Courtenay Heraldry Tiverton Church

Pair of heraldic devices either of Edward Courtenay, 1st Earl of Devon (d.1509), KG, or of his grandson Henry Courtenay, 1st Marquess of Exeter (1498–1539), KG, both seated at Tiverton Castle, Devon. North and south sides of top of chancel arch, St Peter's Church, Tiverton. Showing the arms of Courtenay: Or, three torteaux circumscribed by the Garter, with angel supporters. Above is the heraldic badge of the Courtenay falcon and faggot and on top of each column is shown a Courtenay boar, one of which is actually a sow, suckling piglets.
The very rarely seen heraldic badge above of the "Courtenay falcon and faggot" (not the usual ancient Courtenay crest of a plume of ostrich feathers) seems to have been adopted during the Wars of the Roses and depicts A falcon rising holding in its claws a bundle of sticks. The significance of the imagery is unknown.
It is possibly a reference to the "Courtenay Fagot" described by Richard Carew (d.1620) in his Survey of Cornwall (pages 132-3)[1], a naturally mis-shapen piece of wood split at the ends into four sticks, one of which again split into two, which was "carefully preserved by those noble men". Carew states: "and in semblable maner the last Earles inheritance accrued unto 4 Cornish gent(lemen): Mohun, Trelawny, Arundell of Talverne and Trethurffe". This is a reference to the heirs of Edward Courtenay, 1st Earl of Devon (c.1527-1556), the last of the Courtenay Earls of Devon seated at Tiverton Castle.

Alternatively it may be a corrupted version of the well-known classical Greek and Roman image often displayed on ancient coins of the "Eagle of Jupiter" holding in his claws a thunderbolt, the emblem of that deity. Mediaveal nobles frequently kept classical cameos and other valuables in a Cabinet de Medailles as curiosities, and thus the imagery would have been familiar.