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The Civic Heraldry of France Contents

This chapter should be read together with Chapter 5, Basse-Normandie, since each was part of the former province of Normandie. In Chapter 5, I have not reproduced the history of the région, nor repeated the section on Common Emblems. I have kept the chapters separate, however, in order to stick to the plan of dealing with individual régions.

THE REGION

The région comprises the départements of Eure and Seine-Maritime, and along with Basse-Normandie, formed the former province of Normandie.

EURE

The département is divided into 3 arrondissements: Andelys, Bernay and Evreux.

There are 40 cantons, of which 34 are separate towns (1).

SEINE-MARITIME

The département is divided into 3 arrondissements: Dieppe, Le Havre and Rouen.

There are 70 cantons, of which 54 are separate towns.

THE HISTORY OF THE REGION

Traditionally, the province of Normandie, having been occupied by Norsemen since about 896, came into being after the territory was ceded to Rollon by Charles le Simple in 911. Although the number of invaders was never very great, the individuality of the region was maintained by a long succession of politically able dukes.

In 1047, in order to gain the king's help in overcoming rebellion, Guillaume paid homage to the French king. By 1066, when England was invaded and conquered by the Normans, the province had become one of the most efficient of feudal states.

When Henry Plantagenet became king of England in 1154, he was also duc de Normandie through his marriage to Eliénor d'Aquitaine, and through the rest of her inheritance controlled more than half of present day France. When in 1187 Henry's son Richard sought to gain his father's possessions in France, he was supported by Philippe-Auguste. They went on the Crusade together, but then fell out: when Philipe returned having left Richard in the Holy Land, he encouraged Richard's brother John to seize the throne of England. On John's succession to the throne when Richard died in 1199, Philippe took the opportunity of taking John's French possessions. He used as an excuse the marriage of John to Isabelle d'Angoulême, who it was alleged was already betrothed to Hugues de Lusignon, a vassal of Philippe.

John refused to make amends and Philippe took up arms. After the taking of Château Gaillard in 1204, he conquered Normandie and Poitou, and in the following year Touraine and Anjou.

Edward III of England invaded France in 1346, but did not occupy Normandie. Henry V undertook a systematic conquest in 1417, which resulted in English occupation until 1450, when the duchy was finally reconquered by the French.

The last true duc de Normandie was John Lackland, eldest son of Henry II of England. Although succesive kings of England took the title of duc de Normandie, there were, after 1204, four of French royal blood. These were the future Jeam le Bon, in 1332, the future Charles V, in 1355, Charles de France, brother of Louis XI, in 1465, and, in 1785, the second son of Louis XVI, who became Dauphin after his brother's death in 1789, and who was known as Louis XVII.

THE ARMS OF THE PROVINCES AND THE DEPARTEMENTS

NORMANDIE

De gueules à deux léopards d'or, armés et lampassés d'azur, l'un au-dessus de l'autre(2).

Gules two lions passant gardant in pale or armed and langued azure.

The first appearance of the arms of Normandie was in 1198, when Richard I of England, duc de Normandie, adopted three lions passant gardant. In 1279, Edward I granted to the bailiwick of the Channel Islands a seal with three leopards. In 1426 the seal of the Exchequer of Normandie bore two leopards, and in 1465, Charles, duc de Normandie, adopted not the arms of a cadet of the house of France, but the two leopards of Normandie(3).

It has been said that, on his marriage to Eleanor, Henry II took the arms of Normandie and Aquitaine to form the royal arms of England. It is more likely, however, that the arms were adopted independently, although at about the same time as the marriage(4).

The arms of Normandie are shown on postage stamps in colour and in monochrome(5).

The arms of the départements were designed by Robert Louis during the 1940s, and the smaller postage stamp is from his design.

EURE

Coupé: au 1er de gueules, à deux léopards d'or armés et lampassés d'azur, l'un au-dessus de l'autre; au 2e d'azur, semé de fleurs de lis d'or, à la bande componnée d'argent et de gueules brochant sur le tout.

Per fess gules two lions passant gardant in pale or armed and langued gules and azure semy de lis or overall a bend gobonny argent and gules.

The base part of the shield bears the arms of the comtes d'Evreux from about 1380.

The town of Evreux also bears the seigneurial arms.

SEINE-MARITIME

De gueules à la fasce ondée d'argent accompagnée de deux léopards d'or armés et lampassés d'azur.

Gules a fess wavy argent between two lions passant gardant or armed and langued azure.

The fess wavy symbolises the Seine, which flows through the département.

Principalité d'Yvetot, in Seine-Maritime.

D'argent à la bande fusillée de gueules, accompagnée de six fleurs de lis d'azur, posées en orle.

Argent a bend fusilly gules between six fleurs de lis in orle azure.

The Principality was created in about 1370, and was originally a fief of Bretagne. It later passed to Bellay.

THE CIVIC ARMS OF THE REGION

LES ANDELYS, Eure. Arrondissement.

Parti: à dextre d'argent, à une grappe de raisin de pourpre et une demie mouvant de la partition; à senestre d'azur, à une tour d'argent et une demie mouvant de la partition; au chef d'azur chargé de de trois fleurs de lis d'or(6).

Per pale argent three bunches of grapes purpure dimidiating azure as many towers argent masoned sable overall a chief azure three fleurs de lis or.

This is one of the few examples of a truly dimidiated coat in French heraldry. The blazon has no specific term for it, preferring to indicate one a half charges on each side of the shield. A drawing of the arms shows the chief gules, presumably to avoid the effect of azure on azure, reproduced here from a postcard.

There was no further information.

ARGUEIL, Seine-Maritime. Canton, arr. Dieppe.

D'azur à la croix alésée d'argent, accompagnée en chef de trois fleurs de lis rangées d'or, et en pointe d'un mont à trois coupeaux de même mouvant de la pointe.

Azure a cross couped argent between in chief three fleurs de lis in fess and in base a mount of three peaks or.

The arms were adopted in 1955, and reflect both the arms of the Marquis de Castelbéjac, former seigneurs, who bore:

D'azur à la croix d'argent surmontée de trois fleurs de lis d'or,

and the derivation of the name of the town, which means hill.

ARQUES-LA-BATAILLE, Commune. Seine-Maritime, Arr. Dieppe.

De gueules, au pont de trois arches, d'argent, surmonté d'un château à deux tours couvertes, aussi d'argent.

Gules a bridge of three arches supporting a castle double towered argent.

These arms were attributed by Canel(7), from a seal of the vicomté d'Arques, dating from 1315.

AUMALE, Seine-Maritime. Canton, arr. Dieppe.

D'argent à la fasce d'azur, chargée de trois fleurs de lis d'or.

Argent on a fess azure three fleurs de lis or.

The arms were ascribed in the Armorial Général in 1697, and were confirmed by the commune in 1822.

Before 1697, there had been in existence as communal arms both:

Azure four bars argent,

and

Barry of six argent and azure.

However, corespondence with the commune gave no further information about these arms.

BACQUEVILLE-EN-CAUX, Seine-Maritime. Canton, arr. Dieppe.

Per pale or three hammers gules and azure three fleurs de lis or.

The only information I received was a black and white illustration of the arms.

Because of the name of the town, caux being the same as chaux, lime, is is possible that the hammers refer to quarrying.

BEAUMONT-LE-ROGER, Eure. Canton, arr. Bernay.

Semé de France, au lambel de gueules, de quatre pendants, chacun chargé de trois châteaux d'or.

Azure semy de lis or a label of four points gules each charged with three castles triple towered or.

These were the arms of the seigneurs, the comtes d'Artois.

However, a comment from the commune suggests that, in view of the history of the area, the arms of Artois are inappropriate, and that those of Meulan would have been more suitable.

The arms of Meulan, Yvelines, are:

Azure semy de lis or a chief checky sable and or,

although I do not know if these are the arms of the comtes de Meulan, since the commune of Meulan does not know their derivation(8).

See the chapter on Picardie, for a comment on the arms of the former province of Artois.

BEAUMESNIL, Eure. Canton, arr. Bernay.

Quarterly first ... a chevron ... and in base three roundels ... second ... two bars ... on that in chief three and on that in base two ermine spots third ... a fess ... in chief a label of three points dovetailed ... fourth ... a heart enflamed ... overall a cross ....

