The Armorial Embellishments

Guide to Armorial Embellishments of St Vincent’s Chapel

St Vincent’s is decorated with modern European Heraldry installed between 1971 and 1996 whilst the building was under the control of Lt Col. Robert Gayre of Gayre and Nigg of The Commandery of Lochore of the Military and Hospitaller Order of St Lazarus. There is no connection between today’s congregation and the Order of St Lazarus.

SANCTUARY AND CHOIR

Shields on north half of ceiling viewed west to east starting with row nearest apex

Row 1

  • Eric Wreding
  • George Way (procurator fiscal to Lyon Court)
  • Dr James McCallum
  • Kenneth Hay BEM (personal representative for High Constable for Scotland)
  • Sir George Dick-Lauder of Fountain Hall and Grange Bt
  • Lt Col Robert Gayre of Gayre and Nigg (Baron of Lochore and Grand Commander)

Row 2

  • Richard Cummings
  • Lt Col Patrick O’Kelly de Conjera
  • Robert Currie
  • Raymond Morris of Balgonie and Eddergoll (Baron Sergeant of Lochore. Baron Sergeant of Easter Moncrieffe)
  • Sir William Steward MP (Grand Sword Bearer)
  • Madam Gayre of Gayre and Nigg

Row 3

  • Lt Col Donald Long
  • Margaret Morris of Balgonie and Eddergoll
  • Dr Kenneth Baird
  • Reinold Gayre of Gayre and Nigg Yr

Row 4

  • Stuart Morris of Balgonie and Eddergoll Yr
  • Iain Weekley
  • Major A Gayre MBE

Row 5

  • Duncan Scott-Noble
  • Victor McDonald-Evans of Denovan
  • Sandra Savy-Gayre (niece of Lt Col Gayre)

Shields on south half of ceiling viewed east to west starting with row nearest apex

Row 1

  • The Marquess of Bristol
  • The Countess of Errol (High Constable of Scotland)
  • Captain Richard Mingo-Sweeney of Bolgers Park
  • Rev James Duffy
  • Gwenneth Halford-Bell
  • Robert Hay

Row 2

  • Philip Arbuthnot
  • Robert Lang of Colington
  • John Wilberforce
  • Percy Douglas
  • Guido, Count Corti Alle Catene
  • Romilly Squires (Lyon Court Painter)

Row 3

  • May Arbuthnot
  • Charles McKerral of Hillhouse
  • Sir Nicolas Fairbairn of Fordell (Solicitor General for Scotland)
  • Dr Martin Stanton
  • Edward Irving

Row 4

  • John Evelyn
  • Charlotte Mann (Keeper of St Vincent’s Church)
  • James McCready
  • Mrs Norah Stanton

Row 5

  • Douglas Gair of Champfleurie
  • Verdun Gair of Champfleurie
  • Allan Keith-Hill (Grand Custodian of Insignia and heraldic painter)
  • Lt Col Colin Botha

Shields on south wall of sanctuary and choir viewed from east to west (shields made by Raymond Morris of Eddergoll)

  • Cardinal Gordon Gray
  • Dean Malcolm Clark (shield missing)
  • The Very Reverend Charles Warr, GCVO
  • Dean David Lumgair
  • Dean Thomas Veitch
  • The Reverend Tom Johnston
  • The Very Reverend Canon T Barfett

Shields on front of southside choir stalls viewed from east to west

  • Chevalier Raymond Morris of Edergoll
  • His Excellency Chevalier Reinold Gayre of Gayre and Nigg Yr
  • Madam Gayre of Gayre and Nigg
  • Dame Charlotte Mann

Shields on front of northside choir stalls viewed from west to east

  • His Excellency The Chevalier Alan Keith Hill
  • Sir George Dick Lauder, Bt
  • Sir William Steward
  • Chevalier Kenneth Hay

Shields on ends of choir stalls facing congregation and viewed from north to south

  • The Duc de Brissac
  • The Duke of Seville
  • Col Gayre of Gayre and Nigg
  • The Duke of Nemours

Window (by A C Whalen) in south wall of choir

  • Upper left
    • The Very Reverend David Lumgair CBE, KLJ, O St J, Dean – made in 1975
  • Lower left
    • The Very Reverend Malcolm A Clark, Dean of Edinburgh, Dean of St Vincent’s – made in 1989
  • Right
    • Lumgair family – made in 1976

