by Carol Sparkes, Knutsford Photographic Society
Link to the Civic Hall Coat of Arms Shield Story
Yes, a weird thing to be writing about, but as the Knutsford Photographic Society's (KPS) "Web Master", my privilege! And I've used that privilege for a reason - the amount of e-mail I receive, on behalf of KPS , from former Knutsfordians (both "born and bred" and those who have resided in the town for a number of years before moving on, some to foreign parts).
I have always (probably incorrectly) referred to the image above as the town's "coat of arms". More correctly, but perhaps less colloquially, I should have been calling it Knutsford's "Armorial Bearings". Traditionally, it could be described as Knutsford's "emblem" or "crest", although, in these days of commercial cut and thrust, I suppose we could (cringe!) call it Knutsford's "logo"....but, what's in a name.........?
The first point of surprise is that the coast of arms were only granted by the College of Arms as recently as 1955, perhaps strange for an entity :
For those of you local to Knutsford, there are, I guess, various publications available from the council on Toft Road, and in the library at the bottom of Adam's Hill which will provide you with all the technical "ins and outs" as to the significance of the coats of arm's constituent parts (eg the yellow cross dominating the shield referring to Cross Town). However, as this is a person reflection, I will confine my analysis as to "what does it all mean?" to certain specific elements.
One of the most striking features has always been to me the two sheaves of corn. This places Knutsford firmly as a Cheshire town, the corn sheaves being adopted throughout the county as a common image of association for Cheshire folk and their organisations.
Moving closer to home and towards Knutsford specifically, "whose crown is that?" Well, as all children who grow up in Knutsford know, the name "Knutsford" is generally agreed to have derived from "Cnuts-Ford", an association with King Canute (or "Cnut"), a Dane who inherited the crown of what had been Anglo-Saxon England (ruled 1017-1035). Tradition has it that Knutsford marks the spot where King Canute crossed a ford (hence the blue and white waves on the shield).
Knutsford certainly does not have anything resembling a river big enough to warrant a ford these days. It is therefore generally taken that, what was at that time a more rigorous expanse of water, has evolved into what is now the River Lily. Although the name "River" Lily hints at a perhaps glorious past, the "River" Lily is, as all locals will know, now-a-days no more than a trickling stream, sufficiently narrow for children to be able to jump over (as we use to as kids by the Moor). However, the story that this was once a more impressive river, forded by a monarch of the country, has served to enrich Knutsford's history and legends for many a year.
The other main feature which has always dominated by mental picture of the coast of arms has been the red lion. "Why so?" I hear you ask (assuming you've stuck with me so far!). Simply because this is from the emblem of the Egerton family. Who? Again, all Knutsfordians will be familiar with this family name. Tatton Park, the home of the Egerton family since c.1598, has dominated, one way or another, Knutsford since that time. In deed, many seasoned Knutsfordians still remember the last Lord Egerton, who died in late 50s. "Egerton" still features in Knutsford life - the former "Egerton Boys' Club" is still thriving, albeit in a more modern guise, and Tatton Park and the Hall is very much still accessible and on Knutsford's doorstep, now owned by the National Trust and, in all its glorious parkland, open to the public.
The answer probably goes under the heading of "strange but true" - it's all due to the flixs (i.e. cinema or movies to any non-British folk reading this!).
As a child growing up in Knutsford in the late 60s and 70s, we, naturally, spent a considerable amount of time at the cinema (in the days before satellite TV, and even having a colour TV), most Saturdays afternoons as I recall, watching Children's Film Foundation offerings.
So what has this got to do with the Coat of Arms? Simply, because as a child our only cinema in Knutsford was the Civic Hall, a large brick construction dating from the mid-1930s, in the ownership of the District Council. Given its proprietors, someone obviously thought it fitting to mount a very large replica of the town's coat of arms over the screen/stage. The result of this was that many kids over the years spent numerous hours gazing up at this thing year after year after year. These years of exposure obviously made a mental imprint on at least yours truly, and I wonder how many others? Its the sort of subconscious absorption that you don't realise is happening until its too late! Click here to read about the history of the Civic Hall shield, by its co-builder, Steve Hayward (now in Australia).
Yes, "sad git" you may say, but there it is, it is as it is!
...and finally...
The motto is :
in other words :
Carol Sparkes B.A. (Hons) - (British History just in case you were wondering)
I.T. Officer,
Knutsford Photographic Society
November 1996