The only illustration of the arms was in black and white. The quarters are said to bear the arms of the comte de Nonant, the duc de Lorraine, Harcourt de Beaumesnil, and la Charité de Beaumesnil. Certainly, the second quarter has no connection that I have found with Lorraine.

BERNAY, Eure. Arrondissement.

Azure a lion rampant gules.

The arms were those of Montgommery, seigneurs from the eleventh century, although in the arms of the communes of Ducey, Manche, and Ecouche, Orne, they are given as:

Quarterly first and fourth gules three escallops or second and third azure three fleurs de lis or.

BEUZEVILLE, Eure. Canton, arr. Bernay.

Gules a tower argent overall two lions passant gardant or.

The arms were adopted in 1965. The tower, which is from the seigneurie de Beaumoucel, accompanies the lions passant gardant of Normandie.

The effect of the blazon is to place metal on metal.

BLANGY-SUR-BRESLE, Seine-Maritime. Canton, arr. Dieppe.

D'argent au lion de sable, armé et lampassé de gueules.

Argent a lion rampant sable armed and langued gules.

There was no further information.

BOIS-GUILLAUME, Seine-Maritime. Canton, arr. Dieppe.

Per pale azure a garb or and gules two lions rampant in pale sable.

It is said that the garb is a symbol of the nourishment of the poor, and the lions lions are those of Normandie.

This is difficult to accept, since the lions in the arms of the commune are both rampant, unlike the lions passant of Normandie, and blazoned sable on a field gules, in an unheraldic fashion.

The arms as described in the information received from the mairie are used on street signs in the commune.

BOLBEC, Seine-Maritime. Canton, arr. Le Havre.

De gueules à trois navettes d'argent en pal; au chef cousu d'azur chargé de trois fleurs de lis d'or.

Gules three weaver's shuttles in pale argent a chief azure three fleurs de lis or.

The first known use of the arms dates from 1792.

During the nineteenth century a coat quarterly of six was in use, bearing the arms of Gaulthier-Giffard, Hugues de Bolbech, Emalleville, Martel-Fontaine, Harcourt and Béthune-Charost.

The commune sent me a card with the arms as blazoned, designed by Robert Louis, but the notepaper from the mairie bore the quarterly of six coat, which was cluttered and indecipherable.

The wreath has the cotton plant and the lily, in reference to the shuttles and the fleurs de lis.

BOURGTHEROULDE-INFREVILLE, Eure. Canton, arr. Bernay.

D'azur au chevron d'argent, accompagné de trois têtes de léopard d'or, posées deux et une.

Azure a chevron argent between three leopard's heads or.

Information from the commune stated that these were the arms of Le Roux, a family dating from the thirteenth century.

Earlier, Canel observed that the commune of Bourg-Téroulde does not bear any particular arms, but that a banner carried by representatives of the commune at undated celebrations at Evreux, bore the arms of Le Roux.

BRETEUIL, Eure. Canton, arr. Evreux.

Losangé d'or et de gueules au chef de France.

Lozengy or and gules a chief azure three fleurs de lis or.

These are said to have been the arms of the Comtes de Leicester, during the time that the area was under English rule. They were adopted by the town in about 1860.

However, the arms of Robert Fitzpurnell, Earl of Leicester, who died in 1204, bore a cinquefoil ermine(9).

BRIONNE, Eure. Canton, arr. Bernay.

De gueules ê la tour d'argent mouvant d'une rivière du même, accostée de deux navettes d'or et chargée en abîme d'un B d'azur; au chef cousu de France.

Gules on a tower on a terrace in base engrailed argent between two weaver's shuttles or a capital letter B azure a chief azure three fleurs de lis or.

The earliest record of the arms is on a document of 1551. The shuttles are emblems of he weaving trade which has been carried on in the town for hundreds of years.

During the time of Napoleon, the arms were augmented by:

... un canton senestre de gueules, chargé d'un N d'argent surmonté d'une étoile à cinq branches du même,

denoting a town of the third order.

I have seen the letter N blazoned as or and not argent for other towns of the third order. See the Glossary for a full description of Napoleonic augmentations to communal arms.

BUCHY, Seine-Maritime. Canton, arr. Bernay.

Azure in sinister base the trunk of a tree proper surmounted by an axe in fess shafted also proper the blade argent a chief gules three axe blades the edges uppermost argent.

There was no information concerning the derivation of the arms, although it appears that they are canting: Buchy, bûche, log.

The illustration here is from a post card sent to me by the commune.

CAUDEBEC-EN-CAUX, Seine-Maritime. Canton, arr. Rouen.

Azure three salmon fesswise in pale argent?.

The salmon were ascribed in the Armorial Général in 1696, and confirmed in 1828. It is said locally that the fish should be éperlans, smelt, and that the salmon are merely an heraldic device(10).

I have guessed at the tincture of the salmon, which were too small to be seen on the black and white illustration sent by the commune.

CLERES, Seine-Maritime. Canton, arr. Rouen.

D'argent à la bande d'azur, diaprée d'or.

Argent a bend azure diapered? or.

In the absence of an illustration of the arms, it is difficult to know what the diapering would look like, unless it signifies a gold pattern on the azure of the bend(11).

CONCHES-EN-OUCHE, Eure. Canton, arr. Evreux.

D'or à la bande d'azur chargée de trois coquilles d'argent.

Or on a bend azure three escallops argent.

It is said that the arms date from the beginning of the sixteenth century, and that the charges may derive from the pilgrimage made by Raoul II de Tosny, seigneur de Conches, to Santiago de Compostela. He also brought back from Conques, Aveyron, relics of Sainte Foy, to whom he dedicated the church which he then built.

The comment from the town is a fascinating example of the ways in which heraldry, history and legend may become entwined. In this case, the escallops may indeed be the emblems of the pilgrim. Equally, however, they may be a rebus on the name of the town, from the Latin concha, shell. It is of course possible that the town was given its name after the pilgrimage, but this is hardly likely.

In addition, there is no comment on the coincidence of the visit to Conques, which also derives from the word for shell(12). It may be that the choice of Sainte Foy as the patron indicates a connection between the two towns. See also the entry on Conques, Aveyron.

In spite of all this, the Armorial Général ascribed:

D'or à la fasce d'azur, chargée de trois guivres d'argent.

The guivres are vipers or serpents.

CORMEILLES, Eure. Canton. arr. Bernay.

These are said to have been the arms of Guillaume FitzOsbern, seigneur in about 1060, who accompanied the Comqueror to England. However, because of the early date, the arms must have been adopted later by his decendants.

DAMVILLE, Eure. Canton, arr. Evreux.

A la croix de gueules sur fond d'or écartelé en seize alérions d'azur qui correspondent à quatre par canton.

Or a cross gules cantonned by sixteen alerions azure.

These were the arms of Montmorency, ducs de Damville(13). They can be found in several early rolls: Wijnbergen, No7; Walford's No111; and Chifflet-Prinet, No10.

The French blazon is not correct, and should read:

D'or à la croix de gueules cantonnée de seize alérions d'azur.

For a comment on the seigneurial arms, see the entry on Montmorency, Val-d'Oise.

DARNETAL, Seine-Maritime. Canton, arr. Rouen.

De gueules à la rivière ondée en fasce d'argent, accompagnée en chef de deux roues d'engrenage aussi d'argent, et en pointe d'un maillet d'imprimeur accosté à dextre d'une navette de tisseur avec sa bobine, et à senestre d'une navette à drap avec son chardon, le tout d'or.

The arms were granted by Napoleon in 1870, with:

Un franc-quartier des villes de seconde classe (qui est à dextre d'azur à l'N d'or surmonté d'une étoile rayonnante du même) réduit au neuvième de l'écu.

They were modified by the removal of the canton by the President in 1885.

The fess wavy is the River Seine, and the other emblems are symbols of the weaving industry(14).

DIEPPE, Seine-Maritime. Arrondissement.

Parti d'azur et de gueules au navire d'argent, les voiles ferlées, brochant sur le tout(15).

Per pale azure and gules overall a three masted sailing ship its sails furled argent.

A seal of 1280 shows an archbishop seated in a ship with a cross couped on the field.

