WEYMOUTH and MELCOMBE REGIS, United Towns of (Dorsetshire).

WEYMOUTH and MELCOMBE REGIS, United Towns of (Dorsetshire). Azure, on waves of the sea in base proper a ship of three masts tackled and rigged all or, on the fore and mizzen masts two square banners, that on the first party per pale gules and vert, three lions passant guardant or, that on the latter quarterly i and 4 argent, a lion rampant purpure, 2 and 3 gules a tower triple towered or, on the hulk of the ship an escutcheon per fesse or and gules, in chief three chevrons of the last, in base three lions passant guardant in pale also or. Berry, in giving the foregoing coat, adds a note that the two towns were united in one Corporation in the thirteenth year of Queen Elizabeth, in consequence whereof, in the thirty-sixth year of the same reign, the foregoing arms were granted by Robert Cooke, Clarenceux King of Arms, ist May 1592, and at the same time he granted a common seal,

" Azure, a bridge of three arches double embattled argent standing in the sea proper, in chief an escutcheon per fesse or and gules, in the chief thereoi three chevrons of the last, and in base three lions passant guardant in pale also or." (Grant printed in the " History of Weymouth.") The curious point is that in the visitation records, whilst the design upon the common seal appears upon an escutcheon, the drawing of the arms is not so placed, though the colours are marked in both instances, and the legends are omitted. Another coat is recorded (F. 13, 41) in the College of Arms, viz., "per pale azure and gules, in base a bridge embattled argent, showing through three archways waves barry wavy argent and azure, in chief a fleur-de-lis and Hon passant guardant or.

WHEELWRIC.1TS. Refer to Wrights.

Original Source bookofpublicarms00foxd_djvu.txt near line 27661.