Preston
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Heraldry of the World Civic heraldry of the United Kingdom |
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PRESTON
Additions : 1974 Fulwood UDC, Preston RDC (partly)
Official blazon
Azure a Paschal Lamb couchant Argent supporting a Cross-Staff Or flying a Pennant of the second in base the letters PP of the third.
Origin/meaning
The arms were officially granted on March 6, 1950, but were already recorded at the Visitation of 1613 as a seal device.
The Lamb is the Lamb of St. Wilfrid who is the Patron Saint of Preston. The letters ""P.P. " are taken to mean "Princeps Pacis" - Prince of Peace, or as some people would like it to be, "Proud Preston". However, on earlier arms the lamb was standing and three letters "P" were depicted on it. The reason for the three letters was to give a general balance to the arms. The arms were in later years modernised and one of the letters "P" was left out, again as a method of improving the general design balance.
 The arms as used on a JaJa postcard +/- 1905 |
 The arms on a Wills's cigarette card, 1906 |
 The arms on a Dexters cigarette card, 1905 |
 The arms in the Coffee Hag albums +/- 1925 |
Literature : Information from http://www.civicheraldry.co.uk