Last modified: 2019-11-11 by rob raeside
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![[Flag of Worcester]](../images/g/gb-eworc.gif)
image by Klaus-Michael Schneider, 17 October 2019The flag is green with a white shield fimbriated blue, displaying modified
arms of the city of Worcester.
Source: I spotted this flag on many houses in
the city on 15 September 2014.
![[Arms of Worcester]](../images/g/gb-eworc).gif)
image by Klaus-Michael Schneider, 17 October 2019
Coat of Arms:
1)Shield quartered of Sable
and Gules, a castle Argent masoned Sable with half opened portcullis Argent and
three embattled towers.
2) Shield Argent, a fess Sable surrounded by three
pears Sable ordered 2:1.
Mottos :
“FLOREAT SEMPER FIDELIS CIVITAS” - The
faithful city may ever flourish.
“CIVITAS IN BELLO ET PACE FIDELI”' - In war
and peace the faithful city.
'SEMPER FIDELIS MUTARE SPERNO' - Ever faithful,
I scorn to change.
Meaning
There has always been a lot of controversy
surrounding Worcester's coat of arms and there have been many variations made
during its long history. In 1864 the coat of arms was described as such;
"A
quarterly Sable and Gules, over all a castle triple towered Argent, on a canton
of the last a fess between three pears sable".
However until the beginning of
the 17th Century the coat of arms displayed the castle alone but in 1634 these
arms were registered along with the coat bearing the black pears and were
described as the ancient and modern arms of the City of Worcester.
Tradition
claims that it happened during the visit of Queen Elizabeth I to Worcester in
1575, when Worcester acquired its second coat of arms featuring the black pears.
It is said that during her procession through the streets of Worcester the Queen
saw a pear tree, which had been planted in a front garden, just to honour her.
She was so pleased at the appropriateness of the tree growing right in the heart
of a fruit growing region, that she bade the city add the emblem of pears to its
coat of arms.
It may be legend too that the Worcester archers rallied under
the pear trees before the battle of Agincourt (1415).It is interesting to note
that the pear blossom was borne as a badge by the Worcestershire Yeomanry
Cavalry from the beginning of this century until 1956.
The city's motto “Civitas
in Bello et Pace Fidelis” is thought to refer to the city's support of the
Stuart cause. In 1621 Worcester was granted a charter by James I, declaring the
City to be a county in itself, separate from the County of Worcestershire: The
County of the City of Worcester. This distinction came to an end with the reform
of the local government in 1974.
Other versions display both shields either
in fess or in bend and bend sinister with additional wreaths of laurel and palm
and a scroll bearing the motto, the quartered shield at dexter and the pear
shield at sinister.
The flag displayed here is no official city flag, perhaps
an event flag. The original pear shield has no blue fimbriation, and on flag the
black fess has been replaced by five black horizontal lines.
Source:
https://heraldry-wiki.com/heraldrywiki/index.php?title=Worcester_(England)
The shield on the county flag displays the pear shield, but without fess and
the pears in bend, not in bend sinister!
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 17 October 2019