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Signo Dicti Collegii: Instruction for a Fourteenth-century Corporate Badge for the College of Trinity Hall, Cambridge

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  25 July 2011

Mark Ryan Geldof*
Affiliation:
Mark Ryan Geldof, University of Saskatchewan, Campus Drive, 721 Arts Building, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5A5, Canada. E-mail: [email protected]

Abstract

The 1350 foundation statutes for the College of Trinity Hall, Cambridge, contain unique provisions for a corporate signum or badge. The badge was specifically assigned to the college by its founder, William Bateman, Bishop of Norwich (1289–1355). Over time Bateman's personal arms replaced this signum in identifying the college and its property. The badge is often called Bateman's personal badge, but this is not supported by the statutes of the college or by the evidence of the badge's use in surviving books in the college library. The instructions for the college signum and its specific function in the marking of the college's books represents an interesting development in the indication of corporate, rather than personal, ownership using heraldic insignia. This paper discusses Bateman's instructions for the college signum and the evolution of the Trinity Hall arms.

Résumé

Les statuts de fondation du collège de Trinity Hall, Cambridge, qui datent de 1350, contiennent des dispositions uniques pour un insigne ou signum commun. L'insigne fut spécifiquement assigné au collège par son fondateur, William Bateman, évêque de Norwich (1289–1355). Au fil du temps, le blason personnel de Bateman remplaça ce signum pour identifier le collège et les biens du collège. On appelle souvent cet insigne l'insigne personnel de Bateman, mais ni les statuts du collège ni les indices de l'utilisation de l'insigne dans des livres restant encore à la bibliothèque du collège n'appuient cette idée, Les instructions pour le signum du collège et sa fonction précise pour le marquage des livres du collège représentent un intéressant développement de l'indication de propriété d'entreprise, plutôt que personnelle, au moyen d'insignes héraldiques. Cette communication examine les instructions de Bateman concernant le signum du collège et l'évolution des armoiries de Trinity Hall.

Zusammenfassung

Die Gründungsurkunden für das College Trinity Hall, Cambridge, aus dem Jahre 1350 enthalten einzigartige Bestimmungen für ein korporatives Signum oder Emblem. Das Emblem war bestimmt für den Gründer des Colleges, William Bateman, Bishop of Norwich (1289–1355). Mit der Zeit wurde Batemans persönliches Wappen durch das Signum ersetzt um das College und sein Eigentum zu identifizieren. Dieses Emblem wird oft Batemans persönliches Emblem genannt, was jedoch nicht durch Urkunden oder Hinweise auf den Gebrauch des Emblems in überlebenden Büchern der Collegebücherei bestätigt wird.

Die Anleitungen für das College Signum und seine spezifische Funktion die College Bücher auszuzeichnen, repräsentiert eine interessante Entwicklung in der Funktion körperschaftlichen Besitzes, anstelle persönlichen Besitz mit Wappenabzeichen zu markieren. Dieser Bericht diskutiert Batemans Anweisungen für das College Signum und die Entwicklung des Wappens von Trinity Hall.

Type
Articles
Copyright
Copyright © The Society of Antiquaries of London 2011

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