Midland Railway Coat of Arms, comprised of six regional quarters, at the entrance to the platforms at Nottingham Station.
The six quarters represent (top row, left to right): Birmingham, Derby, Bristol, (bottom row, left to right): Leicester, Lincoln and Leeds - all places served by the company. The crest is a wyvern, said to be derived from the Leicester and Swannington Railway and also thought to be a symbol of the Kingdom of Mercia.
Birmingham Coat of Arms -Armiger - Birmingham City Council
Adopted - 10 May 1977
Escutcheon - Quarterly first and fourth Azure a Bend of five Lozenges conjoined Or second and third per pale indented Or and Gules over all a Cross Ermine thereon a Mitre Proper."A new City of Birmingham was created, including the old city and the former borough of Sutton Coldfield in 1974. New arms were granted to Birmingham City Council in 1977, closely based on the old arms. Instead of the ermine fess a cross was introduced, charged with a bishop's mitre. These come from the Sutton Coldfield corporation arms and commemorate Bishop Vesey of Exeter, a native of Sutton, who was largely responsible for the growth of the town in the 16th century. A Tudor rose was added to the 1889 crest. This was the device of Sutton Coldfield from at least 1619 until 1935. As the College of Arms does not allow two bodies or persons to have identical supporters, they were swapped to opposite sides of the shield. The male figure now holds a cupel, a tool used in the manufacture of jewellery, an important industry in modern Birmingham."
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Derby Coat of Arms -ARMS: Argent on a Mount Vert within Park Palings a Buck lodged between two Oak Trees fructed proper."The stag at rest amid palings, known locally as 'the buck in the park', has been a badge of the City from time immemorial, and may have been derived from the white hart badge of Richard II. The ram and stag are traditionally associated with the County and the broom plant is a badge of the Plantagenet kings from whom Derby received its early charters."
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Bristol Coat of Arms -Arms : Gules on the sinister side a Castle with two towers domed all argent on each dome a Banner charged with the Cross of St. George the Castle on a Mount Vert the dexter base Water proper thereon a Ship of three masts Or the rigging Sable sailing from a port in the dexter tower her fore and main masts being visible and on each a round top of the fifth on the foremast a sail set and on the mainmast a sail furled of the second."The arms were officially granted on August 24, 1569.
The arms are based on the early seals of Bristol, from which the ship and castle theme (signifying a strongly fortified harbour) developed. The shield was in use from about the 14th century, and to this supporters and crest were added in 1569.
The significance of these various items is recorded in the City Audit Books of this time:- the Unicorns will only do homage to men of virtue; the arms in the crest signify that good government depends on wisdom (the serpent) and justice (the scales) and that these are divine gifts from above."
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Leicester Coat of Arms -Arms : Gules, a cinquefoil pierced ermine."The arms were officially granted on December 2, 1926, but the arms (without supporters) were already recorded at the Visitation on 1619.
The Arms of the City of Leicester of the cinquefoil and wyvern were confimed on the city at the Heraldic Visitation of 1619. The crest is based on earlier motifs of the first Earl of Leicester, Robert De Bellomonte, (the cinquefoil). When the Duke of Lancaster inherited the Earldom of Leicester he held land within the town and hence the Lancastrian connection.
The city status was granted in 1919 and following application by the City Council in 1926 the College of Arms allowed two supporters to be added to the design; the Lancastrian Lions on either side of the cinquefoil and Elizabeth I's motto (translated as Always the same) beneath."
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Lincoln Coat of Arms -Arms : Argent on a Cross Gules a Fleur-de-Lis Or."The arms were never officially granted, but are recorded at the College of Arms.
The arms date from at least the 14th century. The cross is most likely derived from the Diocese of Lincoln. The fleur-de-lis is the symbol for the St. Mary, patron saint of the city. The St. Mary also appeared on the oldest known seal of the city, known from around 1300."
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Leeds Coat of Arms -Arms : Azure a Fleece Or on a Chief Sable three Mullets Argent."Recorded at the Visitaion of 1666. Crest and supporters granted on November 7, 1921, but used before.
When the Royal Charter was granted to the town in 1626 the new Corporation adopted an achievement of arms:- Azure, a fleece or, on a shield supported by two owls argent ducally crowned, and the first seal was engraved accordingly. The fleece was symbolic of the town's staple trade and the supporters were a compliment to the first Alderman, Sir John Savile, whose arms contained three owls argent.
A new Corporate seal was struck in 1662 after the granting of the second Charter, which gave Leeds its first Mayor. The first holder of the office was Thomas Danby, and in his honour a chief sable bearing three mullets argent (part of the Danby arms) was incorporated in the arms on the new seal.
The arms continued to be used in that form, sometimes without supporters, until 1836 when, after the reconstitution of the Corporation under the Municipal Corporations Act of 1835, the full insignia of shield, crest, supporters and motto came into regular use.
In 1921 the College of Arms, on the representations of the Corporation, confirmed and assigned the Crest and Supporters but changed them from owls argent to owls proper.
The motto "pro rege et lege" translates into English as "for king and law"."
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The Wyvern Crest -"The wyvern, a dragon with two legs, has a dubious association with Mercia. Midland Railway, who used a silver (white) wyvern as their crest, having inherited the symbol from the Leicester and Swannington Railway, asserted that the "wyvern was the standard of the Kingdom of Mercia", and that it was "a quartering in the town arms of Leicester". However, in 1897 the Railway Magazine noted that there appeared "to be no foundation that the wyvern was associated with the Kingdom of Mercia"."
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