Under heraldic law in England, arms are not granted to places as such, but only to the corporate bodies that govern them. Accordingly, although arms and devices were associated with counties from the seventeenth century onward, there were no official grants until the establishment of county councils in 1889.
Historyedit
First grantsedit
The first grant was made to West Sussex County Council soon after its establishment in 1889. The cost of the grant was defrayed by the Duke of Norfolk, titular head of the College of Arms, who was also first chairman of the county council. Further grants were made over the years, the number greatly increasing after the passing of the Local Government Act 1929 when county councils gained extra powers. Following the Second World War the majority of non-armigerous county councils obtained grants. When Durham County Council received a grant of arms in 1961 (it had previously been using the arms of the Diocese of Durham) only Hampshire County Council was left without an official grant.
Local government in England and Wales was completely reorganised in 1974, with all existing county councils abolished. In their place was established a system of metropolitan and non-metropolitan county councils. Some of the non-metropolitan counties were identical or very similar in area to the previous administrative counties, and in their case they could apply for the transfer of the arms of the previous county councils by Order in Council. In some other cases, where substantial alterations were made to the county council's area, the College of Arms granted arms very similar to the previous arms, with a number of changes introduced. In the metropolitan counties, and entirely new non-metropolitan counties such as Avon, Humberside and Cleveland; new arms had to be designed. The arms of two small county councils were transferred to Huntingdon and Rutland district councils.
Changes in 1986edit
The six metropolitan county councils (five of which had arms) and the Greater London Council were abolished in 1986 and their arms became obsolete.
Changes after 1996edit
By 1995 all the remaining non-metropolitan county councils except Dorset were using official arms. From 1996 a piecemeal reform of local government meant the abolition of a number of county councils. It also recreated Worcestershire county council, who regained the use of the former county council arms. The unitary authority of Herefordshire, a county for ceremonial purposes, also gained the use of the old county council arms. Among the unitary authorities created was East Riding of Yorkshire. However this had a very different area to the pre 1974 East Riding and so was not allowed to take over the old arms. The council did obtain a grant of new arms. Rutland district became a unitary authority and ceremonial county, retaining the coat of arms that had been transferred from the previous county council. Dorset became a unitary authority in 2019, and has yet to apply for a formal transfer.
Use of the armsedit
The arms were granted to the councils of the county, and not to the county in general. This means that they can only be used by the council itself, who cannot allow another body or individual the use of their arms. However, many county councils have an additional heraldic badge which they can license organisations associated with the county to use.
The accepted practice is that it is permissible to illustrate the arms of a county council subject to copyright of the illustrator. In this case they should be clearly labelled as the arms of the county council.
Currentedit
Non-metropolitan county councilsedit
There are 25 two-tier county councils remaining in England after a series of reforms.
C. W. Scott-Giles, Civic Heraldry of England and Wales, 1953
G. Briggs, Civic and Corporate Heraldry, 1971
The Local Authorities (Armorial Bearings) Order 1974
The Local Authorities (Armorial Bearings) Order 1975
The Local Authorities (Armorial Bearings) Order 1976
The Local Authorities (Armorial Bearings) Order 1977
The Local Authorities (Armorial Bearings) (No. 2) Order 1997[3]
Notesedit
^Tentative as to if the 2023-district will adopt the old arms
^Tentative as to if the 2023-district will adopt the old arms
^Tentative as to if the 2023-district will adopt the old arms
Referencesedit
^. Archived from the original on 2014-01-12. Retrieved 2013-07-23.
^"CIVIC HERALDRY OF ENGLAND AND WALES-WARWICKSHIRE".
^. Archived from the original on 2008-01-03. Retrieved 2010-09-25.
