County/Town Coat of Arms (Shield)

[A. Leaf]

I thought a good thread might be to put up the sheild of your county or town and a little explination of the sheilds history


County Kent-England

The motto, INVICTA, means 'unconquered'.

The arms were granted on 17 October 1933 and re-confirmed in 1975.
The white horse of Kent is supposedly the old symbol for the Saxon kingdom of Kent, dating from the 6 - 8th century.
The crest shows a mural crown, which symbolizes the many castles in the county, as well as the independent Saxon kingdom of Kent. The sails are symbols for the strong ties of the county with the sea and stand for the navy, the mercantile marine and fisheries. The sea lions are also a symbol for the strong ties with the navy, the lion being the British lion. The sea lions also symbolize that Kent is the frontier of Britain with continental Europe.

 

[kiwimac]

This is the Coat of Arms for the nearest large town to mine. Mount Somers does not AFAIK have its own CofA

Origin/meaning :

The Arms of the District of Ashburton, together with the Crest and Supporters were granted to the Borough on the 1st August, 1966. With local Government Amalgamation on 1st November, 1989, the Coat of Arms was adopted by the District of Ashburton.

These Incorporate portion of the arms of Lord Ashburton, the town being named after the 1st Lord Ashburton, who was closely associated with the Canterbury Land Settlement Scheme, and portion of the Arms of the Turton family, Mr and Mrs William Turton being first European settlers in what was to become the Ashburton Borough.

The muzzled Bear's head and the Division of the Arms into three, are taken from the Coat of Arms of Lord Ashburton. The trefoils are taken from the Staffordshire branch of the Turton family whose Arms were originally granted in 1663, from whom Mr William Turton was descended.

The blue wavy band is symbolic of the Ashburton River, whilst the Maori Canoe is a symbolic reference to the native race of New Zealand, and alludes to a Maori myth in which the Southern Alps of New Zealand is a Maori Canoe resting on its side.


The Mural Crown is a symbol of Municipal Authority. The ram's head and the grain alludes to the industries producing the dominant source of wealth for the district.

The supporters, Himantopus himantopus leucocephalus, commonly known as the pied stift, are wader river birds found in the district.
The motto - Fides Probata Coronat - is that used by the Portreeve and Burgessess of Ashburton, Devon, United Kingdom and appears to have been in use since the granting of the St. Lawrence's Charter issued in 1314 that, amongst other things, founded the forerunner of the Ashburton Grammar School. Although difficult of translation, its general meaning is - Faith Confirms What Has Been Proved Good and True - or - Faith Crowns True Actions.

 

[michel]

Believe it or not, I cannot find a picture of the coat of arms............

Coat of Arms

The famous Bournemouth Coat of Arms has a truly regal and dignified appearance, enhancing anything it embellishes. At one time it was painted in full colour on the town's yellow buses, and all Bournemouth schoolboys wore it on their blazers. In fact prefects at the town's Grammar School were honoured to wear a special silver badge of the arms, pinned to their brown and blue caps.

In recent years it was not quite so prevalent around the town, but it retained a pride and a quality which exemplifies a proud and quality-conscious town. Upon the advent of unitary authority status Bournemouth Borough Council adopted the Coat of Arms and crest as its corporate identity and, once again, it adorns literature, road signs and vehicles just as it did many years ago.

The Bournemouth Arms were granted as long ago as 24th March 1891, and while most people merely cast a cursory glance at the design, it is worth a while to study it more closely, because each intricate part has a very important metaphorical significance. The Helmet, sometimes called the Helm, is mounted above the shield as a reminder that knights wore such a helmet in battle to protect themselves.

The Crest is part of the Coat of Arms which was originally worn on top of the Helm as a means of recognition in battle. Bournemouth's crest consists of four English Roses surmounted by a Pine Tree, befitting indeed for a town which boasts such award-winning gardens and parks. The town's motto, "Pulchritsudo et Salubritas", is printed on an ornamental scroll at the base of the arms, the Latin words reminding all that Bournemouth is both "beautiful and healthy".

The main part of the Coat of Arms is the Shield. In the time of chivalrous Knights, this was, of course, held in the hand and used as protection to the body in battle. Bournemouth's shield, in both design and colour, is based on the Royal Arms of King Edward the Confessor, in whose Royal estate the area now known as "Bournemouth" was situated. The four salmon represent those to be found in the River Stour, which marks the boundary between Christchurch and Bournemouth.

Each of the lions on Bournemouth's crest holds a rose between its paws. What look like six birds, are infact Martlets. They have no legs and exist only in heraldry - not in the real world of nature. The nearest similar actual bird, as regards the name, is the Sand Martin. The Roses, four above the headband supporting the crest, and two held by the lions, are first and foremost a Royal Emblem of England, and secondly a reminder that Bournemouth used to be in the County of Southampton, more generally called Hampshire. The attitude of the lions is said to denote watchfulness and readiness for defence in the event of an attack along the sea coast close to the town.

It is perhaps a little ironic, that a resort with such a short history, should have a Coat of Arms reflecting times and attitudes predominant long before it existed, but the irony is balanced because the age of courtesy and spirit reflected in the Arms, appositely illustrates the chivalry and the charm of the people and the town of Bournemouth.

But, I can claim affiliation to the Belgian Coat of arms

 

[Booko]

Believe it or not, I cannot find a picture of the coat of arms............

I found this on Google Images:

 

[Terrywoodenpic]

This was the coat of arms for saddleworth Council before it joined with Oldham.
I can't find any details about it,

This is a little of the history of the region, in those days it was in the west riding of Yorkshire not administerd by Lancashire as now.
It give some mention of Friezland Church which I attend.
http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/YKS/WRY/Rochdale/SaddleworthHistory.html

 

[doppelganger]

From http://www.bexar.org/bcsheriff/patchhistory.htm




The Heraldic description of the shield is as follows:
"Divided in four quarters, the superior sinister quarter, (upper left hand, white field), displays the arms of Don Alvaro de Zuniga, Duke of Bejar, (brother-in-law of the Spanish Governor of Texas), "surmounted with the Gold Chain of Navarre", (equivalent to our Medal of Honor), "and the Bar Dexter", (black bar slanted downward to the right), which indicates the Duke to be the legitimate heir to the title.


Don Alvaro was the Spanish Court’s representative in the New World and was given a portion of the Texas territory, (which was considered a part of Coahuila), to care for and develop for the King, hence the name of the territory (later to be designated “County” to be “Bejar” or “Bexar”, pronunciation of the “j” or “x” in the Spanish language being one and the same).


"The superior Dexter quarter", (upper right hand, blue field), "shows on an azure field the Mission San Francisco de la Espada", (considered a classic example of the Missions built by the Franciscan Fathers in the New World). The field of blue represents the Holy Roman Catholic Church.


"The inferior sinister quarter", (lower left, green field), "on a field of vart shows a double eagle Or", (a double or two headed eagle in gold), "representing the American Eagle and the Mexican Eagle superimposed, symbolic of the two parent countries of the Republic of Texas, the green field representing the prosperity enjoyed by the people of the County of Bexar."


"The inferior Dexter quarter", (lower right, red field), "shows an argent field with a white star and white cannon pointed outward. The star represents the State and the Republic of Texas, the field of red represents the blood that was shed to gain independence, and the cannon represents the battles which were fought. The cannon is purposefully pointed outward from the center of the shield, away from the eagle, thus expressing the peace that now reigns between the two nations


The shield is surmounted by the Ducal Crown and supported by a scroll which reads "BEXAR". Neither of these appetencies are included with the shield produced on the patch.