Mitre Roundel
Phipps, Ball & Burnham 1920
7'2" × 29 1/2"
Courtland Parker Williams Born September 11, 1825 Died October 6, 1892
DESCRIPTION: The mitre, a liturgical headdress, is set upon a scarlet background encircled with shades of blue. It is ornate and appears to be embellished with embroidery and jewels. On either side is a crosier, or pastoral staff, shaped like a shepherd's crook. On the lappets are four Maltese crosses, formed by four spearheads touching at the center. At the top of the mitre is a larger Maltese cross.
SYMBOLISM: In Biblical times, the mitre was the official headdress of the high priest. It was made of fine linen and had a total length of about eight yards. Today it is the folding cap representing the
cloven tongues of fire on Pentecost worn by archbishops, bishops and abbots as a symbol of authority. The crosier is also a symbol of office carried by bishops and abbots. The Maltese Cross dates back
to the days of the Crusades when the order of the Hospitallers used it as their emblem. Later they made their headquarters on the island of Malta.
MEMORIAL: Courtland Parker Williams, son of William Earl Williams and Eliza Vial Appleby Williams was born in Rhode Island. In the 1880 census he is listed as a Coast Pilot, an important position in the maritime history of Key West.
Since the early history of Florida and Key West, local pilots were engaged to help ships navigate the sometimes treacherous coast to ensure maximum safety. Florida began licensing coast pilots in 1839, and the first comprehensive statutes guiding the service were written in 1868. Prior to the licensing of the profession, the business was often a highly competitive race to the sea.
Courtland married Drucilla Duke, daughter of a lighthouse keeper at Cape Florida, who was born on May 11, 1827 in Alabama. Their children, Bertha, Buelah, and Blanche were al born in Florida. They had an adopted son, Thomas Whitehurst.
It is possible that two of their married children, Mrs. George W. Reynolds and Mrs. H. B. Boyer might be the donors of this window honoring their father, and of Pomegranate Roundel (Window #10), in memory of Drucilla Duke Williams, their mother.
Source: The Golden Cockerel: The Art, Symbolism & History of the Stained Glass Windows, St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Key West, Florida by Winifred Shine Fryzel.
Please consider making a donation to St. Paul's so that we may continue our work, including the stewardship of our beautiful grounds, buildings, and windows.
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