I'm continuing to consider the possible interpretations of the pattern on the shield of the 'soldier', which appears in the black and white, grotesque style, wall painting in the Coventry Charterhouse - ie, the feature circled below:
As I mentioned in my post here, last year, Dr Elizabeth Goldring had commented that the design struck her as being similar to the 'ragged staves' used by the Dudley family, as part of their claim to descend from the earlier Earls of Warwick.
I was recently at the annual conference of the Guild of One-Name Studies (which, if you're interested in, you can read about here.) While there, I had hoped to discuss the features with someone who I know to be an expert in heraldry. That didn't work out but, when I happened to show the image to another member of the Guild, his instant response was that it reminded him of a "cross raguly", as used by William Sandys, 1st Baron Sandys, of the Vyne in Hampshire.
A slight sidetrack into heraldic terms (based on "Heraldry explained," by Arthur Charles Fox-Davies, which is available through the Internet Archive.1) Strictly speaking a "cross" would be upright. If it's shown diagonally, it's a "saltire". Both the cross and saltire are described as "ordinaries". The term "raguly" is one of a number of descriptions relating to the style of the lines edging the ordinaries.
But, doing a search for "cross raguly" brings up a variety of images, one of which was a "Burgundy cross", which is diagonal.
Initially, I ignored that, thinking it didn't relate to England - but then I found this:
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| Horse Armour - Burgundian Bard - 1505-1514 |
Seriously!
Ragged branches, with that feature at the crossing point, as well as the designs at the sides of the crossing point, which, with a bit of imagination (and a 180o turn), could match those shown on the soldier's shield.
The above is just one of a number of images of the "Burgundian Bard", which appear on the Royal Armouries site, at https://royalarmouries.org/collection/object/object-2626.
%20large_DI_2021_0176.jpg) |
| Horse Armour - Burgundian Bard - 1505-1514 |
According to the information given, the barding is from about 1505-1514. It was commissioned by Maximilian I, possibly initially for himself, or for his son, Philip I of Castile. But it was then presented to Henry VIII, potentially when Henry VIII married Katherine of Aragon, in 1509.
The armour was made by a Flemish armourer, Guillem Margot, and the etching of the designs on it are attributed to Paul van Vrelant.
Interestingly, Paul van Vrelant is described as later working in the Greenwich armoury, which is where the armour was kept until 1644, when it was moved to the Tower of London.
And now I know that the designs in between the branches are possibly meant to represent "firesteels" (also known as "furison.")
Firesteels and reguly crosses were the symbol of the "Order of the Golden Fleece", which was a Catholic chivalric order, founded in 1430, by the Duke of Burgundy.2
But both firesteels, and raguly crosses, have been used by others, in many different forms.
So where does that leave us regarding the Coventry Charterhouse? A few thoughts:
The design would have been known about, from before the dissolution. So any of the private owners during the 1500s (the period during which the wallpainting is said to have been painted), might have been aware of it.
Any of those owners, potentially, could have chosen to use the design, if they believed it represented a "chivalric" concept. But England had the similar "Order of the Garter." So, is it likely that an owner would use a symbol associated with European powers, if it was only intended to represent a general "worthy" person?*
The list of Grandmasters of the Order does include Philip II of Spain, who was married to Mary I in 1554. So, from 1554 until 1558, when Mary I died, a representation of Philip II might be a possibility. If so, that would place the painting of the soldier as taking place during the ownership of Henry Waver (1542-1567).
It is known that Robert Dudley acted as a messenger for Philip, and that the three Dudley brothers, Ambrose, Robert, and Henry, all fought for Spain in the battle of St Quentin, during which Henry was killed.3 However, although the design on the soldier's shield appears to contain "ragged branches", is it likely Robert (or one of his retainers) would use them in the style of a Catholic order at the time he owned the Charterhouse? This was between January 1569 to June 1571, by which time Elizabeth I was on the throne, and relationships with the Catholic countries were deteriorating.
Another owner, Sampson Baker, was also involved in the war against France, in charge of 100 footsoldiers, under Lord Clinton.4 The coat of arms that is above the image of the soldier in the wall painting is attributed to Sampson Baker. The Clinton coat of arms also appears in the Charterhouse, potentially within the same painting, if the painting did continue around all the walls of the original room, as has been suggested.
There is also evidence that Sampson Baker's butler, John Craddock, of Sheldon, Warwickshire, was a catholic, since he was later imprisoned in Marshalsea prison as a recusant.5 Were there Catholic sympathies in the Baker household, and might the design have been used as a subtle symbol of these, while also emphasising Sampson's worthiness as a soldier?
There is some physical evidence that Sampson Baker's coat of arms was painted over the earlier black and white design. Baker's coat of arms, and the soldier, are also within what appears to be a unified panel of architectural detailing, both obscuring elements of the black and white design:
Is it therefore more likely that the soldier figure was painted at the same time as the Baker coat of arms, during the Baker ownership (1576-1590), and that it has nothing at all to do with Robert Dudley?
So, plenty of questions - but still no definitive answers!
*As I was reminded by a friend today (3/6/26), the ‘Worthies’ were representations of nine specific characters. So, given that it has been suggested there was sufficient space around the room for nine such images to be painted, it is possible this figure was intended as a representation of a specific ‘Worthy’, rather than it being linked to one of the owners as a ‘worthy person’.
More research into the nine Worthies now required!
Notes and Sources
1. "Heraldry explained" by Arthur Charles Fox-Davies:
Cross: Fig. 76, on p.97, at https://archive.org/details/heraldryexplaine0000foxd_i0h4/page/96/mode/2up?
Saltire: Fig.58 on p84, at https://archive.org/details/heraldryexplaine0000foxd_i0h4/page/84/mode/2up
Styles of lines, including "raguly": Fig.70, p95 at https://archive.org/details/heraldryexplaine0000foxd_i0h4/page/94/mode/2up
See also https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ordinary_(heraldry) and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Line_(heraldry)
2. The Order of the Golden Fleece: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Order_of_the_Golden_Fleece
3. Robert Dudley's involvement with Philip II of Spain: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Dudley,_1st_Earl_of_Leicester
As a messenger for Philip II of Spain: Derek Wilson (1997), “Sweet Robin: Biography of Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, 1533-88”, p74.
4. The Anglo-French war of 1557: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anglo-French_War_(1557-1559)
Sampson Baker's involvement: “The manuscripts of the Right Honourable F.J. Savile Foljambe, of Osberton”, (1897) pp5-6. Available at https://archive.org/details/manuscriptsofrig0000unse/page/6/mode/2up?q=sampson where a Sampson Baker is listed as one of three officers fighting under the command of Lord Clinton, and responsible for 100 footmen.
5. John Craddock, the Bakers' recusant butler: Records Volume 60: Recusant Documents from the Ellesmere Manuscripts. Published on Jan 1, 1968. Page 72, https://issuu.com/tcrs/docs/volume60
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