Heraldry in the graveyard at St Columb's Cathedral Derry / Londonderry

A visit to St Columb's Churchyard in Derry as expected saw some gravestones displaying coats of arms some of which likely date from the seventeenth century.

McCANDLESS

Mystery solved ...

Thanks to Stanton McCandlish the achievement of arms on this grave in St Columb's has now been definitely accounted for. 

The gravestone of the currier named Thomas McCandless, contains an achievement of arms  that have turned out to be the arms not of an individual, but of the Worshipful Company of Curriers, a livery company with which the deceased was connected. 

Here's a link to Stanton's account:

https://www.cuindlis.org/2022/05/26/exciting-news-everyone/

Since this post was originally posted, Stanton has established his website and his heraldry is well worth a visit and then you can be taken 'home' where interesting detail on tartans can also be found

https://www.cuindlis.org/heraldry/

Thanks, Stanton.

The heraldic detail for the coat of arms of the Worshipful Company of Curriers is found on:

https://www.heraldry-wiki.com/heraldrywiki/index.php?title=Worshipful_Company_of_Curriers

There are other variations of the name NcCandless including McAndlsih or McCandlish. Families of this name appear in Wigtownshire in eighteenth century (Wigtown). William M'Candlish in Balmangan, 1794 (Kirkcudbright). In 1684 the name appears as Makkanless, McCandlish McAndlish M'Canleis, and M'Caunles (Parish).

ARNOTT

The arms and crest of Arnott

This small gravestone depicts an impaled coat of arms, the detail on the right hand side is badly worn so it is impossible to identify the arms of the wife. The gravestone beside it may provide the clue to the family involved.

                                                                   

The arms of Arnott

The Crest of Arnott

EWING ?

The arm of Ewing?

The inscription on this gravestone though badly worn appears to start 'HERE LYETH (THE BODY OF?) SAMVEL (EWING?) ...  only various individual words can be deciphered after that until the final line that appears to read TO THE ABOVE SAMUEL EWING. 

The Ewing Gravestone at Derry 

The Ewing surname is recorded in Derry and surrounding areas.

https://www.ewingfamilyassociation.org/books/EwingEWR/ewr_Chapter_11.htm

The depiction on the gravestone appears to resemble the Ewing crest within a shield. The Ewing arms are very much different.

The Ewing Crest, taken from:

http://familypedia.wikia.com/wiki/File:Ewing_Family_Crest_and_Motto.jpg

HALL & CHAMBERS

 

The lower part of the inscription has been clarified from a 1917 reference in Memorials of the Dead.

ANN HALL | His Children. Also The Body of THOMAS CHAMBERS Late of thIs City Merch^t The Husband of MARY HALL Grand Daughter of The Said ALBERT who Died The 28th of MARCH 1804 Aged 58 Yrs.

KENNEDY

The following gravestone carries the arms and crest of Kennedy, there is no legible inscription remaining so the identification comes from the arms and crest. Both serve a cross check so it is reasonable to ascribe the name Kennedy to the gravestone.    

The arms of Kennedy

The crest of Kennedy

     STEWART & ?

UNIDENTIFIED

  

http://fredrickhervey4thearlofbristol.blogspot.ie/2012/08/st-columbs-cathedral-memorials.html

Ewing

https://www.ewingfamilyassociation.org/books/EwingEWR/ewr_Chapter_11.htm

Heraldry in Fahan & Buncrana Co Donegal

A visit to Buncrana Church of Ireland and Fahan old graveyard turned up a few interesting heraldic items. A seventeenth century gravestone of James Dow(---?) and his wife Jenet Brown is interesting though the last three letters in the surname are not as yet clarified and the arms of a lion rampant and three fleurs-de-lis have not shed any additional light. Any insights would be welcome. The full details are below.

The Dunsterville Plaque at Buncrana

The Dunsterville Crest

The Brandon Gravestone at Buncrana

The insignia or possible Brandon arms at Buncrana

The Hart Monument at Buncrana

The presence of a deer/stag on the urn may be a reference to the surname Hart.

The 1698? Gravestone at Fahan

This appears to be one of the oldest gravestones in Fahan that was recently cleared revealing the detail. It comemorates Jenat Brown wife of James Dow(---?) the surname could read Dowear, Dowlar, Dowler, Dowlap, Dowlep with an outside chance of Dowcra. The coat of arms depicts a lion rampant and three fleurs-de-lis. The family bearing these arms has not been identified.

The arms of three fleurs de lis and lion rampant at Fahan

The inscription on the 1698 gravestone at Fahan

The inscription appears to read something like:

HERE LYETH THE BODY OF | JENAT BROWN WIFE TO JAMES | DOW(---?) WHO DEPARTED THIS | LIFE YE 6 OCT 1698? IN YE | ? YEAR OF HER AGE ...

Another old gravestone at Fahan carries the arms of a tree at the base of the shield along with two birds. Also in chief above a chevron is a tower and another feature on the right hand side.