Coats of arms and seals of the County and Duchy of Cornwall, the Diocese of Truro, and of Cornish boroughs and towns.

Duchy and County heraldry

Cornish Riviera Express headboard at the NRM

;Duchy The armorial bearings of the Duchy of Cornwall are:Briggs, Geoffrey, ''Civic and Corporate Heraldry'' (1971), p. 122 Arms: Sable, fifteen

bezant In the Middle Ages, the term bezant (Old French ''besant'', from Latin ''bizantius aureus'') was used in Western Europe to describe several gold coins of the east, all derived ultimately from the Roman ''solidus''. The word itself comes from th ...

s. Supporters: On either side a Cornish chough proper eaked and legged gules supporting an ostrich feather Argent, penned Or. Motto: ''Houmont'' (or ''Houmout''). The shield is ensigned with the Heir Apparent's

coronet A coronet is a small crown consisting of ornaments fixed on a metal ring. A coronet differs from other kinds of crowns in that a coronet never has arches, and from a tiara in that a coronet completely encircles the head, while a tiara doe ...

. The supporters were granted by Royal Warrant of 21 June 1968. ;Council The current logo of

Cornwall Council Cornwall Council ( kw, Konsel Kernow) is the unitary authority for Cornwall in the United Kingdom, not including the Isles of Scilly, which has its own unitary council. The council, and its predecessor Cornwall County Council, has a tradition ...

features a Cornish chough and the 15 Cornish golden bezants on a black field as used in the arms of the Duchy of Cornwall. The arms of Cornwall County Council were: Sable fifteen bezants in pile within a bordure barry wavy of eight Argent and Azure. The crest was: On a wreath Argent and Azure a chough proper resting the dexter claw upon a ducal coronet Or. The supporters were: On the dexter side a fisherman holding over the exterior shoulder a net and on the sinister side a miner resting the exterior hand on a sledge hammer all proper. The motto was "One and all".

Mark Antony Lower Mark Antony Lower F.S.A. M.A. (1813–1876) was a Sussex historian and schoolteacher who founded the Sussex Archaeological Society. An anti-Catholic propagandist Lower is believed to have started the "cult of the Sussex Martyrs", although he wa ...

noted in 1845 that ''"In general the arms assigned to a county are those of one of its chief, or most antient, boroughs. Thus the arms of Sussex are identical with those of East Grinstead, once the county town; (although within the last 10 years, for some unexplained reason, the fictitious bearings ascribed to the South-Saxon kings have been employed as the official arms of the county.) But the arms of Cornwall are those of its antient feu, attached to the territory, and not to any particular family."''

Borough and town heraldry

;Bodmin The seal of the borough of Bodmin was A king enthroned, with the legend "Sigill comune burgensium bodmine".Pascoe; p. 132 ;Bossiney ''See'' Tintagel ;Bude-Stratton The arms of the Bude-Stratton urban district council were: Arg. two bars wavy Az. within a bordure Sa. bezantee on a chief Gu. a cross formed of the field between two clarions Or.Pascoe; p. 132 ;Calstock The arms of the Calstock parish council is:Sable, Cross Argent, Calstock Viaduct Argent, Two Strawberries Gules, Daffodil Or, Engine House Argent and Picaxe Argent ;Camborne The seal of the Camborne local board was a mine shaft and engine house depicted with the date 1873 and the legend "The Local Board for the District of Camborne". ;Camelford The seal of the borough of

Camelford Camelford ( kw, Reskammel) is a town and civil parish in north Cornwall, England, United Kingdom, situated in the River Camel valley northwest of Bodmin Moor. The town is approximately ten miles (16 km) north of Bodmin and is governed ...

was Arg. a camel passing through a ford of water all proper with the legend "Sigillum Vill de Camillford". ;Falmouth The seal of Falmouth was An eagle displayed with two heads and on each wing with a tower (based on the arms of Killigrew). The arms of the borough of Falmouth were Arg. a double-headed eagle displayed Sa. each wing charged with a tower Or. in base issuant from the water barry wavy a rock also Sa. thereon surmounting the tail of the eagle a staff also proper flying therefrom a pennant Gu. ;Fowey The seal of the town of Fowey was on a shield a ship of three masts on the sea her topsail furled with the legend "Sigillum oppidi de Fowy Anno Dom. 1702".Pascoe; p. 133 ;Grampound The seal of the borough of

