WARWICKSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL

ARMS: Gules a Bear erect Argent muzzled of the first collared and chained Or supporting a ragged Staff of the second the chain reflexed over the back and en­circling the Staff on a Chief of the third three Cross-crosslets of the first; The Shield ensigned with a Mural Crown Gold.

Motto 'NON SANZ DROICT' - Not without right.
Granted 7th July 1931.

warwickshire cc arms

The bear and ragged staff have long been associated with Warwickshire. The origins of these emblems are lost in the distant past, but have been associated with the Earls of Warwick since at least as early as the 14th century. William Dugdale in the 17th century, recalls that the legendary Arthgallus, an Britsh Earl of Warwick and knight of King Arthur's Round Table, thought that his name came from the Welsh "artos" or bear. He also suggested that the ragged staff was chosen because Morvidus, Earl of Warwick, killed a giant with the broken branch of a tree. These claims cannot be supported and Dugdale was just recalling medieval legends. However, there is no doubt that the bear and the ragged staff were first used by the Beauchamp family, who became Earls of Warwick in 1268, as a badge or mark of identity in to addition to their own coat of arms. At first the emblems seem to have been used independently. In 1387 Thomas Beauchamp II (Earl from 1369 to 1402) owned a bed of black material embroidered with a golden bear and silver staff, which is the earliest known occurrence of the two emblems together. The bear and ragged staff have been used by subsequent holders of the Earldom of Warwick, the Dudleys, the Grevilles and are borne as a crest by the present Earl. Over the centuries they have also come to be associated with the county, and used as a badge 1st Warwickshire Militia regiment and the Warwickshire Constabulary and the Warwickshire County Council obtained the permission to adopt the bear and ragged staff for their common seal in 1907. The three cross-crosslets are taken from the arms of the Beauchamps, who were earls of Warwick from 1268 to 1449. They are perhaps the most famous of all the families which have held the earldom of Warwick, and this together with the world-wide fame of the Beauchamp Chapel in St Mary’s Church in Warwick makes the inclusion of their arms in the County’s armorial bearings particularly appropriate.
The motto, in Norman-French, is that of William Shakespeare, without doubt the county’s most famous son.


KENILWORTH TOWN COUNCIL

ARMS: Argent on a Mount in base Vert a Castle of three Towers Gules on a Chief Azure two Mullets Or pierced Gules.
CREST: On a Wreath Argent and Gules an Ostrich Feather Ermine supported by two Lions queue fourchee the dexter Argent the sinister Vert each gorged with a Crown pendent therefrom an Escallop Or.

Motto 'CIVES OPPIDI FUNDAMENTA' - Citizens are the foundations of a town.
Granted 5th January 1966, to the Kenilworth Urban District Council.

kenilworth tc arms

The red castle represent Kenilworth Castle, one of the greatest in the Midlands, which appeared in a pictorial representation on the former seal of the Council. The castle in the arms is coloured red to indicate the local red sandstone of which it is built. The blue chief and golden mullets are from the arms attributed to Geoffrey de Clinton, Chamberlain and Treasurer to King Henry I, who founded both Kenilworth Castle and Kenilworth Priory. His arms were said to have been used by Kenilworth Priory (later Abbey), but they do not appear on the seal on the deed of surrender of the Abbey. A castle and a blue chief both appear in the arms of Lord Kenilworth, who purchased the castle from the Earl of Clarendon in 1937 and presented it to the nation.
The red and white of the wreath and mantling are colours the Warwickshire County Council. The white lion is from the arms of Simon de Montfort, Earl of Leicester, who held Kenilworth Castle from 1248, through his wife the sister of King Henry III. During the later war between the King and the de Montforts the Castle played a prominent role. The ermine ostrich feather was one of the badges of John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, who inherited Kenilworth Castle in 1362. He spent lavishly in con­verting the Castle from a fortress into a palace and he erected the Great Hall. The green lion is from the arms of Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, the favourite of Queen Elizabeth I. He was granted Kenilworth Castle by the Queen in 1563, and entertained her there on several occasions. The crowns and scallop shells, are from the arms of the Hyde and Villiers families, successive Earls of Clarendon, who held the castle from 1665 until 1937.