DOUDEVILLE, Seine-Maritime. Canton, arr. Rouen.

D'azur barré d'argent à trois sacs de blé posés deux et un et celui sur une faucille de même brochant sur le tout au chef de gueules de trois abeilles d'or.

Azure a bend sinister overall three sacks of wheat that in base charged with a sickle or a chief gules three bees or.

The arms, which were officially adopted in 1898, are peculiar in that the charges are placed over the bend. In the illustration here, the sack of wheat in base is over the sickle and not under it.

The chief is possibly Napoleonic in origin, although the bees may be a symbol of industry, as they are in many communal arms. Since the chief of bees was reserved in Napoleonic civic heraldry for towns of the first order, or "bonnes villes", it is likely that the latter theory is more accurate.

ECOUIS, Eure. Commune, arr. Les Andelys.

Canel states that a banner carried by representatives of the commune at an undated celebrations at Evreux, bore the arms of Marigny, seigneurs in 1310:

D'or à l'aigle de sable, becquée et membrée de gueules.

Or an eagle displayed sable beaked and membered gules.

I have not included these in the list of arms, since I have been unable to confirm them.

ELBEUF, Seine-Maritime. Canton, arr. Rouen.

Parti: à dextre d'or à la croix de Lorraine de gueules accolée d'une vigne de sinople, fruitée de pourpre, posé sur une terrasse de sinople; à senestre, d'azur à une ruche d'or, entourée d'abeilles du même, posée sur une terrasse de sinople.

Per pale a cross couped double traversed gules entwined by a vine vert fructed purpure on a terrace in base of the third and azure a beehive surrounded by bees or on a terrace in base vert.

In one illustration of the arms the partition line does not cross the common terrace in base and the blazon could read per fess per pale ... and ... and ..., but in a very naturalistic drawing supplied by the town the field is per pale, with the terraces in base separated.

The history of the arms is confused, and the town has never adopted formal arms. The seigneurs from the fifteenth century to the Revolution were members of the Elbeuf-Lorraine family, which accounts for the cross of Lorraine. The vine appeared during the reign of Louis XV. The beehive was added in 1842, in recognition, it is said, of the comment attributed to Napoleon in 1802, "cette ville est une ruche, tout le monde y travaille".

In fact, there are several examples of communes adopting the beehive in similar circumstances; in this chapter, see the entry on Maromme, Seine-Maritime.

ETREPAGNY, Eure. Canton, arr. Les Andelys.

Per pale argent a capital letter E gules and azure seven fleurs de lis 2,3,2 or in chief a label of three points dovetailed overall a bendlet couped argent.

The arms were adopted in about 1860. The dexter part of the shield contains the initial of the town; the sinister derives from the arms of the ducs de Longueville, barons d'Etrepagny. It is claimed that the bendlet couped, "signe de bâtardise", is for Dunois, bastard of Orléans, who founded the line.

EU, Seine-Maritime. Canton, arr. Dieppe.

Argent a lion passant gardant gules.

Originally, there were two coats of arms, the town bearing an eagle and the mayor a lion. At some time during the 1960s, the maire, whose name happened to be Allard, the dialect word for eagle, reversed the coats. Now, the communal arms are supported by the eagle.

The arms illustrated here were painted by Robert Louis, and show the Croix de Guerre, awarded to the town in 1944.

EVREUX, Eure. Chef-lieu du Département.

D'azur à trois fleurs de lis d'or, à la bande rétrécie componée d'argent et de gueules brochant sur le tout(16).

Azure three fleurs de lis or overall a bendlet gobonny of six argent and gules.

These were the arms of the comtes d'Evreux. The first of the line was Louis, 1276-1319, who was the third child and only son of the second marriage of Philippe III to Marie de Brabant.

I do not know when the arms were adopted by the town. See also the entry on Mortain, Manche.

EVREUX-NORD, Eure. Canton, arr. Evreux.

Ecartelé: aux 1er et 4e d'azur à trois fleurs de lys d'or; au 2e d'argent au barbeau posé en pal de gueules; au 3e d'argent à l'église de campagne de sable; à la cotice componnée d'argent et de gueules de six pièces brochant sur le tout.

Quarterly first and fourth azure three fleurs de lis or second argent a barbel in pale gules third argent a church issuant from base and the sinister flank sable overall a bendlet gobonny of six argent and gules.

These arms were adopted in November 1989, less than a month before they were entered into this work. At that time, they were the only examples that I have of arms of a canton which itself is part of another town(17).

Although the first and fourth quarters bear the arms of Evreux, strictly speaking the blazon shows France modern with the bendlet overall the whole shield. The church is a symbol of the long history of the commune being a possession of different ecclesiastic seigneurs. The reason for the barbel is not clear(18).

FECAMP, Seine-Maritime. Canton, arr. Le Havre.

De sinople à trois tentes d'argent, au chef d'azur chargé d'un faucon essorant, tenant dans ses serres une corne d'abondance d'où s'échappent des graines, et brochant sur le champ, le tout d'argent(19).

Vert three pavillions argent a chief azure semy of seeds a falcon rising holding in his talons a cornucopia argent.

At the time of the Revolution the town abandoned the arms of the Abbés de Fécamp, and in 1790 formally adopted the present coat. This is one of several examples where a commune adopted new arms during the Revolution, instead of, as might have been expected, abandoning completely the idea of bearing them.

The tents, as shown in an illustration, are not the normal medieval pavillions, but have a more modern look. This may be an interpretation by the artist, but in any case the tents are likely to be a rebus on the name of the town.

FLEURY-SUR-ANDELLE, Eure. Canton, arr. Les Andelys.

D'azur au gril de sable en fasce parsemé de cinq flammes d'or et surmonté de deux étoiles du même(20).

Azure on a fess sable five flames in chief two mullets or.

The fess is shown in an illustration as a grill with lines in pale traced on it, and along with the flames appears to be a symbol of martyrdom, perhaps that of Saint Laurent. However, the drawing and the blazon do not conform: if the fess is sable, then the lines would not show; if the lines are sable, which may be the case, the fess must be of a different tincture.

I have compromised in the English blazon.

FONTAINE-LE-DUN, Seine-Maritime. Canton, arr. Dieppe.

D'azur à l'épée haute d'argent accostéé de deux croissants du même surmontés chacun d'un fer de lance d'or; au chef de gueules, chargé d'une croix d'argent.

Azure a sword in pale between two crescents argent each ensigned by a fer de lance or a chief gules a cross argent.

The arms were adopted in 1944 immediately after the Liberation. The chief is a reference to the Knights of Malta who were seigneurs of the commune; the sword and crescent are taken from the arms of another seigneur, Isambard de Tourneroche, who saved the life of Louis VII during the second crusade; the lance heads are from the arms of Rocquigny de Bulonde, who was born in Fontaine, and who became confessor to the wife of Louis XV.

The arms shown here have been copied by the commune from an original design by Robert Louis.

FORGES-LES-EAUX, Seine-Maritime. Canton, arr. Dieppe.

Gules twelve hammers fesswise in groups of three sable on a fess or an anvil of the second.

The arms, whose history is unknown, appeared for the first time on a plate made by an Englishman, George Wood, who set up a factory in the town in 1797. They refer to the town's industry, and in design are unlike any others that I know.

GAILLON, Eure. Canton, arr. Les Andelys.

Gules a tower or masoned sable.

There was no further information, but it is obvious that the castle played a prominent part in the commune's history, and it is likely that this influenced the adoption of the design.

However, the theory that communes bore the castle or the tower almost by default must not be forgotten.

GISORS, Eure. Canton, arr. les Andelys.

De gueules à la croix engrêlée d'or au chef d'azur à trois fleurs de lis d'or.

Gules a cross engrailed or a chief azure three fleurs de lis or.

Legend says that when Philippe-Auguste and Henry of England received the news of the taking of Jerusalem by Saladin, they met under an elm tree between Gisors and Trie. A miraculous cross appeared in the air above them, and it is this cross which appears in the arms of the town. Henri II added the chief of France after his entry into the town in 1555.

Another version of the story says that the cross is merely a reference to the fact that at the meeting of Philippe-Auguste and Henry the preaching of the third crusade took place in their presence.

