Diocese of Lichfield

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DIOCESE OF LICHFIELD

Country : United Kingdom
Denomination : Anglican (until 1557 Roman Catholic)
Established : 656 as Diocese of Mercia, renamed in 664 to Diocese of Lichfield
Renamed in 1121 to Diocese of Coventry and Lichfield
Renamed in 1539 to Diocese of Lichfield and Coventry
Renamed in 1837 to Diocese of Lichfield

Official blazon

Per pale gules and argent, a cross potent quadrate in the centre per pale of the last and Or between four crosses patée, those to the dexter of the second and those to the sinister gold.

Origin/meaning

The arms above were recorded at the College of Arms.

The arms show the Cross of St. Chad, the patron saint of the diocese. Lichfield was made the episcopal see by St. Chad (Ceadda) in 669. The earliest seal on which arms are found for the diocese is that of William Booth (1447-1452) where a cross potent is seen as the diocesan arms.

The arms shown above with red and gold are the arms officially recorded by the College of Arms according to Briggs and Fox-Davies. However, the arms are more generally seen as counterchanged, i.e. only red and silver. A third version, with the cross countercharged and the small crosses gold is mentioned by Riland Bedford in 1856, and can for example be seen on the arms of bishop Smalbroke (1731-1749).