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Civic Heraldry of the United Kingdom England

CANVEY ISLAND

Incorporated into : 1974 Castle Point

Origin/meaning :
The arms are granted on January 5, 1971.

The shield forms a kind of heraldic map showing a green diamond, representing the island, surrounded by the blue and white waves of the Thames Estuary together with emblems referring to former industries. For almost a thousand years Canvey was renowned for its pastures and the large flocks of sheep they sustained, in fact it has been recorded that some 4,000 sheep were on the island in 1592. An offshoot of this dairy farming was the manufacture of cheeses from the ewes' milk and for a brief period this was the main source of income for the island. The fat-tailed sheep in the arms was a breed common on the island. From the earliest times the oyster fisheries of the Essex coast have been of great commercial importance and fame, one of these oyster beds, lay between Canvey Island and Leigh Marsh and is referred to by the oyster shells. Another activity on the island, recalled by the white drops in the arms, was salt extraction, which is thought to date back to the Roman period, the remains of earthenware evaporation pots and other vessels used for storage and the transport of brine have been found on the island. The voided gold escutcheon with its embattled inside represents the sea wall, the seven crenelations refer to the previous seven main drainage sluices.
The cottage represent those which were built to house the Dutchmen working on land reclamation, two of which remain and one of which is now a museum.

The motto 'EX MARE DEI GRATIA' menas "From the sea by the grace of God".

Literature : Image and information provided by the Castle Point council

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