Neither of the stories explains the significance of the engrailed cross.

GODREVILLE, Seine-Maritime. Canton, arr. Le Havre.

Paillé d'or et d'azur de six pièces au chef de gueules chargé de trois merlettes d'argent.

Paly of six or and azure a chief gules three martlets argent.

These were the arms of Roussel, who arrived in Normandie in 1482, and replaced the escallops of their forebears with the martlets.

The illustration from a post card, sent by the commune, shows:

Or three pallets azure(21) on a chief gules three canettes argent.

The use of canettes, duckling, is quite common in French civic heraldry, and they are often used instead of martlets, or alérions.

GOURNAY-EN-BRAY, Seine-Maritime. Canton, arr. Dieppe.

De sable, à un cavalier armé d'argent tenant de la main dextre une lance de même et une fleur de lys d'or en chef.

Sable an armed horseman holding a lance in his right hand argent in chief a fleur de lys or.

These are striking arms: I have not seen a fleur de lis on a sable field before. There was no further information, although Canel says that the arms were first adopted on the occasion of the granting of the Ordre de la Chevalerie to Artus de Bretagne by Philippe-Auguste(22).

It is possible that the sable field is from a drawing of the arms in which the original azure has deteriorated. There are several such cases in the civic heraldry of France, usually where the only example is from the Armorial Général, which supplied only the painted arms, and not the blazon, to the commune.

GRAND-COURONNE, Seine-Maritime. Canton, arr. Dieppe.

Ecartelé au 1er de gueules au demi-léopard d'or passant; au 2e d'azur à la demi-couronne d'or; au 3e d'azur au cap de nef d'or voguant sur trois ondes d'argent et enchainé de même; au 4e de gueules un quart de roue dentée d'argent.

Quarterly first a demi lion passant or second azure a demi crown or third azure the bow of a ship or with an anchor cable in base three bars wavy argent fourth a quarter wheel indented argent.

The arms were adopted in 1957. The lion is that of Normandie; the crown signifies the gift made to the town by Queen Mathilde; the ship is a norman gribane, and represents the shipping on the Seine; and the wheel is a symbol of local industry.

The design links the quarters of the shield by dimidiation, although the wheel in the fourth quarter is joined to two others and not one. The artist, named by the commune as André Hardy, has created a less cluttered design than if the charges had been drawn complete.

Closer inspection shows that this is a poor adaptation of an original painting by Robert Louis.

LE GRAND-QUEVILLY, Seine-Maritime. Canton, arr. Rouen.

De gueules à la fasce de sable chargée d'une coquille d'argent accosteé de deux croix tréflées au pied fiché du même, au léopard d'or posé en chef et à la queville du même posée en pointe.

Gules on a fess sable between in chief a lion passant and in base a peg or an escallop between two crosses botonny fitchy argent.

The arms were those of Bec de Lièvre, who were seigneurs in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, differenced by the lion passant of Normandie and the peg, which is a rebus on the name of the town(23). The arms were entered into the Armorial Général.

The seigneurial arms apparently placed a fess sable on a field gules.

Canel prefers:

D'azur à un navire d'argent, sur une onde,

as found in Delaplanche.

The arms shown here were painted by Robert Louis.

HARFLEUR, Seine-Maritime. Commune, arr. Le Havre.

D'azur à trois tours d'or, sommée chacune d'une fleur de lis du même; les fleurs de lis rangées an chef(24).

Azure three towers in chief as many fleurs de lis in fess.

The English blazon is clearer than the French.

LE HAVRE, Seine-Maritime. Arrondissement.

De gueules à la salamandre d'argent, couronnée d'or sur un brasier du même; au chef d'azur chargé de trois fleurs de lis d'or, et surchargé d'un franc-canton de sable au lion d'or armé et lampassé de gueules(25).

Gules a salamander argent in flames crowned or a chief azure three fleurs de lis or overall a canton sable a lion rampant or armed and langued gules.

The salamander is a reference to François I, who began the building of the town in 1517, as a harbour for his fleet.

On a document of 1532, the arms are shown as:

Azure a salamander argent between three fleurs de lis or.

The salamander, as used by the king as his badge was usually blazoned:

D'argent sur un brasier d'or crachant des flammèches du même et couronné d'or.

The Armorial Général ascribed:

D'azur à un navire d'or sur des ondes d'argent et amarré par un cible d'argent à un ancre d'or qui trempe dans les ondes.

Needless to say, having arms authorised by François I, the town never used the arms given to it by Hozier. In the eighteenth century, the fleurs de lis were moved to fesswise in chief.

The First Empire removed the fleurs de lis and added a chief:

D'azur à trois étoiles d'or surchargé d'un canton dextre d'un N couronné d'or.

At the Restoration the fleurs de lis were reinstated, this time on a chief of France. After the First World War, the present canton of Belgium was added in honour of the King of the Belgians, who stayed in the town during the War(26).

The illustration of the arms, above, is taken from Louda, Jiri, European Civic Coats of Arms, 1966.

The arms are also shown in monochrome on a postage stamp(27). The arms of Belgium are also borne by Dunkerque, Nord.

LONGUEVILLE-SUR-SCIE, Seine-Maritime. Canton, arr. Dieppe.

De gueules au château d'argent.

Gules a castle triple towered argent.

There was no further information.

LOUVIERS, Eure. Canton, aar. Evreux.

Parti: à dextre d'azur, a la lettre L majescule d'argent, enfilée dans une couronne ducale d'or; à senestre d'azur, au lion d'or, à la bordure de gueules chargée de huit besants d'argent(28).

Per pale azure a capital letter L argent enfiled by a ducal crown or and azure a lion rampant or on a bordure gules eight plates.

There was no information from the town concerning the arms, but on a brochure the charges are shown to be argent and not gules. Such errors are common in ephemera, and other sources should always be used wherever possible.

Mathieu states that in 1442, Charles VII augmented the arms of Louviers: «porter en devise en tout temps, ceste lettre L couronnée, en brodure, orfèvrerie ou autrement, ainsi qu'il leur pleura». After this Louviers placed the initial on the shield itself(29).

LYONS-LA-FORET, Eure. Canton, arr. Les Andelys.

Gules a wild man proper in base two lions rampant affronty or on a bordure vert six ermine spots argent overall a chief azure three fleurs de lis or.

The arms are unusual, and bear the only example of a wild man known to me in the civil heraldry of France. The drawing of the blazon, too, is odd: there was no information from the town, but a brochure produced locally shows the wild man standing on the lions' paws. I know of no other instance where ermine is borne on a field vert, and, in addition, the chief is overall, giving the effect of a decapitated wild man.

For details on the use of ermine and the ermine spot, see the chapter on Bretagne.

MAROMME, Seine-Maritime. Canton, arr. Rouen.

Taillé de gueules à la ruche d'or et d'or à trois cheminées de gueules au chef de sinople à trois abeilles d'or.

Per bend sinister gules a beehive or and or three factory chimneys gules a chief vert three bees or.

The arms were adopted in 1946, and members of the council of the time were anxious to show by their arms that Maromme was a place of work, and chose emblems to reflect the industry, both real and metaphorical, of the commune.

Elbeuf, Seine-Maritime, also bears a beehive. The bees of Maromme are not volant unlike those in the arms of Doudeville, Seine-Maritime.

MONT-SAINT-AIGNAN, Seine-Maritime. Canton, arr. Rouen.

D'or au léopard de gueules accosté de deux branches de laurier de sinople, les tiges passées en sautoir, liées de gueules; au chef endenté d'azur chargé de trois fleurs de lis d'or et de deux demi-fleurs de lis d'or.

Or a lion passant gules between two branches of laurel in saltire vert banded of the second a chief indented three fleurs de lis and three demi fleurs de lis issuant or.

The arms were ascribed in the Armorial Général in 1696.

However, until 1974, because of successive errors in the drawing of the arms, the commune bore:

D'or au lion de gueules accosté de deux branches de laurier de sinople les tiges passées en sautoir liées de gueules; couronne crénelée chargée de trois fleurs de lis d'or.

