On this day – Horsham’s crest granted in 1944

On this day (October 17) in 1944 a new coat of arms was officially granted to Horsham Urban District Council (as it was then).

However, it wasn’t a quick or simple task. In fact, a great many people in the Horsham area (and beyond) were able to have a say and the historian, politician and writer Hilaire Belloc, who lived in Shipley at the time, became involved.

Originally the town crest was a lion rampant (standing up) with its hind foot on the letter H. This was an amalgamation of the William de Braose (who was given the manor of Horsham by William the Conqueror) and John de Mowbray (his descendant) crests.

Early in the 19th century a horse’s head and a dragon’s tail were added without official authority.

The original design considered in 1944 just had the shield with the lion, the turret on top plus another lion, and a motto (undecided) underneath.

It was suggested in May 1944 that a competition might be run to suggest a suitable motto and so by June this had been put in place as, according to the local paper, ‘the subject is one which… must be handled with the greatest tact, discrimination and care’.

In late July the West Sussex County Times published many of the numerous suggestions for the motto, stating that readers had, by a narrow majority, voted in favour of it being in Latin.

Some of the suggestions (in English) were: Pride of our past ensures wisdom in our future; Seek greater things; Out of the forests of the Weald came a harvest; Ancient yet modest we Endure, and Rise and Shine.

At a council meeting five suggestions recommended by a sub-committee were whittled down to two – Proudly We Serve and Weal of the Weald (the latter favoured by Mr Belloc).

In the end Proudly We Serve was chosen, which had been suggested by the Vicar of Nuthurst G.H. Gibson.

After much discussion it was decided to have the motto in English rather than the ‘dead’ language of Latin.

The Urban District Council crest remained until 1974 when it was used as the basis for the the District Council crest that is still used today.