Chorley

Heraldry of the World Civic heraldry of the United Kingdom

CHORLEY

Additions : 1974 Adlington UDC, Chorley RDC, Withnell UDC

Official blazon

Arms : Or on a Chevron Gules three Escochoens Argent each charged with a Blue Bottle slipped and leaved proper on a Chief of the second a Crown Vallery of the first.
Motto : Be aware (until 1988), Beware (since 1988)

Origin/meaning

The arms were officially granted on July 3, 1882.

Until 1881 the town was governed by Improvement Commissioners who used the arms of the Chorley family - Argent, a chevron gules between three blue bottles. In 1881 Chorley became a borough and the next year an official grant of arms were made based on the old Commissioners' device. This has a gold shield with a red chevron charged with three white escutcheons or shields. Each of these is in turn charged with a bluebottle or cornflower proper. The arms are completed by a red chief bearing a gold crown vallary.

The motto is BE AWARE.

The arms as used on a JaJa postcard +/- 1905

Literature : Image and information provided by Laurence Jones