It is thought that the lion passant became a lion rampant because of the difficulty of fitting it with the laurel branches in saltire. In fact, the present blazon succeeds only because the commune use a rectangular type of French shield and not the more normal heater variety. No explanantion has been found for the earlier suppression of the chief and the subsequent charging of the crown above the shield with the fleurs de lis. I believe that it was because of a misinterpretation of the chief indented, which may have had the appearance of a crown, and which was thought not to form a part of the shield.

It seems likely that the five fleurs de lis on the chief were a representation of semy de lis.

MONTFORT-SUR-RISLE, Eure. Canton, arr. Bernay.

De gueules, au sautoir d'or.

Gules a saltire or.

Canel states that these arms are sculpted on the façade of the Mairie, which was built in 1859.

Information from the Archives Départementales stated that the commune could find no evidence of arms, even though it was thought that the commune possessed a coat.

MONTIVILLIERS, Seine-Maritime. Canton, arr. Le Havre.

Gules a church in perspective argent the spire surmounted by the head of a crozier ... in chief two inescutcheons azure? three fleurs de lis or? and in base a lizard courant argent.

The town supplied an illustration in black and white only, and I have added the tinctures from Canel, who prefers:

De gueules au moutier croisé, fleurdelisé et crossé, d'argent sur un lézard on pointe, aussi d'argent.

The terms croisé, fleurdelisé and croisé signify that a cross, a fleur de lis and the head of a crozier appear on the roof and the tower of the church.

The arms date from the about the middle of the nineteenth century, and are based on those of the Abbaye de Montivilliers, from a document of 1682. On the original document, the main charge is the crozier, with the church shown overall. This gives the effect of the spire running the length of the crozier, and thus hiding it from view, apart from the head which appears to surmount the church, and the tail of the staff, which projects below the church.

The modern blazon ignores the crozier, and in the document, the inescutcheons, which I have assumed to be of France, are not present. Neither do they appear in Canel.

Elsewhere, the arms are given as:

De gueules à une aigle d'or sur un crocodile d'argent(30).

The crocodile may be the lizard of the present arms.

LE NEUBOURG, Eure. Canton, arr. Evreux.

Bendy of six gules and or.

Although there was no confirmation from the town, it is likely that these were the arms of Le Neubourg, who were seigneurs from 1115 to 1240(31).

NEUFCHATEL-EN-BRAY, Seine-Maritime. Canton, arr. Dieppe.

D'azur, à trois tours, deux et une, d'argent, crénelées de trois piès, ouvertes du champ, ajourées et maçonnées de sable.

Azure three towers argent a doorways of the field windows and masoned sable(32).

There was no further information.

NONANCOURT, Eure. Canton, arr. Evreux.

D'argent, au chef de gueules, chargé de trois fleurs de lis d'or.

Argent a chief gules three fleurs de lis or.

These arms were entered into the Armorial Général. Since they bear the fleurs de lis, it is likely that they were already in existence at the time, and not ascribed by Hozier.

NOTRE-DAME-DE-BONDEVILLE, Seine-Maritime. Canton, arr. Rouen.

De sable à une bande échiquetée d'argent et de gueules de trois traits chargée d'un besant surchargé d'un lion couronné de sinople.

Sable on a bend checky argent and gules a bezant charged with a lion rampant crowned vert.

These were the arms of the Abbaye de Bondeville, differenced by the bend checky instead of gobonny counter gobonny.

OFFRANVILLE, Seine-Maritime. Canton, arr. Dieppe.

The first quarter appears to bear Montmorency and the second Luxembourg, but the commune sent no information to accompany the black and white illustration.

PACY-SUR-EURE, Eure. Canton, arr. Evreux.

D'argent à la rose de gueules.

Argent a rose gules.

The arms were granted to the town in 1207. It is said that the king visited the town to restore order after it had been seized by Robert, Count of Leicester. The citizens asked for an audience, bearing a dish of fleurs de lis and roses. They asked that the king grant them arms to show that the town was French and not English. The king picked up a rose, placed it on a silver dish, and told the townspeople that this should be their arms(33).

The story is a pleasant one, but, along with many others, unlikely to be true. A similar story is told in the entry on Vernon, Eure.

PAVILLY, Seine-Maritime. Canton, arr. Rouen.

En haut, à gauche croix fleurdelysée d'or sur fond azur; en haut à droit loup couché d'argent et crosse d'or sur sable; en bas à gauche abeille d'argent sur sable; en bas à droite palé d'or et de d'azur de six pièces au chef de gueules.

Quarterly first azure a cross flory or second sable a wolf couchant argent and a crozier or third sable a bee argent fourth paly of six or and azure a chief gules.

There was no further information. The blazon is old fashioned in its style, giving the charges before the tincture of the field.

There is no indication in the second quarter of how the charges are arranged. The fourth quarter may bear seigneurial arms.

PONT-AUDEMER, Eure. Canton, arr. Bernay.

De gueules, au pont de trois arches, crénelé, d'argent, maçonné de sable, et soutenu d'une rivière aussi d'argent; chef d'azur chargé de trois fleurs de lis d'or.

Gules a three arched bridge argent masoned sable a champagne barry wavy argent and azure a chief azure three fleurs de lis or.

The arms are thought to date from before 1449, when records were destroyed by fire. A seal of 1668 shows:

Un pont de trois arches, fermé de herses et sommé de trois fleurs de lis.

The arms were confirmed by the Armorial Général, and were given royal approval in 1819.

See also the entry on Pont-de-l'Arche, Eure.

PONT-DE-L'ARCHE, Eure. Canton, arr. Les Andelys.

De sable, à un pont de trois arches d'argent maçonné de sable, et au chef cousu d'azur chargé de trois fleurs de lis d'or.

Sable a three arched bridge argent masoned of the field a chief azure three fleurs de lis or.

These are the arms as ascribed by the Armorial Général. Over the years there has been dispute over the number of the arches and whether or not the bridge should be fortified with towers.

It seems that these arguments are cosmetic in nature and that the present arms are as the armorial intended them to be. Apart from the tincture of the field they are virtually the same as Pont-Audemer, Eure, which also has the canting bridge(34).

QUILLEBOEUF-SUR-SEINE, Eure. Canton, arr. Bernay.

Gules an ox passant or a chief azure three fleurs de lis or.

This information is taken from a black and white illustration, which shows that the arms bear a chief.

However, the Armorial Général ascribed:

De gueules à un boeuf passant d'or, surmonté de trois fleurs de lis d'or(35).

The commune uses the tinctures of Normandie, and instead of the lions passant, substitutes the ox, which is a rebus on its name.

ROUEN, Seine-Maritime. Siège de la Région.

De gueules à l'agneau pascal d'argent, la tête contournée, nimbée d'or, avec un guidon d'argent chargé d'une croisette de gueules; au chef d'azur chargé de trois fleurs de lis d'or(36).

Gules a Paschal lamb argent a chief azure three fleurs de lis or.

The lamb is a symbol of the clothmaker's guild, and first appeared on the seal of the town in 1266(37).

In the English blazon, it is always assumed that the Paschal lamb is argent, the head nimbed and contourned, bearing a pennant argent with the cross of St George. The communes of Carcassonne, Aude, and Toulouse, Haute-Garonne, also bear the Paschal lamb.

The arms of Rouen are also shown on a postage stamp in monochrome and on a cigarette card in colour(38).

ROUTOT, Eure. Canton, arr. Bernay.

De sable, au chevron d'argent, accosté de deux épis de blé, d'or, avec une étoile d'argent, en chef, et une boisseau d'or, en pointe.

Sable a chevron argent between in chief a mullet argent in the flanks two ears of wheat in pale and in base a bushel or.

Canel states that work in the church in 1861 uncovered these arms, which are thought to be those of the commune. He is not sure that this is so, but does not believe them to be family arms, especially since the ears of wheat and the bushel are agricultural symbols.

In the absence of information from the commune, I have included them in the list of arms, although the entry may have to be amended at a later date.

RUGLES, Eure. Canton, arr. Evreux.

D'argent à trois quintefeuilles de gueules.

Argent three cinquefoils gules.

These were the arms of Plessis-Châtillon, the last seigneurs, from about 1613 until 1764, on the death of César-Antoine du Plessis-Châtillon, comte de Rugles.

SAINT-ANDRE-DE-L'EURE, Eure. Canton, arr. Evreux.

The Archives Départementales sent me an illustration of a seal of the town, date unknown. t shows two coats of arms on cartouches between two branches, of laurel and oak, and ensigne by a crown. Since I do not know if either of the coats is used by the commune, I have not included them in the list of arms, but give the blazons here:

... a bend ... between six fleurs de lis ... overall an inescutcheon ...,

and

The fourth quarter of the sinister cartouche lacks the chief of the first quarter, but this may be an error in the drawing.

SAINT-ETIENNE-DU-ROUVRAY, Seine-Maritime. canton, arr. Evreux.

De gueules à deux léopards d'or affrontés, armés et lampassés d'azur, mouvant des flancs, supportant une roue dentée d'argent, le tout soutenu de trois trangles ondées du même, mouvant de la pointe; au chef d'azur chargé d'une crosse fleurdelisée d'or, mouvant de la partition, accostée de deux chêne-rouvres d'argent(39).

Gules two demi lions passant affronty or armed and langued azure holding in their paws a cogwheel in base three barrulets wavy argent a chief azure the head of a crozier issuant or between two Russian oak trees argent.

In the arms the lions of Normandie support the cogwheel of industry on a symbol of the Seine. In the chief the chêne-rouvre is a rebus on the name of the town, and the crozier refers both to Saint Etienne and the Abbaye de Wandrille.

For a discussion on the rouvre, Russian oak, see the chapter on Common Emblems.

The arms shown here were painted by Robert Louis.

SAINT-SAENS, Seine-Maritime. Canton, arr. Dieppe.

D'argent à six tourteaux de gueules disposés 3,2,1.

Argent six torteaux.

There was no further information.

The English blazon does not require the tincture for the torteaux, since the the term indicates gules. In French, the term torteau refers to any roundel, and the tincture is then shown. In addition, the English does not need to state the 3,2,1, since this is the normal dispositon of six charges on the field.

SAINT-VALERY-EN-CAUX, Seine-Maritime. Canton, arr. Dieppe.

D'azur, à deux dauphins adossês, d'argent.

Azure two dolphins addorsed argent.

Canel is not sure about these, but states that there had been one or two previous examples of the arms. I received no information from the commune.

LE TREPORT, Seine-Maritime. Commune, arr. Dieppe.

D'azur aux deux navires de sable, équipés d'argent, pavillonnés de gueules, voguant sur une mer de sinople mouvant de la pointe, et quittant la jetée du port d'argent, maçonnée de sable, sur laquelle un guetteur, aussi de sable, tient haut un pavillon de gueules; le tout accompagné au canton senestre du chef d'un croissant contourné d'or adextré d'une étoile du même(40).

Azure two sailing ships sable with masts argent and sails gules a champagne vert in sinister chief a mullet and a crescent contourned in fess or in sinister base on a jetty of the third masoned a man of the second holding a flag of the fourth.

I have no information concerning the arms, but they are more like a painting than a coat of arms.

VERNEUIL-SUR-AVRE, Eure. canton, arr. Evreux.

D'or, au lion rampant de gueules surmonté d'un chef d'azur à trois fleurs de lis d'or; parti, d'azur à la fleur de lis d'or.

Per pale or a lion rampant gules a chief azure three fleurs de lis or and azure a fleur de lis or.

The blazon is from the text of the grant of arms by Louis XVIII in 1816, which gave permission for the town to adopt its original arms.

The arms also appear in Le Grand Larousse.

VERNON, Eure. Canton, arr. Evreux.

D'argent à trois bottes de cresson de sinople, liées d'or, au chef d'azur chargé de trois fleurs de lis d'or.

Argent three bunches of watercress vert banded or a chief azure three fleurs de lis or.

Legend has it that the arms were granted in about 1260 by Louis IX, Saint Louis, following one of his frequent visits to the town. When he wished for refreshment on a hot day, he was served a salad of watercress, in recognition of which he granted three bunches of watercress as the arms of the town, along with the chief of France(41). The arms were readopted after the Revolution in 1826.

The story of a king granting arms after receiving refreshment is part of the romance of heraldry. Another example appearing in this chapter is given under the entry on Pacy-sur-Eure, Eure. Another version of the adoption of the arms of Vernon is that during the Hundred Year's War the town was saved from falling into the hands of the English by the appearance of an emissary disguised as a peasant laden with vegetables(42).

YERVILLE, Seine-Maritime. Canton, arr. Rouen.

D'azur au pairle d'or; au chef de gueules chargé d'un léopard d'or.

Azure a pall or a chief gules a lion passant or.

There was no further information.

YVETOT, Seine-Maritime. Canton, arr. Rouen.

De gueules à deux gerbes de blé d'or, soutenues de deux navettes du même posées en sautoir.

Gules two garbs in chief two weaver's shuttles in saltire or.

The arms were adopted in about 1857, and were designed to indicate the main occupations of the inhabitants. Weaving was extremely important in the area up until the last century.

However, in spite of the fact that the arms were probably adopted before the date of Canel's work, he gives the arms without the weaver's shuttles.

The illustration here is from a card sent to me by the commune.

THE COMMON EMBLEMS IN THE ARMS OF THE REGION

LEOPARDS

The greatest influence in the adoption of civil arms in the région has been that of the léopards de Normandie, with many communes bearing one of more lions passant gardant.

These include Beuzeville, Eure; and the communes of Eu, Grand-Couronne, Le Grand-Quevilly, Mont-Saint-Aignan, Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray and Yerville, in Seine-Maritime.

GULES & OR

The influence of the province goes one stage further, reflected in the large number of communes who have taken arms with a field gules and placed on it charges or. Nine such communes bear arms of this type, but it must be noted that the tinctures may be coincidental.

THE ARMS OF SEIGNEURS IN THE REGION

I have included in this section a list of all communes which bear the arms of former seigneurs, where they have been named. They are divided into those arms which were borne by ecclesiastical authorities and those which were feudal in nature.

ECCLESIASTIC

Abbaye de Bondeville

Charité de Beaumesnil

FEUDAL

Arques, vicomtes d'

Artois, comtes d'

Bec de Lièvre

FitzOsbern

Harcourt de Beaumesnil

Le Neubourg

Le Roux

Leicester, Comtes de

Montgommery

Montmorency

Nonant, comtes de

Plessis-Châtillon

Roussel

THE ARMS OF THE REGION IN ORDER OF THEIR BLAZON

The purpose of the list to enable some comparative study to be made, although I have restricted it to contain only the arms of the communes themselves. I have not included seigneurial arms, where they are not those of the communes, nor the arms of départements, pays or provinces. The list is also incorporated into the Chapter of the List of Arms, where the overall picture is as complete as I can make it.

Argent a bend azure diapered? or. CLERES, Seine-Maritime. Canton, arr. Rouen.

Argent a chief gules three fleurs de lis or. NONANCOURT, Eure. Canton, arr. Evreux.

Argent a lion passant gardant gules. EU, Seine-Maritime. Canton, arr. Dieppe.

Argent a lion ramapant sable armed and langued gules. BLANGY-SUR-BRESLE, Seine-Maritime. Canton, arr. Dieppe.

Argent a rose gules. PACY-SUR-EURE, Eure. Canton, arr. Evreux.

Argent on a fess azure three fleurs de lis or. AUMALE, Seine-Maritime. Canton, arr. Dieppe.

Argent six torteaux. SAINT-SAENS, Seine-Maritime. Canton, arr. Dieppe.

Argent three bunches of watercress vert banded or a chief azure three fleurs de lis or. VERNON, Eure. Canton, arr. Evreux.

Argent three cinquefoils gules. RUGLES, Eure. Canton, arr. Evreux.

Azure a bend sinister overall three sacks of wheat that in base charged with a sickle or a chief gules three bees or. DOUDEVILLE, Seine-Maritime. Canton, arr. Rouen.

Azure a chevron argent between three leopard's heads or. BOURGTHEROULDE-INFREVILLE, Eure. Canton, arr. Bernay.

Azure a cross couped argent between in chief three fleur de lis in fess and in base a mount of three peaks or. ARGUEIL, Seine-Maritime. Canton, arr. Dieppe.

