Civic Heraldry of England & Wales [antikvár]

PREFACE TO THE SECOND EDITION During the period of nearly twenty years which has passed since this book was first published, some 240 local authorities in England and Wales have obtained grants of arms, while a number of others have been granted crests or supporters as additions to the arms they already bore. These have been included in this revised and enlarged edition, which thus contains a record of the heraldic insignia granted or confirmed to local authorities to 31st December 1952. Local councils bearing arms by authority on that date numbered: County Councils 55 Municipal Corporations 313 Urban Districts 103 Rural Districts 28 Development Corporations 6 505 As in the first edition, a number of devices adopted by local councils without heraldic authority have been included. I have taken the opportunity of this revision to alter the arrangement of the book by grouping local authorities in their geographical counties, thereby bringing together insignia which have in common county emblems such as the roses of York and Lancaster, the Cheshire wheatsheaves, the Kentish horse, and the Sussex martlets. Some friends who are versed in heraldry would have had me describe armorial bearings in the heraldic language used by the Kings-of-Arms in their official blazons. I have decided against this, since most readers would have difficulty in following such descriptions, even with the illustrations before them. I have, however, used rather more heraldic terms (e.g. the names of colours) than in the first edition, and on page 45 I have given some notes on the method of describing arms. While thanking all those who have readily responded to my request for information, I have particularly to mention Mr H. Ellis Tomlinson and Mr R. Bretton, fellow students of civic heraldry, who have placed at my disposal notes on armorial bearings in the design of which they have been concerned. C. W. S.-G. January 1953. ix