The arms were
designed by Mr H Ellis Tomlinson when the new Metropolitan Borough
of the City of Salford was created in 1974, and combines elements
of the five former local boroughs - Salford, Eccles, Irlam, Swinton
& Pendlebury and Worsley - that make up the present Metropolitan
Authority.
The shield
is based upon the former Borough of Salford arms with the blue
background and a gold 'chief', giving the heraldic colours of
the Earls of Chester, from whom Salford received its first charter
in 1230.
The gold shuttle
and five bees, also from the old Salford arms, represent the growth
of five industrial communities round a centre of the textile industry,
and the two millrinds, the black iron centres of millstones, as
symbols of engineering.
The ship motif
comes from the Eccles arms and signifies the importance of waterways
in the area, inluding the Bridgewater Canal and the Manchester
Ship Canal.
The crest,
a red half griffin holding a flag staff with a pennon, with three
boar's heads, is one of the former Eccles supporters.
Boar's heads
were also part of the Irlam arms, and the circle of steel around
the griffin's neck was part of the Irlam crest, symbolising the
town's great industry.
The two supporting
lions are shown holding miners' picks, similar to those of Swinton
and Pendlebury. Each lion is collared with a steel chain, another
reference to engineering, and are holding a white pentagonal medallion.
On one medallion
is the black broad arrow, which with the red lion, appeared in
the arms of Worsley, whilst on the other is the boar's head from
the crest of Swinton and Pendlebury, shown in that former borough's
livery colours of red and gold.
The motto
is taken from the old Boroughs of Swinton and Pendlebury, and
reads "Salus populi suprema", meaning "The welfare
of the people is the highest law".
See also:
