Forums Forums Wirral History : Chasing the Past Wirral Now and Then County flags

Could someone tell me how to do a reply same as the one posted by the Dr above, where you can do text alongside a pic and continue underneath. Rather than ask the Dr to do some more I'd like to know how (part of my learning curve)
Want to put these up from the source he posted

BEBINGTON BOROUGH COUNCIL
Granted 3rd January 1934, to the Bebington Urban District Council.

BIRKENHEAD COUNTY BOROUGH COUNCIL
Granted 28th August 1878.

ELLESMERE PORT BOROUGH COUNCIL
Arms, crest and supporters granted 6th October 1955. Badge granted 20th December 1963

HOYLAKE URBAN DISTRICT COUNCIL
Granted 1st November 1960.

BEBINGTON BOROUGH COUNCIL

ARMS: Per chevron Azure and Or in chief a Saltire couped Argent between two Garbs of the second and in base a Lymphad sail furled Sable flags flying to the dexter Gules.
CREST: On a Wreath of the Colours in front of a rising Sun Or a representation of the Bromborough Market Cross proper.

Motto 'CIVITATIS FORTUNA CIVES' - The fortune of the state depends on the citizens.
Granted 3rd January 1934, to the Bebington Urban District Council.

The wheatsheaves are County emblems and the ship is appropriate to a town with a frontage to the River Mersey and the Manchester Ship Canal. The saltire is the emblem of St Andrew to whom the parish church is dedicated.
Prominant among the town's industries are Lever Brothers Limited at Port Sunlight, to which reference is made by the rising sun.

BIRKENHEAD COUNTY BOROUGH COUNCIL


ARMS: Quarterly Or and Argent on a Cross Gules between a Lion passant of the last in the first quarter an Oak Tree issuant from a Mount proper in the second an Estoile Azure in the third and two Lions passant in the fourth a Crosier in pale of the first and two Crescents in fesse of the second.
CREST: On a Wreath of the Colours upon a Rock proper in front of a Crosier erect Or a Lion Azure resting the dexter paw on an Anchor also Or.

Motto 'UBI FIDES IBI LUX ET ROBUR' - Where there is faith there is light and strength.
Granted 28th August 1878.

Picture and additional information thanks to Graham Walker.

The principal emblems were taken from the seals of the several local governing bodies of the townships amalgamated to to form the Borough of Birkenhead. The crosier or pastoral staff and the lion formed part of the seal of the 'Extra-Parochial Chapelry or Township of Birkenhead', the lion was derived from the arms of the Massey family; Hamon de Massey having in 1150 , founded the Benedictine Monastery to which the crosiers refer. The oak tree was the main feature of the Tranmere Local Board, the star (or perhaps starfish) is representative of Bebington and the two lions of Oxton. The crescents possibly represent the Laird family, which did much for the devolpment of the town.
The motto seeks to bring out the two ideas of religious sentiment and the union of four townships.

HOYLAKE URBAN DISTRICT COUNCIL


ARMS: Vert two Golf Clubs in saltire heads downwards enfiled with an Ancient Crown Or between in chief a Fountain charged with an Anchour fouled Sable and in base a a Garb Gold two Flaunches barry wavy Argent and Azure.
CREST: On a Wreath of the Colours upon a Sandstone Rock an Oyster Catcher (Haematopus Ostralegus) rising proper.

Motto 'PRESPICE ET PROSPICE' - Look backward look forward.
Granted 1st November 1960.

The shield, symbolises the District's position on the Wirral peninsula, with a green background between white and blue waves for the Mersey and Dee estuaries. The golf clubs and crown refer to the world famous Royal Liverpool Golf Links, founded in 1869. The anchor refers to the former importance of Hoylake as a port, in 1689 William of Orange sailed from here to Ireland to fight King James, culminating in the Battle of the Boyne. The sheaf links with the arms of the Cheshire CC.
The sandstone rock represents Hilbre Island and the Red Rocks and the oystercatcher is a bird seen in huge numbers on the Dee Estuary.