Grampound Grampound ( kw, Ponsmeur) is a village in Cornwall, England. It is at an ancient crossing point of the River Fal and today is on the A390 road west of St Austell and east of Truro.Ordnance Survey: Landranger map sheet 204 ''Truro & Falmouth'' ...

was A bridge of two arches over a river, the dexter end in perspective showing the passage over at the sinister and a tree issuing from the base against the bridge on the centre an escutcheon of the arms of the family of Cornwall viz. Arg. a lion rampant Gu. within a bordure Sa. ;Helston The seal of the borough of

Helston Helston ( kw, Hellys) is a town and civil parish in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is situated at the northern end of the Lizard Peninsula approximately east of Penzance and south-west of Falmouth.Ordnance Survey: Landranger map she ...

was St Michael his wings expanded standing on a gateway the two towers domed upon the upturned dragon impaling it with his spear and bearing upon his left arm an escutcheon of the arms of England viz. Gu. three lions passant guardant in pale Or. with the legend "Sigillum comunitatis helleston burg". ;Launceston The arms of the town of Launceston are Gu. a triple circular tower in a pyramidical form Or the first battlements mounted with cannon of the last, all within a bordure Az. charged with eight towers domed on the second. A badge was granted on 26 Mar 1906, being the first ever granted to a civic body: A keep or castle Gold. ;Liskeard The seal of the borough of

Liskeard Liskeard ( ; kw, Lyskerrys) is a small ancient stannary and market town in south-east Cornwall, South West England. It is situated approximately 20 miles (32 km) west of Plymouth, west of the Devon border, and 12 miles (20 km) eas ...

was Ar. a fleur-de-lis and perched thereon and respecting each other two birds in chief two annulets and in flank two feathers. ;Looe The seal of East

Looe Looe (; kw, Logh, ) is a coastal town and civil parish in south-east Cornwall, England, with a population of 5,280 at the 2011 census. Looe is west of Plymouth and south of Liskeard, divided in two by the River Looe, East Looe ( kw, links ...

was An antique one-mast vessel in it a man and boy against the side of the hulk three escutcheons each charges with three bends, with the legend "Si: comunetatis de Loo". The seal of West Looe was An armed man holding a bow in his right hand and an arrow in his left, with the legend "Por-tu-an other wys Westlo". ;Lostwithiel The seal of the borough of

Lostwithiel Lostwithiel (; kw, Lostwydhyel) is a civil parishes in England, civil parish and small town in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom at the head of the estuary of the River Fowey. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 2,739, increas ...

was A shield charged with a castle rising from water between two thistles, in the water two fish, with the legend "Sigillum burgi de Lostwithyel et Penknight in Cornubia". ;Marazion The seal of the borough of

Marazion Marazion (; kw, Marhasyow) is a civil parish and town, on the shore of Mount's Bay in Cornwall, UK. It is east of Penzance and the tidal island of St Michael's Mount is half-a-mile offshore. At low water a causeway links it to the town and ...

was on a shield the arms three castles triple turreted, with the legend "Semper Eadem". ;Millbrook The seal of the borough of Millbrook was A mill with waterwheel in a stream of water amid trees and hounds, with the legend "Sigillum de Millbrookia".Pascoe; p. 134 ;Newquay The arms of the urban district council of

Newquay Newquay ( ; kw, Tewynblustri) is a town on the north coast in Cornwall, in the south west of England. It is a civil parish, seaside resort, regional centre for aerospace industries, spaceport and a fishing port on the North Atlantic coast of ...

were Or on a saltire Az. four herrings respectant Arg. ;Padstow The seal of the borough of

Padstow Padstow (; kw, Lannwedhenek) is a town, civil parish and fishing port on the north coast of Cornwall, England. The town is situated on the west bank of the River Camel estuary approximately northwest of Wadebridge, northwest of Bodmin and ...

was A ship with three masts the sails furled and an anchor hanging from the bow, with the legend "Padstow". ;Penryn The arms of the borough of Penryn are Sa. a Saracen's head Or in a bordure of eight bezants. ;Penzance The old arms of Penzance were the head of St John the Baptist on a charger, with the legend "Pensans anno Domini 1614". The arms of the borough are Arg. a Paschal lamb proper in base a Maltese cross Az. on a chief embattled of the last between two keys in saltire wards upwards Or and a saltire couped Arg. a plate charged with a dagger point downwards Gu. ;St Austell The arms of St Austell are Arg. a saltire raguly Gu. ;St Germans The seal of the borough of St Germans was St German seated on a throne, with the legend "S. Prepositure Sci Germani in laya". ;St Ives The seal of St Ives was Arg. an ivy branch overspreading the whole field Vert, with the legend "Sigillum Burgi St. Ives in Com. Cornub. 1690". ;St Mawes The seal of St Mawes was Az. a bend lozengy Or between a tower in the sinister chief Arg. and a ship with three masts the sail furled in the dexter base of the second, with the legend "Commune Sigillum Burgi de St. Mawes al Mauditt. ;Saltash The arms of

