Calderdale
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Heraldry of the World Civic heraldry of the United Kingdom |
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CALDERDALE
Additions : 1974 Brighouse (Borough), Elland UDC, Halifax (Borough), Hebden Royd UDC, Hepton RDC, Queensbury and Shelf UDC (partly), Ripponden UDC, Sowerby Bridge UDC, Todmorden (Borough)
Official blazon
Arms : Vert a Paschal Lamb proper supporting over tne shoulder a Cross Staff Or flying therefrom a forked Pennon of St. George between in chief a Bar wavy Argent charged with a Barruret wavy Azure and in base a Rose Argent barbed and seeded proper.
Crest : On a Wreath Argent and Vert out of a Mural Crown a Rose Tree of nine branches proper each terminating in a Rose Argent barbed and seeded proper.
Supporters : On either side a Lion Or gorged with a collar wavy Azure and holding aloft in the interior forepaw a Crescent Sable.
Motto : 'INDUSTRIA ARTE PRUDENTIA'-By industry skill and foresight.
Origin/meaning
The arms were officially granted on ??
The green shield with a silver and blue wave shows the River Calder and its valley. The paschal lamb is the the emblem of St. John the Baptist and of the wool industry. The design is completed by a white Yorkshire rose. Together the shield shows us that Calderdale is a wool producing valley in Yorkshire.
The crest has a mural crown, symbol of local government, made of the local limestone. From this crown rises a rose tree with nine white roses, to show nine Yorkshire councils combined in the new Borough of Calderdale.
The supporters are derived from the arms of the three old Boroughs of Brighouse, Halifax and Todmorden. Halifax had golden lions as supporters, and asimilar lion appeared on Brighouse's shield. The black crescents the lions hold were also in Brighouse's arms. The lions have wavy collars of blue, like the wave across the centre of Todmorden's shield, which represented the River Calder.
The motto is INDUSTRIA, ARTE, PRUDENTIA meaning by Industry, Skill and Foresight. This is a combination of parts of the mottoes of three merging councils : By industry we prosper (Todmorden), Labore et Prudentia (Brighouse) and Arte et Industria (Sowerby Bridge).
Literature : Image and information provided by Laurence Jones (laurencejones@eircom.net)