An early example of the "correct" Chorley crest
Concern over the motto on the badge to go on the plinth of the Chorley Pals Memorial was voiced in the local press recently.
Dating back to c1380, the original Chorley family shield did not have a scroll, so where the original “Beware” motto came from is not known but it certainly was there when the town’s coat of arms came into being on the 3rd July 1882. The change to “Be Aware” occurred in 1988 and was done by the then newly appointed Chief Executive, Geoff Davies, who apparently took it upon himself to change the motto without public consultation – his recommendation was accepted by the full Council.
As for the Chorley Pals Memorial, it will be historically correct and have the ‘old’ motto of “Beware” on it.
Chorley Pals Memorial Secretary, Steve Williams, said “It was brought to our attention back in November 2009 and Trustees immediately agreed to have a new logo done for the stonework on the memorial. We all felt that that the Pals should have the town’s coat of arms that they would have recognised back in 1914″. That work has cost the charity around a £1,000 as the work on the Pals barbed wire logo, including the Chorley coat of arms, had to be recreated specially for the stone carving machines.
The result should be there for all to see when the memorial is unveiled on Sunday, 28th February.
