"Gules,
two bendlets Or, a shuttle with weft pendant between an arrow,
point upwards, and a mule spindle in chief palewise, all of the
last and an escutcheon in base of the second thereon a rose of
the first barbed and seeded proper. On a wreath of colours, upon
a rocky moor an elephant stantant proper, on its back a castle
Or and thereon a rose as in the Arms, the trappings per pale Gules
and Vert and charged with a mitre also. On either side a lion
Sable gorged with a wreath Argent and Sable, each supporting a
staff Or, flying thereform a banner, that on the dexter vair Or
and Gules, that on the sinister Argent on a bend three stags heads
caboshed Or".
Shield:
Red (Gules) with two gold (Or) bands. At the top an arrow pointing
upwards, a shuttle and a mule spindle. The arrow signifies the
"Bolt" part of the town name and refers to the celebrated Bolton
archers who fought at the battle of Flodden 1513. The shuttle
signifies the manufacture of textiles which featured importantly
in Bolton's development as a modern industrial town, and the mule
spindle honours Samuel Crompton, inventor of the Spinning Mule
who was born and lived in Bolton.
The
Crest:
An elephant bearing a castle on which is the red rose of Lancashire.
The castle, or stockade is a reference to the "Ton" part of the
town name, which simply means "town" or "settlement", and the
Lancashire rose indicates that Bolton was historically part of
that county until municipal reorganisation in 1972. The trappings
on the elephant show a bishop's mitre, and the rocky moor on which
it stands refers to the moors above the town and the fact that
the town was formerly known as Bolton-le-Moors.
Supporters:
Two black (sable) lions of Flanders referring to the to the Flemings
who settled in Bolton in the 14th century and did much to establish
the textile industry. The wreaths of white (argent) and black
(sable), about their necks, are in the the liveries of numerous
local families like the Asshetons, Bolton, Bridgeman, Bradshaw,
Harrington, Lever, Sharples, Southworth, Starkie and Tipping families.
They hold gold (Or) staffs with banners depicting the arms of
the Ferrers Earls of Derby and the Stanley Earls of Derby respectively.
The
Motto:
"Supera Moras" meaning 'Overcome delays'.
Arms and Crest granted 5th June 1890, Supporters and Badge granted
25th September 1958.
