BackGeorge III Coat of Arms
To find out more about the coat of arms in the church, we contacted the College of Arms in London. Mr Peter O’Donoghue, Bluemantle Pursuivant, provided the following information:
“I should explain that a great many such paintings of Royal Arms of different periods are to be found in churches; they were displayed as a sign of loyalty to the Crown and obedience to the Sovereign as Supreme Head or Governor of the Church of England. Following the Restoration in 1660 the display of the Royal Arms in churches was required by Statute. Such images of the Royal Arms were quite often painted over or altered as new monarchs succeeded; great care should therefore be taken in noting whether older versions of the Arms or initials survive underneath the more recent version.”
We sent him a picture of the Arms hanging in St Hubert’s Church. We also asked, rather tongue in cheek, if the statute was still in force and if we were in danger of being accused of disloyalty to the Crown. We were aware that our coat of arms was that of George lll and still bore the white horse displaying his Hanoverian connection. Mr O’Donoghue was able to set our minds at rest and provided more information:
“My understanding is that the statute is probably not still in force and that changes to the Royal Arms to reflect the changing Royal dynasties was not felt to be so necessary after the Hanoverian period; we thus find lots of Hanoverian Royal Arms still in churches. To an extent the display of any Royal Arms may have been thought to be sufficient.
The Royal Arms from the internet which you sent date as you suggest from after 1816 and before 1837. They are shown without helmet, mantling, crest and supporters. Your board shows the ‘full achievement’ of Arms, helmet, mantling, crest, supporters and motto. The Arms on the shield are one element of the full achievement though they can and are often displayed by themselves. In the case of the Royal Arms it is usual to show the full achievement.”
As Corfe Mullen lies on one of the main routes to Weymouth, a favourite holiday town of George lll, it seems somehow right that the church would have displayed its obedience to a King who might have passed by.