This is a list of the coats of arms of various county councils (current and former) in England.
Background Under heraldic law in England, arms are not granted to places as such, but only to the corporate bodies that govern them. Accordingly, although arms and devices were associated with counties from the seventeenth century onward, there were no official grants until the establishment of county councils in 1889.
History First grants The first grant was made to West Sussex County Council soon after its establishment in 1889. The cost of the grant was defrayed by the Duke of Norfolk, titular head of the College of Arms, who was also first chairman of the county council. Further grants were made over the years, the number greatly increasing after the passing of the Local Government Act 1929 when county councils gained extra powers. Following the Second World War the majority of non-armigerous county councils obtained grants. When Durham County Council received a grant of arms in 1961 (it had previously been using the arms of the Diocese of Durham) only Hampshire County Council was left without an official grant.
Changes in 1965 Changes to local government in 1965 meant that several arms became obsolete and new arms had to be granted to Greater London, Cambridgeshire and Isle of Ely and Huntingdon and Peterborough.
Changes in 1974 Local government in England and Wales was completely reorganised in 1974, with all existing county councils abolished. In their place was established a system of metropolitan and non-metropolitan county councils. Some of the non-metropolitan counties were identical or very similar in area to the previous administrative counties, and in their case they could apply for the transfer of the arms of the previous county councils by Order in Council. In some other cases, where substantial alterations were made to the county council's area, the College of Arms granted arms very similar to the previous arms, with a number of changes introduced. In the metropolitan counties, and entirely new non-metropolitan counties such as Avon, Humberside and Cleveland; new arms had to be designed. The arms of two small county councils were transferred to Huntingdon and Rutland district councils.
Changes in 1986 The six metropolitan county councils (five of which had arms) and the Greater London Council were abolished in 1986 and their arms became obsolete.
Changes after 1996 By 1995 all the remaining non-metropolitan county councils were using official arms, the last being Dorset, to whom the predecessor Dorset County Council's arms were transferred on 24 February of that year. From 1996 a piecemeal reform of local government meant the abolition of a number of county councils. It also recreated Worcestershire county council, who regained the use of the former county council arms. The unitary authority of Herefordshire, a county for ceremonial purposes, also gained the use of the old county council arms. Among the unitary authorities created was East Riding of Yorkshire. However this had a very different area to the pre 1974 East Riding and so was not allowed to take over the old arms. The council did obtain a grant of new arms. Rutland district became a unitary authority and ceremonial county, retaining the coat of arms that had been transferred from the previous county council.
Use of the arms The arms were granted to the councils of the county, and not to the county in general. This means that they can only be used by the council itself, who cannot allow another body or individual the use of their arms. However, many county councils have an additional heraldic badge which they can license organisations associated with the county to use.
The accepted practice is that it is permissible to illustrate the arms of a county council subject to copyright of the illustrator. In this case they should be clearly labelled as the arms of the county council.
Current Non-metropolitan county councils There are 25 two-tier county councils remaining in England after a series of reforms.
Council Image Granted Cambridgeshire County Council Created 1976 Derbyshire County Council Transferred 1974; Crest and supporters added 1976 Devon County Council Transferred 1975 East Sussex County Council Created 1975 Essex County Council Transferred 1974 Gloucestershire County Council Transferred 1976 Hampshire County Council Created 1992 Hertfordshire County Council Transferred 1974 Kent County Council Transferred 1975 Lancashire County Council Transferred 1974 Leicestershire County Council Transferred 1974 Lincolnshire County Council Created 1977 Norfolk County Council Transferred 1974; Supporters added 1992 Nottinghamshire County Council Transferred 1977 Oxfordshire County Council Created 1976 Staffordshire County Council Transferred 1975 Suffolk County Council 1978 Surrey County Council Created 1974 Warwickshire County Council Transferred 1975 West Sussex County Council Created 1975 Worcestershire County Council(created 1998) Transferred 1998
Transferred from county council to unitary authorities
Council Image Granted Notes Buckinghamshire Council The council agreed to apply for a new coat of arms from the College of Arms in November 2021. County Council, became Unitary in 2020. Bristol City Council Transferred 1974 District Council, became Unitary in 1996. Cornwall Council Transferred 1975 County Council, became Unitary in 2009. Cumberland Council 1951 County Council abolished in 1974, revived Unitary in 2023. Dorset Council Transferred 2019 County Council, became Unitary in 2019.Crest (granted in 2009) not shown. Durham County Council 1974 County Council, became Unitary in 2009. East Riding of Yorkshire Council 1996 County Council abolished in 1974, revived Unitary in 1996. Herefordshire Council Transferred 1998 County Council abolished in 1974, revived Unitary in 1998. Isle of Wight Council Transferred 1975 County Council, became Unitary in 1995. Northumberland County Council Transferred 1974 County Council, became Unitary in 2009. North Yorkshire Council Created 1980, Transferred 2023County Council, became Unitary in 2023. Rutland County Council Transferred 1974 District Council, became Unitary in 1997. Shropshire Council Transferred 1974 County Council, became Unitary in 2009. Somerset Council Transferred 1974; Crest and supporters added 2003County Council, became Unitary in 2023. Wiltshire Council Transferred 1976 County Council, became Unitary in 2009.
