Industry Flourish

Floreat Industria

My work today took me to Batley - a town where I have lots of historic family connections.

The photo is the former Borough's wartime Coat of Arms hanging over the front door of the magnificent Town Hall.

The town's normal coat of arms features a a dove of peace with an olive branch in its beak together with a shield featuring a fleece and a wheatsheaf representing the traditional local industries. The cross is taken from the arms of the Copley family, who for some time owned the Batley Hall estate. The meaning of the stars is not known.

This particular crest was commissioned during the wartime period. The dove of peace was replaced by a helmet.