Rotherham Township, 1870
Rotherham was incorporated in 1870, the Township being divided into six wards. The following is a full description of the Corporate Seal, with the reasons for adopting the emblems:
- On the left hand of the Seal are three cannon, colour iron colour on a Shield of enamelled deep blue, and on the right hand are three Stags on a green shield with a diagonally striped ground, the stripes running from right to left upwards ; and on the lower side on the right hand the White Rose of York. In the middle, between the two shields (placed diagonally) is the Caduceus of Mercury, the hand flesh-coloured and the spreading wings dove-coloured and the serpent green, the whole of this resting on a bridge pricked out in dead silver, sky effects, distance and water blue, the bridge rising from waved water lines of green and blue. The motto is 'Thus trade flourishes'
- The reasons for adopting the Emblems were The left hand Shield, with three cannons. The Walkers, who were the greatest ironfounders of the North, coming to Rotherham about 1741, and who made the principal part of the cannon for the Peninsular War up to 1815, although it is said cannon were founded here as early as 1650 ; for these reasons the Town adopted this symbol before the incorporation. It was then thought desirable, as Thomas of Rotherham, Archbishop of York, was such a noted man, as will be seen from " Guest's Rotherham" (an extract of which I append), to incorporate his Arms with the adopted Town's Arms, in honour of one of England's greatest men who was born here. Extract "Thomas Scott, alias Rotherham, fellow first of King's College (Cambridge), Chaplain of King Edward the 4th, Provost of Beverley, Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal, Bishop of Rochester and Lincoln, Chancellor of England and of this University, built the School gates, with the Consistory and Library there ; contributed to the renewing of St. Mary's Church, finished and endowed Lincoln College (Oxford), chosen Master of this Hall (Pembroke) in 1480, and that year Archbishop of York, Legate to the Pope, and Secretary to four Kings ; he resigned his Mastership in 1488, having built Jesus College at Rotherham, and the three houses of his Archbishopric. He died of the plague in 1500." He was born at Rotherham, Aug. 24, 1423, his father being Sir Thomas Rotherham, of Rotherham. The Caduceus of Mercury was adopted as emblematical of the wide spread trade induced by Rotherham's noted manufactures in iron ; the Bridge being a representation of the Southwark Bridge over the Thames, in London, made by the Walkers about 1800 to 1815, at a cost of 287,000, the only firm which was able to accomplish such a work, having before shown their skill in bridge building by erecting Sunderland Bridge, the highest in the kingdom then, and so difficult that on it to this day the motto, is " Nil desperandum, auspice Deo." So that we considered it would be a fitting testimony to the past and present enterprise and spirit of the Town and its manufacturers, as well as of the makers and founders of the staple trade of the Town.
Source: The Times newspaper
©2004