Wall behind organ

  • Coat of arms of the Order of St Lazarus 

NAVE

Banners on south wall of nave viewed east to west

  • The Order of St Lazarus
  • Grand Priory of Scotland
  • Grand Priory of Ireland
  • Grand Priory of United States
  • Grand Priory of United States

Banners on north wall of nave viewed west to east

  • Grand Commandery of Lochore
  • Grand Priory of Malta
  • Grand Priory of England
  • Grand Priory of Holland
  • Grand Commandery of Lochore

Leather shields (by Raymond Morris of Eddergoll) on south wall of nave viewed east to west

  • Arms of the Order of St Lazarus
  • The Grand Commandery of Lochore
  • The Grand Priory of Scotland
  • The Grand Priory of England
  • The Grand Priory of Ireland
  • The Grand Priory of Malta
  • The Bailiwick of New Zealand
  • The Priory of Wales
  • The Grand Priory of America
  • His Supreme Highness the Prince of Lippe (clerical motif above)
  • His Excellency Chevalier Alan Keith Hill (clerical motif above)
  • Madam Gayre of Gayre and Nigg
  • Colonel Harrison Gill, USA
  • His Excellency The Chevalier Colonel Hughes, New Zealand

Leather shields (by Raymond Morris of Eddergoll) on north wall of nave viewed west to east

  • Chevalier Charles Gresham, USA
  • Lt Col Edwin Machie
  • Dame Mary Arbuthnot (lozenge)
  • Chevalier Edward Roberts, New Zealand
  • His Excellency Carroll Parish, USA

•The Noble G A Di Ricaldone, Italy

  • His Excellency The Chevalier Henri Vanden Akker, Netherlands
  • Chevalier Raymond Morris of Eddergoll

Large heraldic achievements (by Stewart Blacker) on south wall of nave viewed east to west

  • Robert Gayre of Gayre and Nigg, Hereditary Commander of Lochore
  • Former Grand Master, the Duke of Nemours (Charles Philip of Orleans)

Large heraldic achievements (by Stewart Blacker) on north wall of nave viewed west to east

  • The Grand Referendary, Robert Gayre of Gayre and Nigg
  • The Grand Master, the Duke of Seville, Philip Francis of Bourbon Bourbon

Windows (by A C Whalen) in south wall of nave viewed from east to west

  • First window
    • Sir William Steward, Knight KLJ, Sword bearer of the Order – made in 1975

(note badge indicating knight)

  • Second window
    • Philip Stewart Mackenzie Arbuthnot
    • Cecil John Evelyn of Wotton KLJ

(father and cousin of Mary Evelyn Arbuthnot DHL, DLJ)

  • Third window
    • Madam Nina Mary Gayre of Gayre and Nigg, Baroness of Lochoreshyre
    • Reinold John Robert Gayre of Gayre and Nigg the Younger – made in 1979

GALLERY

Shields on wall at south of gallery facing altar

  • Top row (left to right)
    • Margaret Morris of Balgonie and Eddergoll
    • Stuart Morris of Balgonie and Eddergoll (author – Insignia and Decorations of the Military and Hospitaller Order of St Lazarus)
  • Middle row (left to right)
    • Captain Ralph Mcleary
    • Dr Alistair Ross (Baron Baillie of Easter Moncrieffe, sculptor)
  • Bottom row (left to right)
    • The Marquess of Bristol
    • Philip Arbuthnot

Shields on wall at north of gallery facing altar

  • Top row (left to right)
    • Anthony Robertson-Pearce of Gotely 
    • Mildred Rania 
  • Middle row (left to right)
    • J A Hollister 
    • Eva Wreding
  • Bottom row (left to right)
    • Lord Elibank (Erskine Murray)
    • The Hon Mr Justice Miles Jackson-Lipkin

Small heraldic achievements (by Stewart Blacker) mounted on front of gallery above the nave, viewed from south to north

