West Lancashire

Heraldry of the World Civic heraldry of the United Kingdom

WEST LANCASHIRE (district council)

Additions : 1974 Ormskirk UDC, Skelmersdale & Holland, West Lancashire RDC (partly), Wigan RDC (partly)

Official blazon

Arms : Argent on a Grassy Mount issuing in base proper a representation of the Church of Ormskirk also proper between three Roses two and one Gules barbed and seeded proper on a Chief Azure between two Garbs Or each enclosed by four Fleurs-de-Lys two and two a Lion rampant guardant Argent.
Crest : A Mural Crown proper issuing therefrom in Flames also proper a Phoenix wings displayed Gules gorged with a Chain pendant therefrom a Miner's Lamp in front of a Shovel and Pick Axe in saltire all gold; Mantling Azure and Gules lined Or and Argent.
Motto : 'SALUS POPULI SUPREMA LEX' - The wellbeing of the people is the supreme law

Origin/meaning

The arms were officially granted on ?-?-1983.

The arms show a lion and fleurs de lys, which derived from the former Up Holland badge of office, the sheafs or garbs of corn are from the former Skelmersdale badge of office but now also represent the agricultural nature of the district. The main feature of the arms is a representation of Ormskirk Church set upon a "grassy mount" which compares with Ormskirk Church in reality, which has just such amount of grass about it. The church on its mount is accompanied by three Lancashire roses

The crest consists of a Phoenix depicting the new authority created by local government reorganisation. Added to the phoenix is a miner's pick, shovel and lamp by a chain about the phoenix's neck and this makes the whole crest appropriate to the area covered by West Lancashire District Council as well as providing a particular reference to Skelmersdale as a mining community in the last century.

Beneath the Shield of Arms is the motto "Salus Populi Suprema lex" which was taken from the former West Lancashire Rural Badge and translated means "The Wellbeing of the People - The Supreme law".

Literature : Image and information provided by Laurence Jones.