The Deans Court Shield

Background

The Deans Court shield came about as we had none to call our own, separate from the St Leonard's Postgraduate College. Around the grounds of Deans Court there were many shields and crests of former occupants, many of which had either saved the buildings or performed significant work on them to prevent dilapidation and improve the existing space. As such, it seemed reasonable to create a shield using components of all of these emblems.

Shield and Saltire

The shield itself and the Saltire ordinary comes from the Deans Court common room where it can be found above the fireplaces. These likely date from around the time Deans Court opened as a postgraduate residence, though I am currently lacking a reference for this.

Charges

The charges come from three different sources. The stars and crescent come from that of Sir George Douglas of Lochleven, whose coat of arms can be seen above the main entrance gate and more clearly on the blue sign outside the front of the building erected by the Marie Stuart Society.
The pair of crossed crosslets are from the coat of arms of James Haldenstone, Prior from 1418 to 1443, which can again be seen in a separate blue sign now outside the Roundel.
Finally, the theme of three ordinaries replicated in diagonal originates from the Stirling family whose coat of arms is above the entrance to the garden and also around the beehive and inhabited the building from 1876.

Tinctures

The tinctures come from a combination of colours that were available from the coats of arms of Sir George Douglas of Lochleven and James Haldenstone being red white and black.