Hitherto

I've never noticed these gates to the park particularly before and was intrigued why they had Hitherto on them. Explanation below for my memory or anyone who's interested.

A very busy day of two hours of dog walks and about 6 hours of sorting and emptying Anna's room in advance of the new birthday bedroom. Not quite finished but huge progress made. And as an unconnected but happily coincidental reward for our efforts friends popped in to visit this afternoon. A good and productive start to the half-term holiday.

Lesley x

The following is from mrssymbols.blogspot:

The arms, which were granted in 1923 by the College of Arms following Sir William’s creation as the first Baron Bull of Hammersmith, are blazoned – described in the language of heraldry – as follows, according to Arthur Charles Fox-Davies’ Armorial Families (1929):
Sable [black], three astronomical signs of Taurus or [gold].
Mantling: sable and or.
Crest: on a wreath of the colours, a bull’s head caboshed [depicted facing the viewer, without a neck] sable, charged on the forehead with the sign of Taurus, as in the arms.
Motto: ‘Hitherto’.
Livery: Black and gold.

Not included in this description, but visible on the Bull coat of arms at Ravenscourt Park, is the red hand of Ulster on a shield. Interestingly, while a right red hand usually alludes directly to the Northern Irish province of Ulster, a left red hand, as seen here, is the badge that has, since 1929, symbolised a baronet of England or Ireland. This badge is blazoned: ‘a shield of the Arms of Ulster (on a silver field, a left hand gules [red])’.


The right-hand plaque states that as well as having represented Hammersmith as a London county councillor and member of parliament, Sir William had held the post of Maltravers Herald Extraordinary. This explains the inclusion of the lozenge-like symbol (blazoned ‘a fret or’) on the back of the coat of arms and elsewhere within the gates, for this is derived from the arms of the Maltravers family and was unofficially used by Sir William while Maltravers Herald Extraordinary. It is now the official badge of the Maltravers Herald Extraordinary.