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. |
|
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. |
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. Motto 'CIVES OPPIDI FUNDAMENTA' - Citizens are the foundations of a town. |
|
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. |
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. Motto 'GOVERN YET OBEY'. The Borough of North Warwickshire was formed by the amalgamation of the Atherstone Rural District and part of the Meriden Rural District. |
|
|
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. |
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. Motto 'UNITED TO ACHIEVE'. The Borough of Nuneaton and Bedworth was formed by the amalgamation of the Borough of Nuneaton and the Bedworth Urban District. |
|
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. |
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. Motto 'SOLA BONA QUÆ HONESTA' - Only those things that are honourable are good. |
|
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. |
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. Motto 'FLOREAT RUGBEIA MAIOR' - May Greater Rugby flourish. The Borough of Rugby was formed by the amalgamation of the former Borough of Rugby and the Rugby Rural District. |
|
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. |
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. 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. |
|
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. |
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. Motto 'FORWARD IN UNITY'. 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. |
|
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. |
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. Motto 'ANTIQUUM OBTINENS' - Possessing antiquity or Holding fast to tradition. |
|
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. |
|
|
|