MALDON (Essex).

MALDON (Essex). Party per pale azure and argent, on the dexter side three lions passant guardant in pale or, and on the sinister on waves of the sea in base proper a ship of one mast sable, the mast surmounted by a fleur-de-lis gold, and from the masthead a pennon flotant gules, the sail furled argent, and from a turret at the stern a flagstaff erect surmounted by a fleur-de-lis of the sixth, and therefrom a banner of the first charged with three lions passant guardant of the third.

[Recorded in the College of Arms.]

The seal represents upon one side an escutcheon charged with three lions passant regardant in pale, and upon the other with a ship of one mast on the sea, the sail furled, in the stern a castle, thereon a flag charged with the arms as upon the other side of the seal. The legend upon both sides is the same, namely, " Sigillum commune corp. villa; de Maldon." Burke, in his " General Armory," quotes as the arms of Maldon, " Azure, three lions passant regardant in pale or." But upon the Town-Clerk's notepaper the two sides of the seal are impaled upon an escutcheon, though the lions are here altered to guardant and the ship is altered in shape, the banner also being changed to " gules a cross argent." In Debrett's " House of Commons," a representation of a seal is given showing a three-masted ship of a very different description, but the legend here is given " Sigillum officii admiralitatis Anglie inera precitu vile de Maldon," which of course explains it.

Original Source bookofpublicarms00foxd_djvu.txt near line 16368.