Harrow Crest
BLAZON
EXTRACTED FROM THE GRANT OF ARMS
Dated 3rd May, 1938, to the Harrow Urban District Council
Or a Fesse arched Vert in chief on a Pile Gules between a Torch Sable enflamed proper and a Quill pen of the fourth a Clarion of the first and in base upon a Mount issuant a Hurst of Trees of the second And for the Crest Issuant from a Mural Crown proper a demi Lion holding between the paws an Arrow fessewise Argent enfiled with a Wreath of Oak also proper.
EXTRACTED FROM THE GRANT OF SUPPORTERS TO THE ARMS
Dated 10th September, 1954
On the dexter side a representation of Hygeia supporting with her exterior hand a Staff entwined with a Snake and on the sinister side a Benedictine Monk supporting with his exterior hand a Staff all proper.
Hygeia, the Goddess of Health, typifies the excellent health record of the Borough. The Benedictine Monk recalls the long association of the Borough with the Church through the Archbishops of Canterbury, the ancient Priory of Bentley Priory and in other directions.
The coloured design of the Borough Arms, of which this is a facsimile of reduced size, is that shewn upon the Grant of Arms, dated 3rd May, 1938, and the Grant of Supporters to the Arms, dated 10th September 1954.
The design exemplifies the whole Borough, the allusions being as follows:
The shield is centrally broken by a broad horizontal green band, indicating the large proportion of open spaces in the Borough, and the interest of the area in the Green Belt; in the upper half of the shield appear (I) the torch of knowledge to the left, (2) a quill, which represents heraldically, the Pinner area and the eminent writers who have been associated with the Borough, to the right, and (3) in the centre, a "pile" representing in shape the Gore in which were held the meetings of the Saxon Moot of the old Saxon parish of Harrow and referring also to the present petty sessional division; the "pile" was also a feature of the arms of the Chandos family: in the centre of the "pile" is an organ rest, which alludes to the connection of Handel with the Borough. In the lower half of the shield appears a clump of trees representing the Wealdstone and Harrow Weald areas which, until comparatively recently, were part of the great Weald of Middlesex; the clump of trees stand on the mound typifying the Hill of Harrow-on-the-Hill. The shield is surmounted by the conventional mural crown with the heraldic figure of a lion holding an oak wreath through which is a silver arrow; the lion oak, wreath and the arrow appearing also in the arms of Harrow School.
The motto on the scroll is "Salus populi suprema lex", which may be translated as "The well-being of the people is the highest law".
Under the provisions of the London government Act, 1963, the Borough of Harrow was replaced by a new Authority known as the London Borough of Harrow on 1st April, 1965, Her Majesty the Queen having granted a new Charter of Incorporation to the inhabitants of the new London Borough on 10th March, 1964.
The College of Arms have certified and declared that the Arms which of right appertained and belonged to the Mayor, Aldermen and Burgesses of the Boroughof Harrow, so now of right appertain and belong to the Mayor, Aldermen and Burgesses of the London Borough of Harrow.
(The Local Government Act, 1972, abolished the rank of Alderman.)