Azure a lion rampant gules. BERNAY, Eure. Arrondissement.

Azure a pall or a chief gules a lion passant or. YERVILLE, Seine-Maritime. Canton, arr. Rouen.

Azure a sword in pale between two crescents argent each ensigned by a fer de lance or a chief gules a cross argent. FONTAINE-LE-DUN, Seine-Maritime. Canton, arr. Dieppe.

Azure in sinister base the trunk of a tree proper surmounted by an axe in fess shafted also proper the blade argent a chief gules three axe blades the edges uppermost argent. BUCHY, Seine-Maritime. Canton, arr. Bernay.

Azure on a fess sable five flames in chief two mullets or. FLEURY-SUR-ANDELLE, Eure. Canton, arr. Les Andelys.

Azure semy de lis or a label of four points gules each charged with three castles triple towered or. BEAUMONT-LE-ROGER, Eure. Canton, arr. Bernay.

Azure three fleurs de lis or overall a bendlet gobonny of six argent and gules. EVREUX, Eure. Chef-lieu du Département.

Azure three salmon fesswise in pale argent?. CAUDEBEC-EN-CAUX, Seine-Maritime. Canton, arr. Rouen.

Azure three towers argent a doorways of the field windows and masoned sable. NEUFCHATEL-EN-BRAY, Seine-Maritime. Canton, arr. Dieppe.

Azure three towers in chief as many fleurs de lis in fess. HARFLEUR, Seine-Maritime. Commune, arr. Le Havre.

Azure two dolphins addorsed argent. SAINT-VALERY-EN-CAUX, Seine-Maritime. Canton, arr. Dieppe.

Azure two sailing ships sable with masts argent and sails gules a champagne vert in sinister chief a mullet and a crescent contourned in fess or in sinister base on a jetty of the third masoned a man of the second holding a flag of the fourth. LE TREPORT, Seine-Maritime. Commune, arr. Dieppe.

Bendy of six gules and or. LE NEUBOURG, Eure. Canton, arr. Evreux.

Gules a bridge of three arches supporting a castle double towered argent. ARQUES-LA-BATAILLE, Commune. Seine-Maritime, Arr. Dieppe.

Gules a castle triple towered argent. LONGUEVILLE-SUR-SCIE, Seine-Maritime. Canton, arr. Dieppe.

Gules a church in perspective ... the spire surmounted by the head of a crozier ... in chief two inescutcheons azure? three fleurs de lis or? and in base an ermine? courant ... MONTVILLIERS, Seine-Maritime. Canton, arr. Le Havre.

Gules a cross engrailed or a chief azure three fleurs de lis or. GISORS, Eure. Canton, arr. les Andelys.

Gules a fess wavy between in chief two cogwheels argent and in base a printer's mallet between a weaver's shuttle and bobbin and a linen shuttle and card or. DARNETAL, Seine-Maritime. Canton, arr. Rouen.

Gules a Paschal lamb argent a chief azure three fleurs de lis or. ROUEN, Seine-Maritime. Siège de la Région.

Gules a salamander argent in flames crowned or a chief azure three fleurs de lis or overall a canton sable a lion rampant or armed and langued gules. LE HAVRE, Seine-Maritime. Arrondissement.

Gules a saltire or. MONTFORT-SUR-RISLE, Eure. Canton, arr. Bernay.

Gules a stag passant argent. CORMEILLES, Eure. Canton, arr. Bernay.

Gules a three arched bridge argent masoned sable a champagne barry wavy argent and azure a chief azure three fleurs de lis or. PONT-AUDEMER, Eure. Canton, arr. Bernay.

Gules a tower argent overall two lions passant gardant or. BEUZEVILLE, Eure. Canton, arr. Bernay.

Gules a tower or masoned sable. GAILLON, Eure. Canton, arr. Les Andelys.

Gules a wild man proper in base two lions rampant affronty or on a bordure vert six ermine's tails argent overall a chief azure three fleurs de lis or. LYONS-LA-FORET, Eure. Canton, arr. Les Andelys.

Gules an ox passant or a chief azure three fleurs de lis or? QUILLEBOEUF-SUR-SEINE, Eure. Canton, arr. Bernay.

Gules on a fess sable between in chief a lion passant and in base a peg or an escallop between two crosses botonny fitchy argent. LE GRAND-QUEVILLY, Seine-Maritime. Canton, arr. Rouen.

Gules on a tower on a terrace in base engrailed argent between two weaver's shuttles or a capital letter B azure a chief azure three fleurs de lis or. BRIONNE, Eure. Canton, arr. Bernay.

Gules three weaver's shuttles in pale argent a chief azure three fleurs de lis or. BOLBEC, Seine-Maritime. Canton, arr. Le Havre.

Gules twelve hammers fesswise in groups of three sable on a fess or an anvil of the second. FORGES-LES-EAUX, Seine-Maritime. Canton, arr. Dieppe.

Gules two demi lions passant affronty or armed and langued azure holding in their paws a cowheel in base three barrulets wavy argent a chief azure the head of a crozier issuant or between two Russian oak trees argent. SAINT-ETIENNE-DU-ROUVRAY, Seine-Maritime. canton, arr. Evreux.

Gules two garbs in chief two weaver's shuttles in saltire or. YVETOT, Seine-Maritime. Canton, arr. Rouen.

Lozengy or and gules a chief azure three fleurs de lis or. BRETEUIL, Eure. Canton, arr. Evreux.

Or a cross gules cantonned by sixteen alerions azure. DAMVILLE, Eure. Canton, arr. Evreux.

Or a lion passant gules between two branches of laurel in saltire vert banded of the second a chief indented three fleurs de lis and three demi fleurs de lis issuant or. MONT-SAINT-AIGNAN, Seine-Maritime. Canton, arr. Rouen.

Or on a bend azure three escallops argent. CONCHES-EN-OUCHE, Eure. Canton, arr. Evreux.

Paly of six or and azure a chief gules three martlets argent. GODERVILLE, Seine-Maritime. Canton, arr. Le Havre.

Per bend sinister gules a beehive or and or three factory chimneys gules a chief vert three bees or. MAROMME, Seine-Maritime. Canton, arr. Rouen.

Per pale a cross couped double traversed gules entwined by a vine vert fructed purpure on a terrace in base of the third and azure a beehive surrounded by bees or on a terrace in base vert. ELBEUF, Seine-Maritime. Canton, arr. Rouen.

Per pale argent a capital letter E gules and azure seven fleurs de lis 2,3,2 or in chief a label of three points dovetailed overall a bendlet couped argent. ETREPAGNY, Eure. Canton, arr. Les Andelys.

Per pale argent three bunches of grapes purpure dimidiating azure as many towers argent masoned sable overall a chief azure three fleurs de lis or. LES ANDELYS, Eure. Arrondissement.

Per pale azure a capital letter L argent enfiled by a ducal crown or and azure a lion rampant or on a bordure gules eight plates. LOUVIERS, Eure. Canton, arr. Evreux.

Per pale azure a garb or and gules two lions rampant in pale sable. BOIS-GUILLAUME, Seine-Maritime. Canton, arr. Dieppe.

Per pale azure and gules overall a three masted sailing ship its sails furled argent. DIEPPE, Seine-Maritime. Arrondissement.

Per pale or a lion rampant gules a chief azure three fleurs de lis or and azure a fleur de lis or. VERNEUIL-SUR-AVRE, Eure. canton, arr. Evreux.

Per pale or three hammers gules and azure three fleurs de lis or. BACQUEVILLE-EN-CAUX, Seine-Maritime. Canton, arr. Dieppe.

Quarterly first ... a chevron ... and in base three roundels ... second ... two bars ... on that in chief three and on that in base two ermine's tails third ... a fess ... in chief a label of three points dovetailed ... fourth ... a heart enflamed ... overall a cross ... BEAUMESNIL, Eure. Canton, arr. Bernay.

Quarterly first a demi lion passant or second azure a demi crown or third azure the bow of a ship or with an anchor cable in base three bars wavy argent fourth a quarter wheel indented argent. GRAND-COURONNE, Seine-Maritime. Canton, arr. Dieppe.

