The International Association of Amateur Heralds

I am blazoning the arms for a priest of the Episcopal Church of the US. How do I properly blazon the clerical hat for a priest as approved by the Earl Marshall? I know that the cord and tassels are sable and argent.

A gallero of X tassels Tincture corded of Tincture. I think would work.

An ecclesiastical hat of two tassels sable pendant on either side from a cord sable and argent.

I believe the Earl Marshal used "ecclesiastical hat" over galero (note only 1 "l")... I guess the latter is too Roman. Do you even need to blazon the hat? I typically see Catholic clerical arms as being "ensigned with the galero of a priest/bishop/etc." Couldn't you, in this case, just say "ensigned with the galero of an Episcopal priest" or "of a priest of the Church of England"? A heraldic artist should be smart enough to know where to look if this is not something he or she immediately recognizes.

I would say "an ecclesiastical hat of the Church of England as befits his degree". That would keep the blazon flexible, which would be useful if he's later elevated to a canon or an archdeacon etc.

Arthur Radburn wrote:I would say "an ecclesiastical hat of the Church of England as befits his degree". That would keep the blazon flexible, which would be useful if he's later elevated to a canon or an archdeacon etc.

I agree, except that the reverend gentleman is not CofE but Episcopal Church of the US.

Chris Green wrote:

Arthur Radburn wrote:I would say "an ecclesiastical hat of the Church of England as befits his degree". That would keep the blazon flexible, which would be useful if he's later elevated to a canon or an archdeacon etc.

I agree, except that the reverend gentleman is not CofE but Episcopal Church of the US.

True -- he isn't C of E, but the hat comes from the C of E. I suppose one could omit the name of the Church from the blazon, and let the words "his degree" cover both the denomination and his position within it.

Not all Anglican churches use the C of E hats with the black-and-white intertwined cords. The hats of priests in the Scottish Episcopal Church, as granted by Lyon, have black cords and are, to my eye, indistinguishable from the galeri of Catholic priests. The same appears to be true of CHI grants to priests of the Church of Ireland. Priests of the Episcopal Church in the USA would seem to be free to use either pattern.

Scotland and Ireland have their own heraldic authorities to regulate such matters. Member churches of the Anglican Communion in places that do not, in practice, follow the English model. In 1982 The General Convention of the Episcopal Church passed a resolution establishing a Committee on Heraldry for Bishops and the Presiding Bishop. At its first meeting (which I think was its only meeting) among the many recommendations forwarded to the PB was that "…the permissive designs for ecclesiastical hats laid down by the Earl Marshal of England in 1976 for Anglican clergy should be adopted for clergy below the rank of bishop".

Thanks to all for your advice. My question is answered.