Standard
This name seems to have been applied formerly to
(1) various articles of furniture which were too ponderous to be easily removed, as to large chests, or the massive candlesticks placed before altars in churches, etc.;
(2) also the vertical poles of a scaffold, and the vertical iron bars in a window, or stanchions;
(3) it was also applied to the ends of the oak benches in churches, and that is the common use of the term now. They were often very handsomely carved, sometimes having poppy heads and sometimes without. A good illustration is taken from Dorchester;
(4) large standard candlesticks placed before altars, e.g. "Two great standards of laten to stande before the high altar of Jesu" (Lysons, Magna Britannia, 1, 716). Parker, Gloss. of Architect. s.v.
The Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological, and Ecclesiastical Literature was edited by John McClintock and James Strong. It contains nearly 50,000 articles pertaining to Biblical and other religious literature, people, creeds, etc. It is a fantastic research tool for broad Christian study.
John McClintock was born October 27, 1814 in Philadelphia to Irish immigrants, John and Martha McClintock. He began as a clerk in his father's store, and then became a bookkeeper in the Methodist Book Concern in New York. Here he converted to Methodism and considered joining the ministry. McClintock entered the University of Pennsylvania in 1832 and graduated with high honors three years later. Subsequently, he was awarded a doctorate of divinity degree from the same institution in 1848.WikipediaRead More