Preston

Heraldry of the World Civic heraldry of the United Kingdom

PRESTON

Additions : 1974 Fulwood UDC, Preston RDC (partly)

Official blazon

Azure a Paschal Lamb couchant Argent supporting a Cross-Staff Or flying a Pennant of the second in base the letters PP of the third.

Origin/meaning

The arms were officially granted on March 6, 1950, but were already recorded at the Visitation of 1613 as a seal device.

The Lamb is the Lamb of St. Wilfrid who is the Patron Saint of Preston. The letters ""P.P. " are taken to mean "Princeps Pacis" - Prince of Peace, or as some people would like it to be, "Proud Preston". However, on earlier Coats-of-Arms the Lamb was standing and three letters "P" were depicted on it. The reason for the three letters was to give a general balance to the Coat-of-Arms. The Coat-of-Arms was in later years modernised and one of the letters "P" was left out, again as a method of improving the general design balance.

The arms as used on a JaJa postcard +/- 1905	The arms on a Wills's cigarette card, 1906
The arms on a Dexters cigarette card, 1905	The arms in the Coffee Hag albums +/- 1925

Literature : Information from http://www.civicheraldry.co.uk