NORTH WARWICKSHIRE BOROUGH COUNCIL

ARMS: Gules two ragged Staves conjoined in saltire Argent between in chief a Kestrel volant afrontee proper in fess two Garbs and in base a Sun Or charged with a Cogwheel Sable.
CREST: On a Wreath of the Colours in front of a demi Lion per pale Argent and Or gorged with a Collar vairy Or and Gules and holding in the paws a Cross moline Gules a Fleur-de-Lys Argent between two Mullets Or pierced Gules.
BADGE: In front of two ragged Staves conjoined in saltire Argent a Mullet of eight points Gules charged with a Bear's Head couped Argent muzzled Gules.

Motto 'GOVERN YET OBEY'.
Granted 5th February 1976?.

The Borough of North Warwickshire was formed by the amalgamation of the Atherstone Rural District and part of the Meriden Rural District.

north warwickshire bc arms
north warwichshire badge
Badge

The shield is based on the ragged staff and red background of the Warwickshire CC arms. Here two white ragged staves are joined to suggest the union of two former Warwick­shire authorities. The kestrel has developed a reputation as "the bird of the Motorways", which it has learned to frequent, and is an apt reminder of the important position of North Warwickshire in the modern motorway system. The two golden wheatsheaves, taken from the Atherstone RDC seal, indicate the two rural districts from which the Borough is formed, and the importance of agriculture. The golden sun charged with a cogwheel symbolizes the energy-producing and engineering industries. The sun, the source of all energy, is featured with that connation in the arms of the National Coal Board.
The wreath and mantling are in the Warwickshire colours, the basic red and white of the shield. The white fleur-de-lys is from the heraldry of the Digby family of Coleshill, set between the two gold mullets with red centres, taken from the shield of the Clinton family, which was borne by Maxstoke Priory. The half white and half gold lion is from the arms of the Dilkes, seated at Maxstoke Castle for the last three centuries. His collar is from the arms of the Ferrers family whose tombs are in Merevale Church and whose arms were borne by their Abbey. The red cross moline is of the Dugdales of Merevale and Blythe Hall of which family was the great herald and antiquary, Sir William Dugdale.
The badge consists of the two ragged staves from the shield surmounted by an eight-pointed star representing the North Star and charged with the Warwickshire bear's head. The device thus pictorially suggests North Warwickshire.
The motto is adapted from a line in "The Barrens' Wars", by the local poet Michael Drayton, a native of Hartshill and a friend of Shakespeare. The full line is "As all did govern, yet all did obey".


NUNEATON AND BEDWORTH BOROUGH COUNCIL

*ARMS: Per chevron barry wavy of six Azure and Argent and Vert in chief two Fleurs-de-Lis Or and in base three Ribands in pall reversed tied with a triple Bow Argent.
*CREST: On a Wreath of the Colours issuant from a Mural Crown Or charge with a Cog-wheel between two Lozenges Sable a demi Bear Argent muzzled Gules collared and chained Or supporting a Staff flying therefrom a Pennon Gules charged with a a ragged Staff Argent.

Motto 'UNITED TO ACHIEVE'.
Granted ?.

The Borough of Nuneaton and Bedworth was formed by the amalgamation of the Borough of Nuneaton and the Bedworth Urban District.

nuneaton and bedworth bc arms

The blue and white waves are from the arms of the Borough of Nuneaton and are illustrative of the original name of the Town 'Etone' or 'Eaton', town by the running water, in allusion to its position on the banks of the River Anker. The two gold fleur-de-lis, emblems of the Blessed Virgin Mary to whom the ancient Nuneaton Priory or Nunnery which was attached to the famous Order of Fontrevrault was dedicated. The three white ribbons on green are from the Bedworth UDC arms, in which they represent the union of its three parishes and central road pattern.
The mural crown and black diamonds, as found in both the former Nuneaton and Bedworth arms, is a symbol if civic authority and coal mining. The black cogwheel is for for engineering and the bear and ragged staff on the pennon is from the arms of the Warwickshire CC.
The motto combines those of Nuneaton "Pret d'accomplir" - Ready to Achieve and of Bedworth "United to Serve".


