acknowledgement.
Heraldry.
Heraldry is the profession, study, or art of creating, granting, and blazoning arms and ruling on questions of rank or protocol, as exercised by an officer of arms.
The word “heraldry” comes from Anglo-Norman herald, from the Germanic compound harja-waldaz, "army commander". The word, in its most general sense, encompasses all matters relating to the duties and responsibilities of officers of arms. To most, though, heraldry is the practice of designing, displaying, describing, and recording coats of arms and heraldic badges.
Historically, it has been variously described as "the shorthand of history" and "the floral border in the garden of history". The origins of heraldry lie in the need to distinguish participants in combat when their faces were hidden by iron and steel helmets. Eventually a formal system of rules developed into ever more complex forms of heraldry.
Though the practice of heraldry is nearly 900 years old, it is still very much in use. Many cities and towns in Europe and around the world still make use of arms. Personal heraldry, both legally protected and lawfully assumed, has continued to be used around the world. Heraldic societies exist to promote education and understanding about the subject.
I am indebted to Wikipedia for this succinct explanation
Diverse Publications: Rothbury ASCS 2014