Wisdom Wednesday: Eagle Lecterns in the Church of England

Unfortunately, I recently attended a funeral at an Episcopal church in New England, and I noticed the beautiful lectern with a shiny metal eagle holding the bible on its backs with its wings spread. Being Lutheran by birth, I had not noticed a similar one until a 1997 trip to England, where all the parishes I visited in Norfolk had a similar “bookstand.” I decided to find out about the history and symbolism.

According to Stephen Friar, there are three types of lecterns in use in the Church of England. The first is a two- to four-sided revolving stand supported by a pillar. The second is a modern version of the first – a one-sided desk made in the 19^th or 20^th century.

The third and most often found is an eagle with outstretched wings made of wood or brass, the symbol of St. John who used the words ‘soared up into the presence of Christ’ in the New Testament books attributed to him. The bird’s open wings are functional for holding the bible or other liturgical books, but also symbolize carrying forth the word of God. Its feet are often resting on a globe or orb. Rarely, the bird might be a pelican, the mythical symbol of Christ.  

Medieval eagles are rare but Victorian Eagles are plentiful. Because of my Norfolk roots, I was happy to note that there was a fifteenth century East Anglican ‘school’ of artists who exported eagles to other parts of Britain and the continent. Here is a wooden example from St. Lawrence's Church, Biddulph, Staffordshire:

Source: Friar, Stephen. The Companion to the English Parish Church. London: Chancellor Press, 2000.

Wisdom Wednesday: Pen and Sword Books on Kindle

This post will be short because I am engrossed in a book that I have coveted for a long time. It is Tracing Your East Anglian Ancestors by Gill Blanchard. Its British publisher called Pen and Sword Books has titles in two major categories – military and family history.

I have been tempted to order an armload of their wares but was deterred by the shipping and handling costs from the UK that almost doubled the price of the books. Now they are available on www.amazon.com – some in Kindle format. I received my copy in less than one minute for $9.99 instead of over $30.00 from the publisher direct. I just love a bargain and my Kindle!

Blanchard is a trained historian who researches and teaches genealogy in Essex, Cambridge, Suffolk and Norfolk and her book is very detailed in a ‘good’ way. Her background in history adds a great deal to the content. She seems to know all the repositories big and small, and her description of these smaller libraries and museums sets the book apart. There is much here for the beginner and more seasoned researcher.

Blanchard writes very well, and the book is easy to read and understand, but I would be remiss not to mention the editing or lack thereof. The electronic version does not have all the appropriate words capitalized. I offer no explanation and have no idea if this carries over to the printed version or not. In a list of three rivers, why are only two capitalized? If it happened once, it would be a typo, but this is too pervasive and distracting.

Most of the family history books from Pen and Sword begin with the phrase, ‘Tracing Your…’ Dr. Ian Maxwell has written at least three that like Blanchard’s are specific to an area, like ‘Tracing your Northern Irish Ancestors’ and ‘Tracing Your Irish Ancestors.’ Another series uses the same phrase but is specific to an occupation, such as ‘Tracing Your Medical Ancestors.’ The prices for the Kindle versions range from about $6.00 to $13.50.

The military books from this publisher cover all wars ever fought by the UK. That is not an exaggeration. Check it out by putting “Pen and Sword Books” into the search line at www.amazon.com.