Coat of Arms on Leeds Bridge – Leeds, UK - Coats of Arms on Waymarking.com

This coat of arms has changed over the years in line with the changing fortunes of Leeds itself. The original arms from 1666 were simply a shield with 3 stars and a fleece. The 3 stars were taken from the arms of Sir Thomas Danby, the first Mayor of Leeds and the fleece symbolised that Leeds main trade was wool.

By the time of the Municipal Corporations Act of 1835 3 owls had been added. 2 Large ones as supporters and 1 on top of the shield. These were taken from the arms of Sir John Saville, the first Alderman of Leeds.

Leeds is very proud of its owls, and they have been used to decorate many places in the city on their own without being incorporated in the full coat of arms. The use of the owls by the Saville family dates back to before 1066 when the family was granted large tracts of land in England for helping William the Conqueror of Normandy to take over England. They appear to be Eagle Owls, but it is not sure why they were originally used because it is not believed any existed in Europe at that time.

The Latin motto ‘Pro Rege et Lege’ means ‘For King and the Law’.

There is a coat of arms visible on the bridge to anyone using the bridge, and there is also one visible to boat traffic on the River Aire. At this point on the river there are warehouses backing on to the river and the bank of the river is not accessible. However on the northwest side there is a boardwalk at road level that allows you to see the bridge from the side. From there you can see the coat of arms visible to boats, but I don’t know if there is a similar one on the other side.

Bearer of Coat of Arms: Town Full name of the bearer: Leeds County Borough Council Where is Coat of Arms installed (short description) ?: On the side of Leeds Bridge Material / Design: Cast metal Blazon (heraldic description): For the arms: azure, a fleece or; on a chief sable three mullets argent; and for the crest: On a wreath of the colours, An owl proper; and for the supporters: On either side an owl proper ducally gorged or. Motto: 'PRO REGE ET LEGE'. Address: Bridge End Leeds Bridge Leeds West Yorkshire United Kingdom Web page about the bearer of Coat of Arms (if exists): [Web Link] Web page about the structure where is Coat of Arms installed (if exists): Not listed

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