The Arms of MTS

The Arms of MTS

(The following is based on article from the Old Crosbeian, October 1989)

Robert Caldicott (1957/65) came across the following publication on the history of the Arms of the Merchant Taylors' School whilst browsing in a Manchester Library. It was printed on high quality card with a full colour plate of the Arms. Though directed at MTS Northwood, it still has much relevance to our Crosby School. He contacted the author, but the publication had ceased in about 1971 and the originals are no longer available.

The Merchant Taylors' School is governed by the Merchant Taylors' Company, and therefore uses the arms of the Company, though with the addition of a School motto.

In granting supporters to the Company, 23rd December 1586, Robert Cooke, Clarenceux King of Arms, mentions that the "fraternity have longe continuance borne Armes healme and Creast". He blazons (heraldically describes) these as "the field Silver a pavilion with two mantells imperial purpell garnyshed with golde on a chiffe azure a Lyon passant golde, and to the Creast upon the healme on a wreathe Silver and azure on a mount vert a Lame Silver in the sonne beames gold mantled gules doubled Silver, and supported with two Cameles golde." In the illustration which accompanies the Grant, the pavilion only is garnished with gold, that is, the tentpole within and the cornice and apex without, and the pavilion and mantles are lined with ermine, though this is not mentioned in the Grant. Neither is the motto beneath the painting, which reads CONCORDIA PARVAE RES CRESCUNT (Small things grow in peace).

A modern blazon of the achievement shown here would read:

Argent, a pavilion between two mantles imperial purpure. lined ermine, the pavilion garnished or, tent-staff of the last. on a chief azure a lion passant guardant or. Crest: On a wreath argent and azure, a mount vert, thereon a lamb passant argent, all within a glory or. Supporters: Two camels or. Mottoes: (Of the Company) CONCORD1A PARVAE RES CRESCUNT: (Of the School) HOMO PLANTAT, HOMO IRRIGAT, SED DEUS DAT INCREMENTUM (Man planteth and watereth but God giveth the increase).

For the non-heraldic reader this description means: "On a silver shield is a purple tent lined with ermine, decorated with gold and having a golden tent-pole, between two purple imperial mantles also lined with ermine. On the blue upper part of the shield is a golden lion walking with one forepaw raised, looking out of the shield. The crest, above the shield, is on a wreath of blue and silver. (This wreath represents the band of twisted cloth which helped to bind the crest to the helmet and, at the same time. held the mantling or cloth which prevented the helmet from becoming overheated by the sun.) The mantling appears in a conventionalised form, and is of red lined with silver. On the wreath stands a green mound, and on this stands a silver lamb, both mound and lamb being enclosed within an arc of golden rays of the sun. The supporters, the figures standing on either side of the shield, are two golden camels. (Supporters are normally used only by Peers of the Realm, knights of certain orders, county, city and borough councils and some corporations.)

An interesting feature of the achievement is that the charges on the main part of the shield overlap on to the chief. This is an unusual arrangement.

The shield and crest of the Merchant Taylors' Company have not always been as they are now. An early grant of arms made in 1481, 155 years after the Company was incorporated in 1326 by Sir Thomas Holme, Clarenceux King of Arms, and confirmed by Sir Thomas Wriothesley, Garter King of Arms, 1530-31, was as follows: "Silver a pavilion between two mantles imperial purple garnished with gold, in a chief azure an holy lamb set within a sun. The Crest upon the helm a pavilion purple garnished with gold being within the same our Blessed Lady St. Mary the Virgin in a vesture of gold sitting upon a cushion azure, Christ her Son standing naked before her holding between his hands a vesture called tunica inconsulitis, his said mother working upon that one end of the same vesture, set within a wreath gold and azure, the mantle purple furred with ermine." A tunica inconsulitis was a seamless robe. There are beautifully carved representations of this crest above both doors leading into the Great Hall of the School.

The significance of the arms is as follows. The tent and imperial mantles represent the best products of the Merchant Taylors; the lion, which is a "lion of England", may be connected with royal favours, as the Company was granted a number of Royal Letters Patent and included many royal personages in its list of members. Several kings of England have been freemen of the Company. The lamb of the crest represents St. John the Baptist, the Patron Saint of the Company; and the choice of camels as supporters may arise from the facts that not only were they animals of commerce but their hair supplied clothes for the Baptist. St. John is depicted in his garments of camel's hair on the Company's seal (circa 1502). It is worth mentioning in this connection that St. John's College, Oxford, also dedicated to the Baptist, was founded by Sir Thomas White, Lord Mayor of London and a Merchant Taylor, and uses as a badge the Lamb, in this case carrying a flag. The Merchant Taylors' School and St. John's College are closely linked by scholarships.

The alteration in the arms came about when advantage was taken of the Herald's Visitation of 1586 to secularise them. The reason for the changes given in the grant of that year was that the arms and crest were "overmuch intricate with confused mixtures of too many things in one shield contrary to the loved and commendable manner of bearing Arms;" but as the complexity of the achievement was reduced very little they were more likely due to the change in the climate of thought brought about by the Reformation.