ROYAL LEAMINGTON SPA TOWN COUNCIL

ARMS: Per fesse Argent and Or a Lion rampant double queued Vert debruised by a Chevron Vair in chief three Mullets Gules all within a Bordure Azure charged with eight Fleurs-de-lis of the second.
CREST: On a Wreath of the Colours in front of a Staff raguly in bend Argent surmounted by a Staff in bend sinister Or entwined with a Serpent proper two Sprigs of Forget-me-nots in saltire also proper; Mantled Vert doubled Or.

Motto 'SOLA BONA QUÆ HONESTA' - Only those things that are honourable are good.
Granted 6th November 1876, to the Royal Leamington Spa Borough Council.

royal leamington spa arms

The division of the shield horizontally into gold and silver symbolises the manors of Leamington Priors and Newbold Comyn, which together formed the Borough of Royal Leamington Spa. The red mullets are from the arms of Willes, who held the Newbold Comyn estate, part of the original manor of Newbold Comyn. Edward Willes, who inherited the estate in 1820, was very largely responsible for the development of Leam­ington in its early days. The green lion comes from the arms of Ambrose Dudley, Earl of Warwick, to whom Queen Elizabeth I granted the manors of Leamington Priors and Newbold Comyn in 1563. The lion covers both divisions of the shield to indicate that he held both manors. The chevron is from the arms of the Fishers of Packington, who inherited much of the property of Ambrose Dudley, when he died without issue in 1589. The golden fleurs-de-lys on the border are derived from the arms of the Clinton family, one of whose members, Geoffrey de Clinton, founder of Kenilworth Castle and Priory, gave the manor of Leamington to the Priors of Kenilworth.
The ragged staff, of the Earls of Warwick, refers to Warwickshire and the Rod of Aesculapius denotes the health-giving qulities of the Spa. The forget-me-nots are supposed by the designer to be the badge of the Lords of Kenilworth when Leamington was under control of Leamington Priory. There is a legend of the forget-me-not, attributing it as a badge to Henry, Duke of Hereford, later King Henry IV, however there is no evidence that either Henry IV or any other member of the House of Lancaster ever used the plant as a badge.


RUGBY BOROUGH COUNCIL

ARMS: Per chevron engrailed Azure and Or in chief a Bezant charged with a Rose Gules barbed and seeded proper between two Griffins' Heads erased Or and in base a Bear erect Sable collared and supporting a ragged Staff Gules all within a Bordure Vert charged with eight Bezants.
CREST: On a Wreath of the Colours a Thunderbolt Or the Flames proper charged with a Wheel Sable between two Lions Gambs erased Or each holding a Date branch fructed proper.

Motto 'FLOREAT RUGBEIA MAIOR' - May Greater Rugby flourish.
Granted 15th March 1976.

The Borough of Rugby was formed by the amalgamation of the former Borough of Rugby and the Rugby Rural District.

rugby bc arms

The arms are based on those of the former Borough of Rugby with additions. These in turn were largely based upon the arms used the Rugby School, being those granted to its founder, Lawrence Sheriff in 1559. He was a wealthy grocer in the time of Elizabeth I and a native of the town. The bear and ragged staff is from the arms of the Warwickshire CC and the eight bezants on the green bordure each represent five of the forty parishes of the former Rugby RDC.
The thunderbolt, in modern heraldry the symbol of electricity, stands for the great firms of the electrical industry which are centred in Rugby, and may also be taken as a reminder of the Government wireless station. The wheel represents mechanical industries.


STRATFORD-ON-AVON DISTRICT COUNCIL

ARMS: Gules a Bend per bend wavy Argent and Azure charged with a Bendlet wavy counter changed between two Swans naiant Argent that in chief holding in its beak a Sprig of Oak and that in base an Ear of Wheat both Gold.
CREST: On a Wreath Argent and Azure in a Mural Crown dexter a demi Lion Or and sinister a demi Bull Gules supporting between their forefeet a Cog Wheel Argent.

Granted 25th April 1984.

