Brent
 |
Heraldry of the World Civic heraldry of the United Kingdom |
|
BRENT
Borough of London
Additions : 1965 Wembley, Willesden
Official blazon
Arms: Per chevron Gules and Vert a Chevron wavy Argent between in dexter chief an Orb ensigned with a Cross crosslet Or and in sinister chief two Swords in saltire proper Pommels and Hilts Or points upwards and in base two Seaxes in saltire proper Pommels and Hilts Or enfiled with a saxon Crown Or.
Crest: Within a Saxon Crown Or on a Mount Vert a Lion statant guardant Or charged on the shoulder with a Cinquefoil Gules.
Supporters: On the dexter side a Lion Or supporting a Staff Gules with a Banner Vert charged with a Balance Or on the sinister side a Dragon Azure supporting a Staff Vert with a Banner Gules charged with three Lilies Argent Mantled Gules doubled Argent the whole upon a Grassy Mound divided by Water Argent charged with a Pale wavy Azure.
Motto: 'FORWARD TOGETHER'.
Origin/meaning
The arms were granted on September 1, 1965.
The red section of the arms is based on those of Willesden, the green section is from those of Wembley. They are divided by a wavy chevron, standing for the River Brent. This river divided the two towns, and gave the new Borough its name.
The orb is the emblem attributed to King Athelstan, who, about the middle of the 10th century , granted the Manors of Neasdune-cum-Willesdune to the monastery of St. Erkenwald. The crossed swords indicate the Dean and Chapter of St. Paul's, who were the owners of the Manor of Willesden at the time of Domesday. The Saxon Crown and seaxes are derived from the Middlesex County Council arms.
The crest is a combination of those of the two merged Boroughs. The gold English lion is charged with a red cinquefoil, from the arms of All Souls, Oxford.The dexter supporter was used by Wembley. It is a gold lion from the arms of John Lyon, and he supports a green flag bearing gold scales. These indicate that the Hundred Moot or Court of Gore was held at Wembley.
The sinister supporter is a blue dragon - two of these supported the Willesden arms. He supports a red flag bearing three lillies: the emblem of St. Mary, the patron saint of Willesden.The compartment is divided by a symbolic river, again referring to the merged Borough's name.
Literature : Image and information provided by Laurence Jones