Stewarton

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STEWARTON

Incorporated into : 1975 Kilmarnock and Loudon (1996 East Ayrshire)

Burgh

Official blazon

Per pale Or and Azure: a fess chequy per pale, dexter of the Second and Argent, sinister of the Third and Gules, surmounted of a shakefork Sable [overall], all between a bonnet of the Second, with a round tassel of the Fourth, and an annulet of the First, stoned of the Fourth, in chief, and another similar bonnet and a mullet of the Third in base.

And in an Escrol below the Shield, which is ensigned of a Burghal coronet, this Motto "Knit Weel".

Origin/meaning

The arms were officially granted on February 22, 1952.

Stewarton became a Burgh in 1868. The lands of Stewarton were granted in 1283 to James, 5th High Steward of Scotland. After the Stewarts had succeeded to the throne, the lands were granted in 1426 to James Douglas, Lord Balvenie, and later 7th Earl of Douglas, and in 1467 to Thomas Boyd, Earl of Arran. After a reversion to the Crown, they were conferred in 1545 on Neil Montgomerie of Lainshaw, 3rd son of Hugh, 1st Earl of Eglinton, and in 1672 they passed into the possession of Sir Alexander Cunningham of Corsehill.

The arms show the coats of Stewart on the dexter and Boyd on the sinister; the Eglinton and Douglas connections are shown by the gemmed ring and the silver star.

The black shakefork is for Cunningham and has been put overall to denote that Stewarton is in that historical district of Ayrshire. The Scotch blue bonnets recall the manufacture of bonnets and woollen goods associated with the Burgh and the Bonnetmakers of Stewarton, a corporation prior to 1630, which was managed by the Bonnet Court of Corsehill, which itself dates from 1549.

The appropriate motto - "Knit Weel" also refers to this.