December 18, 2023
armorial, county, councils, england, this, article, includes, list, references, related, reading, external, links, sources, remain, unclear, because, lacks, inline, citations, please, help, improve, this, article, introducing, more, precise, citations, septemb. This article includes a list of references related reading or external links but its sources remain unclear because it lacks inline citations Please help to improve this article by introducing more precise citations September 2010 Learn how and when to remove this template message This is a list of the coats of arms of various county councils current and former in England Contents 1 Background 2 History 2 1 First grants 2 2 Changes in 1965 2 3 Changes in 1974 2 4 Changes in 1986 2 5 Changes after 1996 3 Use of the arms 4 Current 4 1 Non metropolitan county councils 4 2 Transferred from county council to unitary authorities 5 Obsolete 5 1 County Councils 1889 1974 5 2 Greater London Council 1965 1986 5 3 Non Metropolitan County Councils 5 4 Metropolitan County Councils 1974 1986 6 See also 7 Sources 8 Notes 9 ReferencesBackground editUnder heraldic law in England arms are not granted to places as such but only to the corporate bodies that govern them Accordingly although arms and devices were associated with counties from the seventeenth century onward there were no official grants until the establishment of county councils in 1889 History editFirst grants edit The first grant was made to West Sussex County Council soon after its establishment in 1889 The cost of the grant was defrayed by the Duke of Norfolk titular head of the College of Arms who was also first chairman of the county council Further grants were made over the years the number greatly increasing after the passing of the Local Government Act 1929 when county councils gained extra powers Following the Second World War the majority of non armigerous county councils obtained grants When Durham County Council received a grant of arms in 1961 it had previously been using the arms of the Diocese of Durham only Hampshire County Council was left without an official grant Changes in 1965 edit Changes to local government in 1965 meant that several arms became obsolete and new arms had to be granted to Greater London Cambridgeshire and Isle of Ely and Huntingdon and Peterborough Changes in 1974 edit Local government in England and Wales was completely reorganised in 1974 with all existing county councils abolished In their place was established a system of metropolitan and non metropolitan county councils Some of the non metropolitan counties were identical or very similar in area to the previous administrative counties and in their case they could apply for the transfer of the arms of the previous county councils by Order in Council In some other cases where substantial alterations were made to the county council s area the College of Arms granted arms very similar to the previous arms with a number of changes introduced In the metropolitan counties and entirely new non metropolitan counties such as Avon Humberside and Cleveland new arms had to be designed The arms of two small county councils were transferred to Huntingdon and Rutland district councils Changes in 1986 edit The six metropolitan county councils five of which had arms and the Greater London Council were abolished in 1986 and their arms became obsolete Changes after 1996 edit By 1995 all the remaining non metropolitan county councils except Dorset were using official arms From 1996 a piecemeal reform of local government meant the abolition of a number of county councils It also recreated Worcestershire county council who regained the use of the former county council arms The unitary authority of Herefordshire a county for ceremonial purposes also gained the use of the old county council arms Among the unitary authorities created was East Riding of Yorkshire However this had a very different area to the pre 1974 East Riding and so was not allowed to take over the old arms The council did obtain a grant of new arms Rutland district became a unitary authority and ceremonial county retaining the coat of arms that had been transferred from the previous county council Dorset became a unitary authority in 2019 and has yet to apply for a formal transfer Use of the arms editThe arms were granted to the councils of the county and not to the county in general This means that they can only be used by the council itself who cannot allow another body or individual the use of their arms However many county councils have an additional heraldic badge which they can license organisations associated with the county to use The accepted practice is that it is permissible to illustrate the arms of a county council subject to copyright of the illustrator In this case they should be clearly labelled as the arms of the county council Current editNon metropolitan county councils edit There are 25 two tier county councils remaining in England after a series of reforms Council Image GrantedCambridgeshire County Council nbsp Created 1976Derbyshire County Council nbsp Transferred 1974 Crest and supporters added 1976Devon County Council nbsp Transferred 1975East Sussex County Council nbsp Created 1975Essex County Council nbsp Transferred 1974Gloucestershire County Council nbsp Transferred 1976Hampshire County Council nbsp Created 1992 1 Hertfordshire County Council nbsp Transferred 1974Kent County Council nbsp Transferred 