Saltash Saltash (Cornish: Essa) is a town and civil parish in south Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It had a population of 16,184 in 2011 census. Saltash faces the city of Plymouth over the River Tamar and is popularly known as "the Gateway to Corn ...

are Az. the base water proper in pale an escutcheon Or thereon a lion rampant Gu. within a bordure Sa. bezantee ensigned with a prince's coronet of the third on either side of the escutcheon an ostrich feather Arg. labelled Or. There are seals of Saltash: A three-masted ship with sails furled at anchor; and An escutcheon charges with a lion rampant within a bordure bezantee resting upon water surmounted by a coronet composed on crosses patee and fleurs-de-lis and either side an ostrich feather; with the legends "Sigillum aquate Saltash" and "Sigillum Saltashe" respectively. ;Tintagel (or Bossiney) Borough seal: A castle with two towers embattled and domed and joined to each other by a circular wall all on a mount, in the base water. Another description: King Arthur's castle twin-turreted with drawbridge lowered over the water, with the legend "Sigillum Maioris et Burgiensiu Burgi de Tintaioel".Pascoe; p. 135 ;Tregony The arms of the borough of

Tregony Tregony ( kw, Trerigoni), sometimes in the past Tregoney, is a village and former civil parish, now in the parish of Tregony with Cuby, in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It lies on the River Fal. In the village there is a post office (now ...

were A pomegranate Or slipped and leaved Vert. ;Truro The arms of the city of

Truro Truro (; kw, Truru) is a cathedral city and civil parish in Cornwall, England. It is Cornwall's county town, sole city and centre for administration, leisure and retail trading. Its population was 18,766 in the 2011 census. People of Truro ...

are Gu. the base wavy of six Arg. and Az. thereon an ancient ship of three masts under sail on each topmast a banner of St George, on the waves in base two fishes of the second. ;Tywardreath The seal of the borough of

Tywardreath Tywardreath (; kw, Ti War Dreth, meaning "House on the Beach" (or Strand)) is a small hilltop village on the south coast of Cornwall, England, United Kingdom, about north west of Fowey. It is located in a sheltered spot overlooking a silted up ...

was A shield of Arms a saltire between four fleurs-de-lis, with the legend "Tywardreath".

Ecclesiastical heraldry

;Bodmin Bodmin Priory bore the arms Azure three salmon naiant in pale Argent; and the Monastery Or on a chevron Azure between three lion's heads Purpure three annulets Or.Pascoe; p. 132 ;Launceston The arms of Launceston Priory were Arg. guttee de sang a cock Gu. on a chief of the last three roses Or. ;Diocese of Truro The arms of the

diocese In church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided provinces were administratively associa ...

include a saltire gules on which are a crossed sword and key: below this is a fleur de lys sable, all surrounded by a border sable charged with 15 bezants. The saltire is the cross of St Patrick, taken to be the emblem of the Celtic church; the sword and key are emblems of St Peter and Paul, the patrons of Exeter Cathedral, and the fleur de lys represents St Mary, patron of the cathedral. The border is derived from the arms of the Duchy of Cornwall. They were designed by the College of Heralds in 1877 and are blazoned thus:

"Argent, on a saltire gules, a key, ward upward, in bend, surmounted by a sword, hilt upward, in bend sinister, both or. In base, a fleur de lys sable. The whole within a bordure sable, fifteen bezants. Ensigned with a mitre."''Cornish Church Guide'' (1925) Truro: Blackford; p. 33

References

Bibliography

* ; pp. 131–137 "Cornish corporate heraldry" (with illustrations for Helston, Bodmin, Tintagel, Penzance, Penryn, Camborne, Launceston, Tregony, see of Truro, and Duchy of Cornwall)

Duchy and County heraldry

Borough and town heraldry

Ecclesiastical heraldry

See also

References

Bibliography

Further reading