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Civic Heraldry of the United Kingdom
England
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NORTHAM
Incorporated into : 1974 Torridge
The arms are continued by the town council
Origin/meaning :
The arms were granted on March 5, 1963.
The shield represents the whole district in its three parts - Northam, Appledore and Westward Ho!. The 'chief' represents Northam, with its green background typifying the wide open spaces of the village and especially the Royal North Devon Golf Club, identified by the golden royal lions referring to the patronage of King George VI. The two lions are also a reference to the granting of the Manor of Northam by William I to the Abbey of St. Stephen at Caen in Normandy, whose arms included the two lions. The ship upon a golden background, resembles those of Elizabethan times, and recalls the ships that sailed from Bideford Bay to fight the Armada. Many of these were built and and manned at Appledore, where shipbuilding is still carried on and where, as in the days of the Armada, vessels of the Royal Navy were prepared for assault on the enemy. The heraldic apple-tree with its apples of gold " d' or " is a pun on the name Appledore. The seven apples are a fanciful reference to the saying that " an apple a day keeps the doctor away " an indirect tribute to the healthiness of the district. The apple-tree is also a reference to the district and ward of Orchard Hill. The pebbles refer to the well known pebble ridge, identifying Westward Ho!.
Literature : Image and information from here.
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coats of arms on-line ! 
