Not (completely)True
9 SeptemberFrancesco Xaviero Castiglioni was born on the 20th of November 1761.
He was appointed bishop of Montalto in 1800 (there is no truth to the rumours of him hearing voices chanting "Qui VIII Alto Pius" at this time) to 1816 and elected pope Pius VIII on the 31st of March 1829.
He died 30-Nov-1830 in Rome, Italy, the cause of death was unspecified though there were whispers that he was perhaps poisoned.
The Vatican is expected to deny the slanderous rumours printed recently in "This Page" that Francesco Xaviero Castiglioni and Frank (The Legate) Castle from New Cumnock, Ayrshire, Scotland was one and the same; Castle being head of the infamous Cumnock Castle Cartel who controlled the three major inns in Paris(h) in the late 18th century.
The piece states that he blatantly flaunted this fact within his coat of arms. (Picture Right from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:C_o_a_Pio_VIII.svg ) The Dunbar of Cumnock coat of arms consisted of a silver lion on a red field; a coincidence.
All three inns have now either completely disappeared or are unrecognizable: coincidence??
HolyInn One: http://www.newcumnock.net/images/awalk/P1000090.JPG
HolyInn Two: http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~glynn1935/McRae/P3.JPG.gif
Useful links:
http://saints.sqpn.com/ncd06618.htm
http://www.nndb.com/people/516/000088252/
Tung N Cheek
- At my recent visit to The Baird (Institute) I noticed the old Burgh of Cumnock & Holmhead wooden crest on display in one of the cabinets:- Within a castellated shield : the top half of the Dunbar rampant lion, the lower half obscured by the Randolph lozenge. The motto: Prompt in Progress.
Updated Cumnock & Doon Valley arms were granted on August 20, 1976:- The chief and the bordure taken from the arms of the burgh of Cumnock & Holmhead. The base symbolises the main activities in the Doon Valley area, mining (black lozenge), forestry (pine tree) and agriculture (garb). The wavy bar is the Doon river. (Coincidently; in south west Scotland's heraldry, the lozenge represented Randolphs of Nithsdale; the garb - the Comyns; white lion - Dunbars; blue lion - Crichtons.)
Does New Cumnock have a crest?
After seeing the Pius coat-of-arms, I couldn't help thinking that the Dunbar's white lion rampant holding the Castle on a red field would be a simple, yet fitting, canting arms for the town of which the Dunbars were the first barons. The Dunbars held Cumnock Castle from, at least, 1296 until c1612 according to local history.
Can you imagine the 'New' Cumnock Castle flag flying from the castellated tower on Castle Hill, the original site of Cumnock Castle Tower?
Take a look at: Coat of arms of Regional, Island, Unitary, City, District, Burgh and County Councils at:
www.ngw.nl/int/gbr/scot/scotland.htm
Notice that the Ayrshire arms do not include Kyle Regis, only Kyle Stewart.

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