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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