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Oxford University - St. Johns College (England)

image by Klaus-Michael Schneider, 9 February 2019
Based on: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:St_John%27s_College_tower_and_flag.jpg

Description of the flag
Blades

Description of the flag

The flag of St John's College of Oxford University (GB) can be seen in a photo made 11 Jan 2006 by Stuart Yeates. The official site, showing the arms is at http://www.sjc.ox.ac.uk. A quote from 'College Life / History' section: "St John's was founded in 1555 by Sir Thomas White, a wealthy London merchant." An old rendering of the flag can be seen at http://www.heraldryshop.biz/catalogue/tobaccocards/wills/willsoxcam_clip_image038.jpg and a large modern one can be found at http://info.sjc.ox.ac.uk/graves/sjcbooks.html. The blazon, from the University Calendar 2003-4 is "Gules, on a bordure sable eight estoiles or; on a canton ermine a lion rampant of the second; on the fess point on annulet of the third." (An annulet is the cadency mark for a fifth son, I believe.)
Jan Mertens, 12 August 2008

The flag is a banner of arms (ratio 1:1).
Shield Gules, on a bordure Sable eight 6-point stars Or, on a canton ermine a lion rampant Sable armed Gules,in chief an annulet Or.
Meaning:
The front quadrangle of St. John�s used to be St. Bernard�s College, which had been founded by Archbishop Chichele (see also: All Souls College) in 1437 and dissolved about 1546. In 1555 Sir Thomas White obtained a Royal Licence to found a new college. He purchased the buildings of St. Bernard�s. The College was called after St. John the Baptist, who was patron of the Merchant Taylors� Company of which Sir Thomas had been Master. The arms of the College are those of its founder. The annulet is probably a mark of difference.
Source: John P. Brooke-Little: Oxford University and its Colleges, Oxford 1962(?), available online at https://www.theheraldrysociety.com/articles/oxford-university-and-its-colleges/ and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_John%27s_College,_Oxford.
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 9 February 2019

Blades

Current
image by Klaus-Michael Schneider, 19 March 2019
Blade is navy blue with white inescutcheon, charged with a throughout navy blue cross, the inescutcheon is the flag pattern without Paschal Lamb.

Source: (for current versions): https://www.reddit.com
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 19 March 2019