Sheffield
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Heraldry of the World Civic heraldry of the United Kingdom |
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SHEFFIELD
Additions : 1974 Stocksbridge UDC, Wortley RDC (partly)
Official blazon
Arms : Per fesse Azure and Vert in chief eight Arrows interlaced saltirewise banded Argent and in base three Garbs fessewise Or.
Crest : On a Wreath of the Colours a Lion rampant Argent gorged with a Collar and holding between the paws an Antique Shield Azure charged with eight Arrows as in the Arms.
Supporters : On the dexter side a figure habited as Thor resting his exterior hand on a Hammer all proper and on the sinister side a figure habited as Vulcan standing in front of an Anvil and in the dexter hand a pair of Pincers all also proper.
Motto : 'DEO ADJUVANTE LABOR PROFICIT' - With God's help our labour is successful.
Origin/meaning
The arms were officially granted on 16th July 1875, and subsequently to the present City Council on 1st September 1977.
The lion on the crest is taken from the Arms of the Dukes of Norfolk, lords of the manor of Sheffield; it appeared also in the Arms of the Talbot family, their predecessors in the lordship. The sheaf of arrows was the main motif in the seals of the Burgery of Sheffield and the Twelve Capital Burgesses, the two bodies which bore the brunt of local government in Sheffield before the creation of the Borough. The three wheatsheaves on a green field were probably chosen at the College of Arms as a play upon the name Sheffield which means "the open space by the River Sheaf".
The two supporters, Vulcan and Thor, were chosen for their aptness to represent a place whose prosperity is almost entirely founded on the working of metal. Vulcan on the left, the smith of the Greek and Roman gods has his hand resting on a hammer, and Thor on the right, the smith of the Scandinavian gods, is standing in front of an anvil and is holding a pair of pincers.
The motto (Deo Adjuvante Labor Proficit) may be roughly translated as "With God's help our labour is successful".
 The arms as used on a JaJa postcard +/- 1905 |
 The arms on a Wills's cigarette card, 1906 |
 The arms on a Dexters cigarette card, 1905 |
 The arms in the Coffee Hag albums +/- 1925 |
 The arms on a pre 1910 postcard |
 The arms as used on a Faulkner postcard +/- 1905 |
Literature : Image and information provided by Laurence Jones (laurencejones@eircom.net)