Looking up heraldry, sources? Information?

[jasper]

I'm still searching. Haven't been able to make it to the library yet.

I did some fiddling with a heraldry creator program, to make a more legible version of the coat of arms rather than the photo (taking a picture of something small, at distance, in suboptimal lighting).

View attachment 105246

Ok It is a combine arms and SCA does not do that and my skills are rusty.
Right hand side. Gules (red) a chevron or (gold) 3 lions rampant or (gold) and I forget what the configuration is.
Left hand side
Don't remember what you call the bendy cover. But
azure (blue) and sable (black) an Cross proper argent (silver)

 

[wingsandsword]

It may be an art piece. The buyer told the glass maker what he want and the glass maker did his best.

I really don't think it's simply an artistic embellishment. Virtually everything else known in that window has some significance.

Every other item has some specific symbolism or meaning, from the arms of the Diocese in one place, to the 4 authors of the Gospels, to various panes referencing specific Bible verses, to the use of maple leaves for decoration because the artist was Canadian.

The artist included a rather extensive description of the window that lists the symbolism and meaning of everything there. . .with the apparent exception of that coat of arms buried in the lower right hand window.

I wondered if it's something of an artists signature, like the arms might be affiliated with the artist. . .but the arms themselves are an impalement of what seems to be something tied to the British royal family (the dexter/right side) and something religious (the sinister/left side), so it would be odd heraldic symbolism for a company or any artist in North America.

The window was made by the G.C. Riordon Company, now BeauVerre Riordan, and in looking at other similar stained glass windows made by that company and haven't found that set of arms hidden anywhere in other windows they did.

 

[wingsandsword]

Well, I finally got an answer.

The parish historian finally found documentation that explains what that coat of arms is.

It's the arms of Henry Prior Almon Abbott, the Second Episcopal Bishop of Lexington.

I don't know HOW he got those arms, he was apparently born, raised, and originally ordained in Canada, before coming to the United States later in his career, so presumably they were granted there. I hadn't found any sources on him that actually showed that coat of arms, but the company that made the stained glass window (and made it only 2 years after his death, the window is apparently dedicated as a memorial to him) was certain it was his.