Quarterly first and fourth azure three fleurs de lis or second argent a barbel in pale gules third argent a church issuant from base and the sinister flank sable overall a bendlet gobonny of six argent and gules. EVREUX-NORD, Eure. Canton, arr. Evreux.

Quarterly first argent a cross gules cantonned by sixteen alerions sable second barry of eight argent and azure? a lion rampant double queued gules? crowned or? third tierced ... a rainbow ... three martlets ... fourth azure? two pikes in saltire ... cantonned by in chief a crescent ... and three mullets ... OFFRANVILLE, Seine-Maritime. Canton, arr. Dieppe.

Quarterly first azure a cross flory or second sable a wolf couchant argent and a crozier or third sable a bee argent fourth paly of six or and azure a chief gules. PAVILLY, Seine-Maritime. Canton, arr. Rouen.

Sable a chevron argent between in chief a mullet argent in the flanks two ears of wheat in pale and in base a bushel or. ROUTOT, Eure. Canton, arr. Bernay.

Sable a three arched bridge argent masoned of the field a chief azure three fleurs de lis or. PONT-DE-L'ARCHE, Eure. Canton, arr. Les Andelys.

Sable an armed horseman holding a lance in his right hand argent in chief a fleur de lys or. GOURNAY-EN-BRAY, Seine-Maritime. Canton, arr. Dieppe.

Sable on a bend checky argent and gules a besant charged with a lion rampant crowned vert. NOTRE-DAME-DE-BONDEVILLE, Seine-Maritime. Canton, arr. Rouen.

Vert three pavillions argent a chief azure semy of seeds a falcon rising holding in his talons a cornucopia argent. FECAMP, Seine-Maritime. Canton, arr. Le Havre.

SELECT BIBLIOGRAPHY

All works consulted are cited in the main bibliography, but there is one of special importance to the study of the région:

Canel, A: Armorial des Villes et Corporations de la Normandie, comprenant les municipalités, les évêchés, Rouen, 1863.

APPENDIX

The following cantons do not possess a coat of arms:

SEINE-MARITIME

Saint-Romain-de-Colbosc

In addition, information from the Archives Départementales of Seine-Maritime stated that arms could not be found for the following communes:

Bellencombre

Boos

Carny-Barville

Caudebec-lès-Elbeuf

Criquetot-L'Esneval

Duclair

Envermeu

Fauville-en-Caux

Gonfreville-l'Orcher

Le Petit-Quevilly

Lillebonne

Londiniers

Ourville-en-Caux

Sotteville-lès-Rouen

Totes

Valmont

EURE

Saint-Georges-du-Vièvre

Of the 34 cantons which are towns in EURE I could discover no information about the following:

Amfreville-la-Campagne

Broglie

Ecos

Thiberville

None of the above cantons in Eure appears in Canel, and the Archives Départementales could give me no information.

NOTES

1. This is the grand total of cantons in the département. However, a large town can be divided into several cantons, although the town itself possesses only one coat of arms. I have therefore given the total number of cantons which could bear arms, as well as the grand total.

2. Le Grand Larousse.

3. The Armorial Communale de la Manche is adamant that the correct arms of Normandie bear three leopards and not two.

4. Pinches, R & Wood, A: A European Armorial.

5. Both stamps are catalogued in Gibbons, S: France, Part 6: No817, Arms of Provinces, 2nd series, 27 March 1944 (colour); and No2048, 8 June 1974 (monochrome). The second of these was to commemorate th D Day landings in Normandie.

6. Le Grand Larousse.

7. Canel, A: Armorial des Villes et Corporations de la Normandie. Because of the large numbers of references to this work in the text I have not placed an endnote each time that I have cited Canel.

8. The Archives Départementales de l'Eure sent me a comment from the commune: "On a remarqué avec surprise que les armoiries de Beaumont sont celles du faussaire Robert d'Artois... Et Saint-Denis, dans son intéressant ouvrage sur Beaumont écrit: "Plutôt que d'avoir adopté celles d'un traitre, qui porta les armes contre la France, et fut l'une des causes de cette affreuse guerre contre l'Angleterre, qui pendant plus d'un siècle, couvrit notre pays de ruines et de sang, il eut été plus rationnel et surtout moins affligeant de choisir celles des comtes de Meulan, qui donnèrent à note cité un degré de splendeur et de puissance extraordinaire pour leur époque".

9. Scott-Giles, C W: Civic Heraldry of England & Wales, p233.

10. The fish is the osmerus eparlanus, related to the salmon, and also known as the sparling in English, especially in Scotland.

11. Diapering was once common on shields, especially on those intended to be used formally or ceremonially, and took the form of an arabesque pattern traced on the larger expanses, usually the field. See the Glossary for a full discussion on the use of the term.

12. The French conque is used particularly for the triton nodifer, a gastropod.

13. Archives Départementales.

14. There are two types of shuttle shown, presumably for dealing with different types of cloth. Chardon, has the meaning of both thistle or teazle and weaver's card, the derivation and application being the same. The card is used for removing unwanted material from the wool.

15. Le Grand Larousse, although Boudier, A: Dieppe et sa Région, reverses the tinctures of the field.

16. Le Grand Larousse.

17. In fact, I deliberately did not write to those cantons which were themselves part of a larger town; the information on Evreux-Nord was sent to me from the Archives Départementales.

18. One of the seigneurial families referred to is Harenc, but no arms are cited. Is ot possible that the barbel is a rebus on hareng, herring?

19. Le Grand Larousse.

20. Archives Départementales.

21. It is possible, although I have no evidence, that the martlets are a rebus. The name roussel is from roux, which means russet or reddish in colour. The name of the bird, rossignol, is in English nightingale, which may be the reason for the martlets. In normal French blazon paly is palé.

22. Canel, op cit. He cites Toussaint-Duplessis, but gives no date.

23. The word queville does not exist in modern French, and is probably a dialect form of cheville. This derives from the Latin clavis, nail, and has the meaning of peg, pin or dowel.

24. The information was sent by another commune, which included a copy of a page from Armorial des Villes de France, Série 3e, Normandie.

25. Le Grand Larousse.

26. In 1915, before the end of the War, the arms were gules a salamnder argent crowned and in flames or a chief azure three fleurs de lis or, Fox-Davies, A C: The Book of Public Arms.

27. Gibbons, S: Part 6, France, No765, Arms of Towns, Second Series, 5 October 1942.

28. Le Grand Larousse. Although Canel confirms the tinctures, he gives an orle and not a bordure.

29. Mathieu, Rémy, Le Système héraldique français, p182.

30. Armorial des Villes de France, Série 3e, Normandie.

31. An illustration in Le Dictionnaire de l'Eure give the arms as gules five bendlets or. This type of confusion is extremely common in heraldry. Here it is compounded by Canel: op cit, who gives: Bendy of twelve or and azure.

32. Armorial des Villes de France, Série 3e, Normandie.

33. "Gentilz bourgeois, dit le roy, c'est grant plaisir a moy d'ouyr celles paroles... et il print sur le drecoir ung platel d'argent et y placa une rose moult belle et dit, povres gens mais gardians de honeur et justice, veez cy vos armoiries".

34. In fact Canel, A: op cit, confuses the situation by ascribing: gules a bridge of nine arches surmounted by a tower argent masoned sable between two latin crosses issuant or a champagne vert.

35. Canel, op cit, who gives the fleurs de lis as or.

36. Le Grand Larousse.

37. Louda, J: European Civic Coats of Arms, p214. Fox-Davies, A C: The Book of Public Arms, gives the tincture of the Paschal lamp as proper.

38. The stamp is listed in Gibbons, op cit: No729, Arms of Towns, 1st Series, 15 December 1941; the cigarette card is Arms of Foreign Cities, Wills, 1912, No47.

39. Le Grand Larousse.

40. Le Grand Larousse.

41. The chief of France modern does not fit the date of the adoption of the arms. Up until the time of Charles V, the arms of the French monarchy had been azure semy de lis or. In about 1365, the king changed the arms to azure three fleurs de lis or, perhaps in honour of the Virgin, or perhaps to thwart the English kings who had quartered France ancient in about 1340. For the reference to the Virgin, see the entry on the fleur de lis in the chapter on Common Emblems.

42. Canel, A: Armorial National, a work unknown to me. This story is not well received in the town.