Archive #10/65: College Coat of Arms and Motto, 1955

One of the earliest actions of the Founders of Lindisfarne College, was to apply to the College of Heralds in London for a Coat of Arms worthy of the new College and early in 1954, the Rev. Robertson approved a draft design.

In July 1955 arrived the official Letters Patent, granting to Lindisfarne College the use of arms described as “Per saltire Gules and Barry wavy of six Argent and Azure over all a representation of St Cuthbert’s Cross Or”, with as crest “A pair of hands couped at the wrist, holding a representation of St Oswald’s head, couped at the neck and imbrued proper crowned with a Saxon Crown Or”.

The shield, divided per saltire (on the cross) refers to the supposed Scottish origin of St. Aidan, the first Bishop of Lindisfarne. The red and white of the field are the school colours.

The blue wavy bars on the white refer to the sea travels of the saints of the Holy Island and now to the establishment of the college, taking its name from the island, so far across the sea. The cross of St. Cuthbert on the shield alludes to that saint. Cuthbert is alluded to again in the crest, showing the hands supporting the head of Oswald which was buried at Lindisfarne and subsequently placed in Cuthbert’s coffin. The was a device often used in allusion to Cuthbert.

The motto “Ascensiones in Corde,” was suggested by the Rev. Robertson. It comes from Psalm 84. The translation that he preferred was that of the King James Revised Version of the Bible, “High Ways in the Heart”.

Lindisfarne of “Holy Island” as it is sometimes called, is the second great island centre of Celtic Christianity. In 563 St. Columba left Ireland and set up his little missionary community in the rocky island of Iona. From Iona the light of the Christian faith was carried through Scotland.

It was after the death of Columba that a heathen invasion of Northumbria led three young princes, whose father King Edwin had been killed, to seek refuge in Iona. Later the eldest boy, whose name was Oswald, was restored to the throne of Northumbria. He at once sent to Iona for missionaries. The first man to be sent, whose name was Corman, a man noted for his endurance, returned after six months and confessed complete failure.

One of the Brethren, Aidan, quietly suggested that less stern methods might succeed better, and so Aidan was sent on Corman’s place. King Oswald asked him where he would like to establish the headquarters of the community. With the salt sea of Iona in his veins he looked seawards and asked for the island of Lindisfarne lying off the coast within the sight of the Kings castle. And so Aidan went from Iona to Lindisfarne and established what is often called the “Iona of England.”

St. Cuthbert is the most famous Bishop of Lindisfarne and became the patron saint of Lindisfarne. He was the son of very humble parents living near Melrose and in early life he was a shepherd boy. He became Prior of Lindisfarne Abbey and led a life of great austerity.

He built a small oratory and a cell on the Farne, the largest of the Farne islands adjacent to Lindisfarne, and there lived a life of seclusion. He is said to have worked many miracles. He was consecrated Bishop of Lindisfarne in 685 but owing to declining health held the seat for only three years. He died in May 668.

A famous cross was built in honour of St Cuthbert which stood for many years before the main entrance to the abbey. A replica of the cross is on the college coat-of-arms.

The Letters Patent make a most imposing document, complete with a drawing of the Arms by Peter Berry (1953-1955) and the seals of the three Kings of Arms, by whom is it signed and now on display in the Dining Room.