Isle of Ely

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ISLE OF ELY

Incorporated into : 1965 Cambridgeshire and Isle of Ely (1974 Cambridgeshire)

Official blazon

Arms : Argent three Bars wavy Azure a Pile Gules charged with three open Crowns Or.
Crest : On a Wreath Argent and Azure a dexter cubit Arm the wrist charged with the Wake Knot proper the hand grasping a Trident Or entwined by an Eel also proper.

Origin/meaning

The arms were officially granted on May 1, 1931.

Before 1931 the County Council used the arms of the See of Ely. This is a red shield with three open crowns, itself derived from the attributed arms of the Kingdom of east Anglia, which are three crowns on a blue field. When the official grant was awarded, the crowns were placed on a red pile. The blue and silver waves represent the many waterways of the county.

The crest is derived from the device of the City of Ely. The Arm holds a trident around which is wrapped an eel. The name Ely is derived from the word eel. The arm is charged on the wrist with a Wake knot. This commemorates King Herward the Wake, who held out against Norman invaders for many years in the Ely area.