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Stewart of Ardgowan ~ Or a fess chequy Azure and Argent surmounted of a lion rampant
Gules. John Stewart of Ardgowan was a bastard son of King Robert III. His representers subsequently bore the designation
"of Blackhall" and armed and langued Azure the lion. Stewart of Scotstoun ~ Or a lion rampant Gules surmounted of a fess chequy Azure and
Argent. Descendants of Archibald, second son of Archibald Stewart of Blackhall
(and Ardgowan and Auchingoun), transposed the lion and fess for
difference (as, possibly, did a Stewart of Castlemilk with his
bend). This is the blazon given by Nisbet, but Lyon Register shows
these arms to be matriculated with a crescent in dexter chief, presumably for difference. Stewart of Rosling ~ Or a fess chequy Azure and Argent, in chief a lion passant gardant
Gules. This is the blazon from Lyon Register, but Nisbet records for
Captain James Stewart of Rosling the lion as rampant gardant.
It is possible to surmise that the arms were borne first with
the lion rampant gardant, and that Lyon changed the blazon to passant gardant when they were legitimised by matriculation. Stewart of Angus ~ Quarterly: 1st and 4th Or a fess chequy Azure and Argent surmounted
by a bend Sable charged with three buckles Or; 2nd and 3rd Or
a lion rampant Gules debruised by a riband Sable. John Stewart, Earl of Angus, grandson of Sir John Stewart of Bonkyl,
married Margaret, daughter and co-heiress of Alexander Abernethy
of that Ilk and quartered her arms. Stewart of Lorne ~ Or a fess chequy of four tracts Azure and Argent between in chief
two buckles and in base two garbs of the Second, surmounted of
in sinister chief and dexter base two quarters Or each bearing
a lymphad Sable with a sail of the Third. Alternatively ~ Quarterly: 1st Or a buckle in chief Azure. the base counter-compony
of the Second and Argent; 2nd and 3rd Or a lymphad Sable the sail
Argent; 4th Or a garb Azure and a chief counter-compony of the
Second and Argent. The task of blazoning these arms of John Stewart, Lord of Lorne
(1448), can confuse even the experts. For the first blazon (preferred
by this writer) the reader must imagine a gold shield with a chequered
fess of four rows separating two buckles from two garbs. Onto
this shield are then imposed the two quarters bearing the lymphad
(a quarter itself being a charge, although rarely found as such).
The two quarters each hide part of the fess and one of the other
charges (one buckle and one garb). The two buckles are for Stewart of Bonkyl and the two garbs for
Stewart of Buchan. These arms have been taken from the seal of John Stewart of Lorne,
so the tinctures may be queried. However, the only credible alternative
to the tinctures blazoned here seems to be one in which the field
of the lymphad quarters is of silver, not gold. If silver, then
the quarter would represent the completely the early coat of the
lordship of Lorne, but this might be held to offend the law which
forbids placing a metal on a metal, which, as the quarter is a
charge, is what in effect is happening. (Placing gold on gold
in this situation is acceptable because it does not deceive the
eye.) The later coat of Lorne, borne as a quarter by the Earls
of Innermeath, had a gold field and from the fore and aft parts
of the lymphad, and from its mast-top, flames issued (these flames
being known as St Anthony's fire).
Part 3
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