Seeing that we are an international association, some international comparisons might be interesting.
Here, as an example, are the arms and seals of four places named Worcester : one each in England, in Massachusetts USA and Maryland USA, and in the Western Cape, South Africa. Although they share the same name, their symbolism is very different.
ENGLAND — The city of Worcester in England is unusual in having a double coat of arms :
At one time, the sinister shield, depicting three black pears and a fess, was placed on the dexter shield as a canton.
The surrounding county of Worcestershire has its own arms, granted by the College of Arms in 1947. Here the black pears are depicted growing on a tree; the wavy bars represent the River Severn :
MASSACHUSETTS — The city of Worcester, named after the English city, has a non-armorial seal :
The surrounding Worcester County also has a non-armorial seal :
MARYLAND — Another Worcester County, named after Mary Somerset née Arundel, who was daughter-in-law of the 1st Marquess of Worcester and sister-in-law of Lord Baltimore, the original proprietor of Maryland. However, the county authority's seal does not depict the Somerset arms, but rather those of Calvert (Lord Baltimore's family) :
The coronet is evidently original : an English baron's coronet shows only four "pearls", not five.
WESTERN CAPE — The town of Worcester was named after a later Marquess of Worcester. By 1931, the town council had assumed "arms" which displayed the Somerset family's portcullis crest – torse and all – on a shield :
Proper arms were designed by Ivan Mitford-Barberton and H. Ellis Tomlinson, and assumed in 1948 :
The black and red quartered field was derived from the arms of Worcester in England; the hurts with fleurs de lis from the Cape provincial arms; the wavy line represented the Breede River.
The Divisional Council of Worcester (equivalent of a county council) took over the former municipal "arms". They were replaced with a new design, by Cornelis Pama, in 1973 :
The "bend dancetty Argent in the shape of the letter W" represented the Breede River, and was also W for Worcester. The latter symbolism fell away when the division was renamed "Matroosberg" in 1980.
Comparing Worcester with Worcester
- Arthur Radburn
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Comparing Worcester with Worcester
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Arthur Radburn
Arthur Radburn
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Re: Comparing Worcester with Worcester
Very interesting, Arthur.
What arms does Matroosberg now use?
The 'bend dancetty' of Cornelis Pama's design could easily be reversed to still represent the river and a letter 'M'.
Regards,
Iain Boyd
What arms does Matroosberg now use?
The 'bend dancetty' of Cornelis Pama's design could easily be reversed to still represent the river and a letter 'M'.
Regards,
Iain Boyd
- Arthur Radburn
- Posts: 1331
- Joined: 11 Jul 2012, 09:56
Re: Comparing Worcester with Worcester
Iain Boyd wrote:What arms does Matroosberg now use?
The 'bend dancetty' of Cornelis Pama's design could easily be reversed to still represent the river and a letter 'M'.
Matroosberg divisional council took over the Worcester divisional council arms and used them until the division was abolished in 1989. A later local authority which was also called 'Matroosberg' revived the arms in 1998, and used them until the authority was abolished in 2000.
As you say, the bend dancetty could easily have been reversed, but apparently they didn't think of that.
Regards
Arthur Radburn
Arthur Radburn
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