Obsolete County Councils (1889–1974)
Council Image Granted Bedfordshire 1951 Berkshire 1947, supporters granted in 1961. Buckinghamshire 1948 Cambridgeshire(abolished 1965) 1914 Cambridgeshire and Isle of Ely(created 1965) 1965 Cheshire 1938 Cornwall 1939 Cumberland 1951 Derbyshire 1937 Devon 1926, supporters and crest granted 1962. Dorset 1950 County Durham 1961 Essex 1932 Gloucestershire 1935 Hampshire No Arms Granted Herefordshire 1946 Hertfordshire 1926 Huntingdonshire(abolished 1965) 1937 Huntingdon and Peterborough(created 1965) 1965 Isle of Ely(abolished 1965) 1931 Isle of Wight 1938 Kent 1933 Lancashire 1903 Leicestershire 1930 Lincolnshire, Parts of Holland 1954 Lincolnshire, Parts of Kesteven 1950 Lincolnshire, Parts of Lindsey 1935 London(abolished 1965) 1914 Middlesex(abolished 1965) 1910 Norfolk 1904 Northamptonshire 1939 Northumberland 1951 Nottinghamshire 1937 Oxfordshire 1949 Rutland 1950 Shropshire 1896 Soke of Peterborough(abolished 1965) 1950 Somerset 1911 Staffordshire 1931 East Suffolk 1935 West Suffolk 1959 Surrey 1934 East Sussex 1937 West Sussex 1889 Warwickshire 1931 Westmorland 1926 Wiltshire 1937 Worcestershire 1947 Yorkshire, East Riding 1945 Yorkshire, North Riding 1928 Yorkshire, West Riding 1927
Greater London Council (1965–1986)
Council Image Granted Greater London Council 1965
Non-Metropolitan County Councils
Council Image Granted Avon(abolished 1996) 1976 Bedfordshire(abolished 2009) Transferred 1975 Berkshire(abolished 1998) New Arms 1974 Cheshire(abolished 2009) Transferred 1976 Cleveland(abolished 1996) 1974 Cumbria(abolished 2023) Created 1974 Dorset Transferred 1995.Crest granted 2009. (not shown) Hereford and Worcester(abolished 1998) 1978 Humberside(abolished 1996) 1976 Northamptonshire(abolished 2021) Transferred 1975
Metropolitan County Councils (1974–1986)
Council Image Granted Article Greater Manchester 1974 Arms of Greater Manchester Merseyside South Yorkshire 1978 Tyne and Wear No Arms Granted West Midlands West Yorkshire 1975 Arms of West Yorkshire
See also List of county councils in England Counties of England History of local government in England Armorial of the United Kingdom Armorial of local councils in Scotland Armorial of local councils in Wales
Sources A. C. Fox-Davies, The Book of Public Arms, 1915 C. W. Scott-Giles, Civic Heraldry of England and Wales, 1953 G. Briggs, Civic and Corporate Heraldry, 1971 The Local Authorities (Armorial Bearings) Order 1974 The Local Authorities (Armorial Bearings) Order 1975 The Local Authorities (Armorial Bearings) Order 1976 The Local Authorities (Armorial Bearings) Order 1977 The Local Authorities (Armorial Bearings) (No. 2) Order 1997
Notes
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