The Armorial Bearings of the Kingston and St. Andrew Corporation

THE ARMORIAL BEARINGS OF THE KINGSTON AND ST. ANDREW CORPORATION

THE SHIELD is the Blue with a Silver (often represented as white) Saltire (“ St. Andrew Cross”) referring to the Parish of St. Andrew. Between the arms of the Cross are: A Worker Bee (from the Arms of Sir William Beeston, the Governor who helped to found Kingston and who is commemorated in Beeston Street) representing the industrious habits of the citizens; a key referring to the fact that Kingston is the gateway to Jamaica and with a passing reference to the Key of the City; a Tower against the waves of the Sea representing the ancient fortress of Port Royal; and An Open Book for learning referring to the fact that so many seats of learning are to be found in the Corporate Area including the University of the West Indies.

THE CREST IS THE Golden Hub of a wheel with Twelve Spokes indicating that Kingston is the Hub of the Island but needs the support of the other Twelve Parishes for complete wholeness.

THE HELMET, the MANTLING and the CREST-WREATH are regular parts of a Coat of Arms: the Helmet is of the shape used by Corporations, the Mantling and Crest-Wreath are coloured according to the principal colour and metal of the shield: in this case Blue and Silver.

THE SUPPORTERS: The Golden Lion with the Blue Mural Crown is taken from the old Kingston Arms. It refers directly to Kingston: the lion is the King of Beasts, the Crown made of bricks like wall refers to the Town, so “King’s Town” or Kingston.

THE INDIAN is taken directly from the Coat of Arms of Jamaica thus providing the link with the Island and indicating the importance of Kingston as the Capital City by including in its arms the male Indian (coloured as in the Jamaica Arms).

THE COMPARTMENT upon which the Supporters stand is not usually described but is here depicted as the hills of St. Andrew and should be so described in the official description of the Arms.

THE MOTTO: “A CITY WHICH HATH FOUNDATIONS” from Hebrews 11:10. Most Mottoes are quotations of allusions. Today there is a return to ancient custom of having a Motto in the language of the people so that all can understand. The Bible is still the best known Book to our People and so a Biblical quotation is suggested. Quite apart from the obvious religious meaning this also refers to the historical and modern features contained in the Arms.