Last modified: 2010-08-21 by rob raeside
Keywords: warwickshire |
Links: FOTW homepage |
search |
disclaimer and copyright |
write us |
mirrors
See also:
I have been on the telephone this morning and afternoon with the Information
Officer for the Town Council of Warwick, England. I was informed that Warwick
Town does not have a flag as such - the medieval symbol of the town is the Bear
and Ragged Staff, and members of the Town Council wear gold reproductions of
this emblem as either lapel badges or brooches, which they can keep when their
term of office has expired. The Mayor of Warwick has this emblem in gold on a
pale green field as the centerpiece of his/her Chain of Office, as does his wife
or partner; there is no equivalent badge for the spouse of a Mayoress.
The Town Council and Warwick District Council have been at daggers drawn ever
since 1974, I was informed, over the issue of a flag. The District Council will
not permit the town to have its own flag but has not been able to agree on a
flag design for itself. Furthermore, Warwickshire County Council also wants to
have a county-wide flag as well, and the flag issue has bedevilled relationships
between the town, the district, and the county ever since the county boundaries
were rejigged in 1974.
Ron Lahav, 20 November 2008
The symbol of the bear and ragged staff is a very old one for Warwick - I
know that it was used as an emblem by Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick ("Warwick
the kingmaker") in the 15th century.
James Dignan, 22 November 2008
![[Flag for Warwickshire]](../images/g/gb-e-wwksh.jpg)
located by Ian MacDonald, 14 July 2010
Source: http://www.englishcountyflags.com
This flag is being marketed for Warwickshire.
http://www.englishcountyflags.com records:
Yellow over red (1:2), with a white bear in chains and a "ragged staff"The Warwickshire flag is a banner of the coat of arms of the earl of Warwick.
It features a bear in chains undoubtedly a reference to the sport of bear baiting which was very popular in medieval times.