  • The Lord de Saumarez (South Africa)
  • The Lord Mowbray of Stourton (England) (Grand Prior in England and Wales in the 1960s, descendant of Roger de Mowbray, original patron of the Order in England XIIth century)
  • The Much Honoured Lt Col R Gayre of Gayre and Nigg, Baron of Lochoreshyre (the term ‘much honoured’ was the traditional way of addressing the laird)
  • Paul Bertrand de la Grassiere (Grand Capitular)
  • Duke de Brissac (France)
  • HRH the Duke de Nemours (46th Grand Master)
  • The Much Honoured Lt Col R Gayre of Gayre and Nigg, Baron of Lochoreshyre, Grand Referendary
  • Guy Coutant de Saisseval (Grand Chancellor)
  • Marquess of Huntly (Scotland)
  • The Lord Dunsany (Ireland)
  • Sir Hannibal Scicluna (Malta)

(note in the left hand corner the green cross of St Lazarus together with (in some cases) various emblems such as the rose (England), the thistle (Scotland), shamrock (Ireland) signifying the bailiwick etc. and whilst Col Gayre’s first achievement has the emblem of Lochore signifying his role as the Grand Commandery, his second achievement represents his role as Grand Referendary of the Order)

Window (by A C Whalen) in west wall of gallery

  • Chevalier Raymond Otto Wicklander KLJ – made in 1984
  • Chevalier Paul R Kraemer GCLJ – made in 1984
  • Chevalier Douglas Gordon Gair GCLJ, KMLJ (Chancellor and Surrogate Grand Commander) – made in 1988
  • And above Dame Verdun Gair GCLJNORTH AISLE/CHAPTER HOUSE

Leather shields (by Raymond Morris of Eddergoll) mounted on front of old gallery, viewed from south to north

  • Cecil Evelyn
  • The Much Honoured Robert Gayre
  • HRH Prince Philip Francis of Bourbon and Bourbon, Prince, Grand Master
  • The Royal Arms of Scotland
  • HRH Prince Charles Philip of Orleans, Duke of Nemours, Vendome and Alencon
  • Reinold Gayre of Gayre and NiggYr, Deputy Commander of Lochore
  • Philip Arbuthnot

Windows (by A C Whalen) in north aisle/chapter house

  • Middle window of north wall
    • John Wilberforce MLJ – made in 1981
    • Chevalier Kenneth McLennan Hay BEM, ISM, KCLJ, KMLJ – made in 1983
  • East-most window of north wall
    • The Marquess of Bristol – made in 1978 (note the chain of office surrounding shield indicating commander of a commandery and the cross indicating a chief of religion)
  • East window
    • Lt Col Gayre of Gayre and Nigg, Commander of the Grand Commandery – made in 1980 (note chain of office)

North wall on either side of east-most window

  • Replica of the shield of Arnold de Brienz, Swiss knight, founder of leper hospital by Lake Lucerne – 1197 (to left of window)
  • Shield of the Prince of Lippe (Grand Marshall: Malta/Spanish Obedience – in resin bronze) (to right of window)

Two shields on sill of east-most window in north wall viewed from left to right (These were originally attached to the pulpit)

  • The Commandery of Lochore
  • Shield of the Order of St Lazarus

Two gonfanons (heraldic banner suspended from a crossbar) on north wall  

  • Kings of France
  • Commandery of Lochore

PORCH

Window (by A C Whalen)

  • St Lazarus Knight 1200 AD – made in 1985 (thought to be the first known knight of St Lazarus)
  • Charlotte Mann DLJ, BMLJ, DMLJ

ADDITIONAL EMBELLISHMENTS

Hassocks

The Commandery of Lochore

The Duke of Seville

Alan Keith Hill

The Prince of Lippe

(made by Margaret Morris of Eddergoll)

Processional Crosses

Two, representing Lochore and the Order of St Lazarus

Wands retained in North Aisle/Chapter House

Two wands of office for Baron Baillie (and Secretary General) Alan Keith Hill, and for Marshall K D Baird (these are ½ ‘ells’ – the ell being the old Scottish measure of 37 and one fifth inches)

There was a third wand of office (one ell in length) for the Baron Sergeant.

Additionally, there are six usher sticks with the shield of the Commandery of Lochore painted on one end, also retained in the North Aisle/Chapter House

Also to be noted are the labels on the pew on the south wall of the nave, between the pulpit and the first pew, for ‘marshall’, ‘assistant marshall’ and ‘aide de camp to the custodian of the insignia’.

St Vincent’s Chapel

August 2024

Scottish Charity SCO23274

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

St Vincent's Chapel, Edinburgh, the village church at the heart of the city.