GLOUCESTER (Gloucestershire).

GLOUCESTER (Gloucestershire). Or, three chevrons gules, between ten torteaux, three, three, three, and one. Ci-est — Out of a mural coronet issuant a lion guardant gules, holding in his dexter gamb a broad-sword erect proper, and in the sinister gamb a trowel. Supporters — On both the dexter and sinister sides a lion rampant gules, each holding in his dexter gamb a broad-sword erect proper. Motto — " Fides invicta triumphat."

The coat-of-arms is said to have been confirmed, and the supporters and crest granted, 14th August 1652, by Sir Edward Bysshe, Garter Principal King of Arms, but neither the crest nor the supporters are recorded in the College of Arms. This is probably due to the fact that the grant was made during the time of the Commonwealth, and all grants made during that time were subsequently declared void and of none effect. The chevronels were probably taken from the arms of the Earls of Gloucester, and the torteaux from the arms of the See of Worcester. These appear to have been the arms used by the city of Gloucester from a very remote period. But Sir Thomas Bell, Knight, Alderman of the City of Gloucester, obtained for the corporation in the reign of Henry VIII. the following coat-of-arms : " Vert, on a pale or, between two horse-shoes, each horse-shoe between three nails, two in chief and one in base, all meeting with their points to the shoe argent, a sword in a scabbard azure, hilt, pommel, and studding of the scabbard or, on the point of the sword a cap of maintenance gules, turned up ermine, on a chief per pale or and gules a boar's head couped argent between two demi-roses, the dexter gules barbed vert, the sinister of the third also barbed vert, each issuing rays from its centre pointing to the boar's head or." This, which was granted by Barker, Garter, 1538, 30 Henry VIII., is the coat which (though tinctured wrongly) Burke and Berry give. Both coats (the former, of course, without crest or supporters) are recorded in the " Visitation " with the following note, " The auntient and moderne Coates of Armes belonging to the Cittie and Countie of the Cittie of Gloucester, the former taken in imitation of the illustrious family of the Clares, Earles of Gloucester, their bountiful benefactors. The latter procured by Sr. Thomas Bell, Knight and Alderman there in the tyme of Henry the eighth."

Original Source bookofpublicarms00foxd_djvu.txt near line 11216.