1975Lancashire County Council nbsp Transferred 1974Leicestershire County Council nbsp Transferred 1974Lincolnshire County Council nbsp Created 1977Norfolk County Council nbsp Transferred 1974 Supporters added 1992Nottinghamshire County Council nbsp Transferred 1977Oxfordshire County Council nbsp Created 1976Staffordshire County Council nbsp Transferred 1975Suffolk County Council nbsp 1978Surrey County Council nbsp Created 1974Warwickshire County Council nbsp Transferred 1975West Sussex County Council nbsp Created 1975Worcestershire County Council created 1998 nbsp Transferred 1998Transferred from county council to unitary authorities edit Council Image Granted NotesBuckinghamshire Council nbsp Not Yet Transferred County Council became Unitary in 2020 Bristol City Council nbsp Transferred 1974 District Council became Unitary in 1996 Cornwall Council nbsp Transferred 1975 County Council became Unitary in 2009 Cumberland Council nbsp 1951 a County Council abolished in 1974 revived Unitary in 2023 Dorset Council nbsp Transferred 2019 County Council became Unitary in 2019 Durham County Council nbsp 1974 County Council became Unitary in 2009 East Riding of Yorkshire Council nbsp 1996 County Council abolished in 1974 revived Unitary in 1996 Herefordshire Council nbsp Transferred 1998 County Council abolished in 1974 revived Unitary in 1998 Isle of Wight Council nbsp Transferred 1975 County Council became Unitary in 1995 Northumberland County Council nbsp Transferred 1974 County Council became Unitary in 2009 North Yorkshire Council nbsp Created 1980 b County Council became Unitary in 2023 Rutland County Council nbsp Transferred 1974 District Council became Unitary in 1997 Shropshire Council nbsp Transferred 1974 County Council became Unitary in 2009 Somerset Council nbsp Transferred 1974 Crest and supporters added 2003 c County Council became Unitary in 2023 Wiltshire Council nbsp Transferred 1976 County Council became Unitary in 2009 Obsolete editCounty Councils 1889 1974 edit Council Image GrantedBedfordshire nbsp 1951Berkshire nbsp 1947 supporters granted in 1961 Buckinghamshire nbsp 1948Cambridgeshire abolished 1965 nbsp 1914Cambridgeshire and Isle of Ely created 1965 nbsp 1965Cheshire nbsp 1938Cornwall nbsp 1939Cumberland nbsp 1951Derbyshire nbsp 1937Devon nbsp 1926 supporters and crest granted 1962 Dorset nbsp 1950County Durham nbsp 1961Essex nbsp 1932Gloucestershire nbsp 1935Hampshire No Arms GrantedHerefordshire nbsp 1946Hertfordshire nbsp 1926Huntingdonshire abolished 1965 nbsp 1937Huntingdon and Peterborough created 1965 nbsp 1965Isle of Ely abolished 1965 nbsp 1931Isle of Wight nbsp 1938Kent nbsp 1933Lancashire nbsp 1903Leicestershire nbsp 1930Lincolnshire Parts of Holland nbsp 1954Lincolnshire Parts of Kesteven nbsp 1950Lincolnshire Parts of Lindsey nbsp 1935London abolished 1965 nbsp 1914Middlesex abolished 1965 nbsp 1910Norfolk nbsp 1904Northamptonshire nbsp 1939Northumberland nbsp 1951Nottinghamshire nbsp 1937Oxfordshire nbsp 1949Rutland nbsp 1950Shropshire nbsp 1896Soke of Peterborough abolished 1965 nbsp 1950Somerset nbsp 1911Staffordshire nbsp 1931East Suffolk nbsp 1935West Suffolk nbsp 1959Surrey nbsp 1934East Sussex nbsp 1937West Sussex nbsp 1889Warwickshire nbsp 1931 2 Westmorland nbsp 1926Wiltshire nbsp 1937Worcestershire nbsp 1947Yorkshire East Riding nbsp 1945Yorkshire North Riding nbsp 1928Yorkshire West Riding nbsp 1927Greater London Council 1965 1986 edit Council Image GrantedGreater London Council nbsp 1965Non Metropolitan County Councils edit Council Image GrantedAvon abolished 1996 nbsp 1976Bedfordshire abolished 2009 nbsp Transferred 1975Berkshire abolished 1998 nbsp New Arms 1974Cheshire abolished 2009 nbsp Transferred 1976Cleveland abolished 1996 nbsp 1974Cumbria abolished 2023 nbsp Created 1974Hereford and Worcester abolished 1998 nbsp 1978Humberside abolished 1996 nbsp 1976Northamptonshire abolished 2021 nbsp Transferred 1975Metropolitan County Councils 1974 1986 edit Council Image Granted ArticleGreater Manchester nbsp 1974 Coat of arms of Greater ManchesterMerseyside nbsp South Yorkshire nbsp 1978Tyne and Wear No Arms GrantedWest Midlands nbsp West Yorkshire nbsp 1975 Coat of arms of West YorkshireSee also editList of county councils in England Counties of England History of local government in England Armorial of the United Kingdom Armorial of local councils in Scotland Armorial of local councils in WalesSources editA C Fox Davies The Book of Public Arms 1915 C W Scott Giles Civic Heraldry of England and Wales 1953 G Briggs Civic and Corporate Heraldry 1971 The Local Authorities Armorial Bearings Order 1974 The Local Authorities Armorial Bearings Order 1975 The Local Authorities Armorial Bearings Order 1976 The Local Authorities Armorial Bearings Order 1977 The Local Authorities Armorial Bearings No 2 Order 1997 3 Notes edit Tentative as to if the 2023 district will adopt the old arms Tentative as to if the 2023 district will adopt the old arms Tentative as to if the 2023 district will adopt the old armsReferences edit Hampshire Now Hampshire history The Hampshire County Council Coat of Arms Archived from the original on 2014 01 12 Retrieved 2013 07 23 CIVIC HERALDRY OF ENGLAND AND WALES WARWICKSHIRE Statutory Instrument 1997 No 2618 Archived from the original on 2008 01 03 Retrieved 2010 09 25 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Armorial of county councils of England amp oldid 1165024528, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