ELLESMERE PORT BOROUGH COUNCIL

ARMS: Gules on a Bar Argent a Barrulet Sable surmounted of a Pale also Argent thereon a Pallet Azure in the first quarter a Beaver in the second a Cornucopia inverted in the third a a Garb and in the fourth a Sickle all Or.
CREST: On a Wreath of the Colours on Water barry wavy a Lymphad sail set proper and charged with a Cogwheel Sable flags and pennon flying Gules.
SUPPORTERS: On the dexter side a Sea Horse and on the sinister side a Tabby Cat quardant both proper.
BADGE: On a Plate encircled by a Cable Or Water barry wavy in base thereon a Lymphad proper the sail set Argent charged with a Cogwheel Sable flags and pennon flying Gules.

Motto 'PROGREDIAMUR' - Let us go forward.
Arms, crest and supporters granted 6th October 1955. Badge granted 20th December 1963.

Picture thanks to David Hale, NSW, Australia.

The black horizontal line between silver borders symbolizes the oil pipes of the petroleum industry and the blue vertical line between similar borders represents the Manchester Ship Canal. The Beaver refers to industry and the wheatsheaf links to the traditional arms of the Earldom and County of Chester, while the cornucopia suggests prosperity.
The blue and white wavy lines symbolise the River Mersey, and the ancient ship denotes the Borough's status as a Port and its ancient maritime associations. The cogwheel is another symbolic reference to industry.
The Sea Horse is a further reference to the Borough's connection with the sea, while the symbolism of the tabby cat with its "Cheshire Grin" is self-evident.

A big thanks to the Dr for explaining how to do them

Go to the web page
Click once on the picture
Right click and choose properties
Copy the name/details of the picture
Go back to the Wiki new message
Click add picture (4TH BOX along - enter an image)
Choose where you want the image to be (left)
Into the box paste the address details of the picture
Now go back to the site
Highlight and copy the text
back to Wiki and paste it after the html text for the picture
PREVIEW to make sure it is all in the right place and adjust if required
Submit

I thought, looking at these arms, a short guide to the language of heraldry might be useful.
The language is based on old French.
Arms are always based on a shield, and when reference is made to right & left (dexter & sinister), it is from the viewpoint of the bearer of the shield, so as viewed from the front, these are reversed.
The shield is usually divided; if by a vertical bar, it's "per pale", if by a horizontal bar, it's "per fesse" or if diagonally, "per bend". A bend can be dexter or sinister, depending whether it runs top right to bottom left (dexter) or top left to bottom right (sinister). It's said that a bend sinister is the mark of a barstard. If the division is by bend dexter and bend sinister, it's "by saltire". There are other divisions.
There are two metals and several colours. Also three furs. These are collectively called "Tinctures".
It is a general rule that metal is not placed on metal, or colour on colour. They are:
Or=Gold
Argent=Silver
Gules=Red
Azure=Blue
Sable=Black
Vert=Green
Purpure=Purple
The furs are Ermine, Vair and Potent.

The arms of Birkenhead:
ARMS: Quarterly Or and Argent on a Cross Gules between a Lion passant of the last in the first quarter an Oak Tree issuant from a Mount proper in the second an Estoile Azure in the third and two Lions passant in the fourth a Crosier in pale of the first and two Crescents in fesse of the second.

The shield is divided into quarters by a cross, the quarters being gold and silver. The cross is red. in the first quarter, (top right as seen by the bearer), is a lion passant (viewed side on and looking ahead). It is of the last colour mentioned i.e. Red. The second quarter (top left) is self explanatory. In the third quarter, (bottom right), is a blue star and in the fourth quarter, two lions passant. As no colour is mentioned, they are the same colour as the first lion. There is a Gold crosier (of the first mentioned tincture) on the vertical arm of the cross (in pale) and two silver crescents (of the second mentioned tincture) on the horizontal arm (in fesse).