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 Borough of Swinton and Pendlebury, and reads
"Salus populi suprema", meaning "The welfare of
the people is the highest law".
See also:
Salford
Hotels, B&B & Guesthouses
