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Civic Heraldry of the United Kingdom

SOUTHWARK

Borough of London
Additions : 1965 Bermondsey, Camberwell

Origin/meaning :
The above arms were granted on August 15, 1966 and are based on the arms of the former councils.

All three of the merged towns had either crosses or quartering in their arms. Thus it was natural to include a cross in the new arms. This is charged with a well head and four cinquefoils from the arms of Camberwell (see there).
The chief is checky of or and vert. This recalls the blue and gold De Warennes checks and thus the county of Surrey. The colouring is also said to suggest the mixture of historic communities (gold) and new development (green). On this are placed a black ship taken from Bermondsey's arms, for the presence of docks in that area.
The design is completed by a red rose from the old Southwark arms. Thus all three towns are shown in the shield.

The crest has an oak tree dimidiated with a wheatsheaf, bound together by a blue and white wave. This suggests the activities of the area's docks, importing timber and foodstuffs. The crest wreath and mantling are in the blue and gold livery colours of Surrey. Until 1889 the area of Southwark was part of that county.

The supporters show the literary associations of the Borough. On the left is an Elizabethan actor dressed as Hamlet contemplating Yorrick's skull. This reminds us that William Shakespeare's plays were first performed at the Globe Theatre in the Borough. This theatre has recently been rebuilt on its original site. On the right is a 15^th century youth. He represents Chaucer, author of The Canterbury Tales. Some of the action of this major work of English literature was based in Southwark.

The motto was taken from the old Southwark arms (see below).

Previously the borough used the following arms :

Literature : Scott-Giles, C.W. : Civic heraldry of England and Wales, London, 1932; New image and information provided by Laurence Jones

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