The District of Stratford-on-Avon was formed by the amalgamation of the Borough of Stratford-upon-Avon, the Alcester Rural District, the Shipston on Stour Rural District, the Southam Rural District, and most of the Stratford-on-Avon Rural District.

stratford-on-avon dc arms

The shield is predominately in the national colours of red, white and blue. The red shield echoes that of the Warwickshire CC and the white and blue bend with is wavy divisions pictorially represents the River Avon crossing the District. Swans have long been associated with the river and with Stratford town in both literary allusion and popular imagination, and can be seen as symbolising tourism. The sprig of oak and the ear of wheat refer to the two major parts of the District in former times. The oak recalls the Forest of Arden, which lay on the right bank of the River Avon, and the wheat makes reference to the Feldon, on the opposite bank — that extensive, cleared area which was under the plough in both Roman and medieval times. They are also symbolic of agriculture in general.
The red bull and the golden lion are taken from the crests of the Alcester RDC and the Southam RDC respectively. In these crests the red bull represented agriculture and commemorated the cattle market at Alcester, and the lion was that of England, and had reference to the Battle of Edgehill. The mural crown is an a common symbol of civic government and the cogwheel refers to the engineering industry.


WARWICK DISTRICT COUNCIL

ARMS: Or on a Cross quadrate Gules a Castle of three Towers within a circular Wall in perspective pierced by a Port with Portcullis Argent between four Cross crosslets Or.
CREST: On a Wreath of the Colours within a Circlet of four Fleurs de Lys and four Mullets Or pierced Gules alternately a demi Lion queue-fourchee Vert supporting a Rod of Esculapius proper.
SUPPORTERS: On either side a Bear supporting a ragged Staff Argent and gorged with a Wreath of Oak fructed proper.

Motto 'FORWARD IN UNITY'.
Granted 13th November 1975.

The District of Warwick was formed by the amalgamation of the Borough of Royal Leamington Spa, the Borough of Warwick, the Kenilworth Urban District and the Warwick Rural District.

warwick dc arms

The red cross crosslet are from the arms of the Beauchamp Earls of Warwick and appear in the Warwickshire CC arms. Here, they are restored to their original colour, gold on red, and their number increased to four to signify the four former Warwickshire authorities. The three-towered castle encircled by a wall, is derived from the arms of the former Borough of Warwick, which lends its name to the new District.
The wreath and mantling are in the main colours of the shield, red and gold. The fleurs de lys and pierced mullets are emblems of the Clinton family seen respectively in the arms of the Borough of Royal Leamington Spa and Kenilworth UDC. The green double-tailed lion is from the arms of the Dudleys, and was also common to both these arms. He supports the Esculapian rod, symbol of healing, which in the Leamington crest alludes to the properties of the Spa.
The combined bear and ragged staff is the time-honoured device of the Earls of Warwick, long associated with the County and Warwick itself, and seen in various forms in many of the County's civic arms. It was the crest of the former Borough of Warwick and the device of the Warwick RDC, as well as being the main charge in the County arms. Here it is depicted without the muzzle, collar and chain which usually accompany them, to emphasise the freedom of the inhabitants to speak and act. The oak wreath collars were suggested by the tree in the Warick RDC device, and are an allusion to the Forest of Arden.


WARWICK TOWN COUNCIL

ARMS: Sable a Walled Town with three Towers Argent issuing from each of the flanking Towers a demi Figure representing a Nightwatchman respectant winding a Horn Argent habited and capped Gules the central Tower charged with an Escutcheon Gules thereon a ragged Staff bendwise between in chief a Mullet of six points and an Increscent Silver.
CREST: On a Wreath of the Colours a demi Bear supporting a ragged Staff Sable.

Motto 'ANTIQUUM OBTINENS' - Possessing antiquity or Holding fast to tradition.
Granted 10th April 1964, to the Warwick Borough Council.

warwick tc arms

The arms are based on the seal of the Borough, dating back to the 14th century, which was recorded at the Visitations of Warwickshire in 1619 and 1682. The design showed a walled town, within the outer wall of which appeared a gateway flanked by two towers each manned by a watchman blowing a horn. Between these towers rose two spires, and in the middle was a high tower on which hung a shield charged with a ragged staff. The flanking towers were enclosed by a six pointed star on the dexter and a crescent on the sinister. Varying versions of this design were used as the device of the Borough of Warwick up to the time when arms were granted.
The crest of a demi-bear supporting a ragged staff is based on the old Warwickshire emblem of the bear and ragged staff, a description of which is to be found under Warwickshire CC.


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