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CRAVEN
Additions : 1974 Settle, Skipton UDC, Skipton RDC
Origin/meaning :
The arms were granted in 1976.
The background of the shield is green, with three white roses across the
middle, symbolizing the Yorkshire Dales in which Craven Lies. Green is the
background of Skipton's shield, which also has two white roses, while
Settle's crest had a single rose, so these are combined in the new shield.
Above the roses are two golden fleeces like that in the arms of Skipton,
representing the two Skipton ("sheep town") authorities and the woollen
industry. Below the roses is the Craven Heifer standing on lngleborough
summit, from the crest of Settle. Skipton R.D.C.'s seal also had a Craven
Heifer and a sheep, so all three Councils are represented in the arms.
The mantling and toorse are green and white - the heraldic liveries of
Settle and the natural colour of the Craven landscape. Upon the wreath is
the crest, mainly derived from that of Skipton. Upon the battlements of a
tower indicating Skipton Castle is the red wyvern, or two-legged dragon of
the Cliffords, seen in Skipton's crest. To identify it as the Clifford
wyvern, it has a collar of the gold and blue chequers from the Cliffords'
shield, which run across the top of Skipton's. The wyvern supports the blue
and white patterned cross from the arms of Bolton Priory, thus combining
references to the two dominant historic influences in the Skipton area.
The supporters are lions from the shield of Settle. On the left is the blue
lion of the Percys, (still seen in the arms of the Dukes of Northumberland)
and on the right the white lion of the Mowbrays (still a feature of the arms
of the Duke of Norfolk). These two families, two of the most powerful in
England in mediaeval times, held most of the Settle rural area. Each lion
has about the neck a garland of three white roses like those in the shield,
and this is suggested by the garland of roses about the necks of the
supporters of the arms of the Dukes of Devonshire, lords of the manors of
Settle and Giggleswick. Three of England's principal dukedoms are thus
represented by the supporters, which hold aloft a red pointed crosslet from
the arms of the Earls of Craven, descended from Sir William Craven of
Appletreewick, "the Dick Whittington of Wharfedale", who became Lord Mayor
of London in the reign of James I, and later made benefactions to his native
area.
The motto is a well-known phrase "NEC TEMERE NEC TIMIDE" - "Neither rashly
nor timidly" - which implies the value of considered action in a Council's
policies. Also, a suggestion of the name can be seen in an alternative
translation: "Neither rashly nor cravenly".
Literature : Image and information provided by Laurence Jones (laurencejones@eircom.net)
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