Last modified: 2005-03-12 by rob raeside
Keywords: lancashire | liverpool | duchy of lancaster |
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The emblem of Lancashire is the red rose, in contrast to the white rose of Yorkshire. However, this emblem does not seem to have been used on a flag. The red rose was originally a symbol of Lancaster, and seems to have been invented by Henry VII. He however used the combined "Tudor Rose", so the red rose alone would never have been used.
Nathan Lamm, 9 September 2002
There is also a Lancaster Herald whose badge is a red rose royally crowned - see www.college-of-arms.gov.uk/about/6.htm
Joe McMillan, 20 February 2002
I'm curious who described the bird on the arms as a cormorant? The description included sounds more like a Liverbird, one of the two mythical birds protecting the people of liverpool both in the city and at sea, and included on most flags and insignia associated with the city.
Glenn Hadikin, 2 April 2002
Carr, 1961, says "Liverpool's arms date from 1797, when the heralds, having never heard of Litherland close by, were left to choose between the pool of laver - that is, the seaweed Porphyra - and the pool of the liver, a bird unknown to naturalists; and, failing to find a figure of the imaginary bird, they invented a sort of short-necked cormorant, into whose beak they put a couple of fronds of Porphyra in case it was Liverpool after all. This very neat instance of heraldic hedging did not, however, meet with the success it deserved, for the old name was discovered to be Litherpool - that is, the sluggish pool - yet the cormorant and the seaweed remain, for they are in the grant."
Carr therefore suggests that cities may use banners of arms.
Jarig Bakker, 2 April 2002
![[Arms of Liverpool]](../images/g/gb)lp.jpg)
I found an image of the coat of arms in "European Civic Coats of Arms", by Jiri Louda, 1966. An image can speak a thousand words. The Liverbird is sheer nonsense (as I reported in my previous message).
Jarig Bakker, 2 April 2002
It is a cormorant on the arms of Liverpool. It was inspired by an American flag with a bald eagle on it, and developed with a hint of the famous Liverpool humour. The "liver birds" are Oliver and Olivia - she looking out to sea waiting for her true love to return, he looking into the city to see if the pubs are open!
Valerie Sullivan, 16 June 2004
The flag of the Duchy of Lancaster (and I assume that this is the flag of H.M. The Queen as Duke of Lancaster?) is the ancient Royal Banner of England - three gold lions passant on a red field - differenced with a blue label charged with gold fleur-de-lys. I have never actually seen it flown during Her Majesty's visits to the county (which doesn't, of course, mean that it wasn't so used), but very handsome it looks in Graham Bartram's book.
Christopher Southworth, 12 May 2004
You can occasionally see the flag flying outside the Duchy s offices in the Savoy, London. The building is on the corner of Waterloo Bridge and the Embankment, on the other side of the road from Somerset House. The flagpole is best seen from the Embankment. This is where I first came across the flag.
Graham Bartram, 13 May 2004
![[Royal Mersey Yacht Club]](../images/g/gb~rmyc.jpg)
The special ensign of the Royal Mersey Yacht Club. Founded Birkenhead 1844. Title 'Royal' granted 23 September 1844. Admiralty Warrant for special ensign granted 24 September 1844. Original badge was just the Liver bird; crown added between 1869 and 1875.
David Prothero, 8 Octiber 2002
![[Mersey Docks and Harbour Board]](../images/g/gb_mdhb.jpg)
located by Jan Mertens
Source: Port Cities
On the Port Cities web site (search for "Flag") are also many proposals for a Mersey Docks and Harbour Board house flag. The flag is from the Merseyside Maritime Museum.
Jan Mertens, 11 February 2005
Mersey Docks and Harbour Board has long since been privatized and has a different name now, but I don't know if it has a new flag as well.
Ron Lahav, 12 February 2005