LONDONDERRY (Co. Londonderry).

LONDONDERRY (Co. Londonderry). Sable, on a stone vert, a skeleton of human bones sitting, leaning the dexter elbow upon the knee, and resting the head on the hand, the sinister hand resting on the hip all or, in the dexter chief a castle argent, a chief of the arms of the City of London. Motto — " Vita Veritas victoria."

"The Arms of ye Cittie of Derrie where at first when the Ho''''' S' Henry Docwra fought, made the plantation thereof against the arch traytowre Hugh sometime Earle of Tyrone. The picture of death (or a skeleton) sitting on a mossie ston and in the dexter point a Castle, And forasmuch as that Cittie was since most trayterouslie sacked and destroyed by S' Cahire (or S' Charles) ODogharty, and hath since bene (as it were) raysed from the dead by the worthy undertakinge of the Ho*"'" Cittie of London, in memorie where of it is from henceforth called and known by the name of London Derrie. I have at the request of John Rowley now first Mayor of that Cittie and Commaltie of the same set forth the same Armes w"' an addition of a Chief the Armes of London as heere appeareth and for confirmation thereof have heereunto set my hand and seale the first of June 1623. (Signed in pencil) DAN MOLYNEUX."

The only authority remaining in Ulster's Office is a very rough sketch "in trick " with the note as set forth here above, bound up with other papers in a book of " Draft Grants," and for want of any other I take this as my authority, though I am aware that it differs considerably from the arms as quoted by Burke in his " General Armory " and from the form in use. Why an Irish harp is almost invariably charged upon the cross in the chief, I am at a loss to understand. — Ed.

The arms as they appear upon the Town Clerk's note-paper are in form very similar to the illustration herein, but are surrounded by a trophy of military flags and weapons, and are surmounted by a crest, namely, "an Irish harp surmounted by a royal crown," and further the field is shown to be azure. The whole design, so the Town-Clerk writes, is "exactly the same as worked by the French prisoners on the tapestry in the Bank of Ireland, the Old House of Lords, about the year 17 10," though he further adds that "the upper part is argent and gules, and the lower half proper." Debrett's " House of Commons " makes the arms " per fess," the field " azure," charges the cross with an " Irish harp," and puts the sword in the arms of the City of London in the " second " quarter.

Original Source bookofpublicarms00foxd_djvu.txt near line 15695.