Metropolitan Water Board
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 Civic heraldry of the United Kingdom |
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METROPOLITAN WATER BOARD
Official blazon
Arms : Argent, on a pile vert a dexter hand Or issuing from a cloud in chief proper and scattering eight guttes d'eau, in base three bars wavy azure; on a chief nebuly of the first a Cross of St. George charged with a Lion of England.
Crest: On a wreath of the colours, A hurt charged with a hand issuing from a cloud and scattering guttes as in the Arms.
Supporters: On the dexter side a figure representing Hygeia vested argent mantled azure, and on the sinister side a figure representing Aquarius habited azure.
Motto: Et plui super unam civitatem.
Origin/meaning
The arms were officially granted on February 10, 1931, with supporters granted February 11, 1931.
The first consideration that presented itself in considering the design was that there should be a definite reference to Sir Hugh Myddelton, the Projector of the New River, whose Arms were a pile vert on a field argent charged with three wolves' heads erased of the field. The original arms borne by him were those of the Myddelton family, namely, a bend vert on a field argent, but Sir Hugh changed the bend for the pile in 1622 in memory of the undertaking of the New River.
To provide a substitute for the three wolves' heads, an appropriate piece of symbolism was found in the seal of the New River Company. This seal was cut in 1619 and depicts a Hand issuing out of the clouds throwing down rain upon the City of London. The seal also shows St. John's Gate and Old St. Paul's without the wooden steeple, which was burnt down in 1561 and never re-erected. This
I ,,111 don's water supply has been honoured from the time of 1n1•, .l,1111cs I with Royal recognition. (Stow states that Henry I 11 1 1•1•1 iHl ccl the City in acquiring land and water rights for the 1 t , 1111 d u i t, 1237.) The Chief, or top of the Shield, is therefore , 1 q111•d by the Cross of St. George charged with the Lion of l!1 11 d. T he chief adopted is nebuly, that is one with an 11 I I ii t·dgc which is heraldically supposed to represent the · , ii <'ioucls as drawn by medieval artists. It was necessary ,I II 1 111 the Royal Warrant granting to the Board His iH 11\ '11 R oyal Licence and Authority to bear this particular
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