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Mercia, England (United Kingdom)

by Jaume Ollé

Flag of Mercia
Historical Flag of Mercia
Tamworth

See also:

Flag of Mercia

A proposed flag for the Mercia historic region should the region be restored, according Flagmaster 103.

Jaume Ollé, 22 May 2002

Abstracted from an article in Flagmaster v. 103, "A Flag for Mercia: The Central Region":

Summarizing the article, Mercia was one of three kingdoms (Northumbria, Mercia, Wessex) that were consolidated from the Angle-Saxon heptarchy in the early 9th Century in England, and united with Wessex after the reconquest of the Danelaw in 973 under Edgar. The flag is new, designed for the Region of Mercia. Graham Walker, the designer stated, "The Mercia Movement was founded on 19 August 1993, by a group of individuals inspired by a common vision of a sustainable alternative future. It is a movement rooted in historical reality and intends to re-create Mercia as a legal autonomous entity, within the boundaries which existed prior to 1066 and within an English Confederation." The flag is intended to be adaptable for use by sub-units (i.e., counties) by adding a badge in the white field. The flag has a white field bordered above and below by wavy, light blue bands, which are each from one-quarter to one-fifth the height of the flag. A vertical green panel, one third the length of the flag, at the hoist bears a gold shield, carrying an odal rune and the word MERCIA in black. The blue bands represent the Humber and Thames, the sometime northern and southern boundaries of Mercia. The green vertical is for Offa's Dyke, a defence against the Welsh to the west. The design was approved on 12 May 2001 by the Mercia Second Constitutional Convention.
Rob Raeside, 26 June 2002

Historical Flag of Mercia

by Ivan Sache

The Flag of Mercia is a gold cross (from corner to corner) on a blue background. This flag flies from Tamworth Castle, and bares no resemblance to the proposed flag. Tamworth is the Capital of Mercia. Local historians here in Tamworth seem to think that this flag is or was the flag of the Kingdom of Mercia, and fly it as often as possible on along with other flags of the region.
Stan Wilde, 30 May 2003

The saltire flag of Mercia comes from this source, along with the Sussex swallows, the Middlesex and Essex seaxes, the golden dragon of Wessex, the white horse of Kent, the golden crowns of East Anglia and the rampant lion of Northumbria. All seven of the Saxon Heptarchy kingdoms were assigned arms at a much later date.
Source "The Romance of Heraldry" by C.W.Scott-Giles, London 1929, reprinted with revisions 1965 & 1967
Mike Hill, 23 February 2007

Tamworth

The crest of Tamworth Football Club retains the original arms of the town. The Borough Council now uses a stylised logo depicting the outline of a white swan on the Rive Tame in front of Tamworth Castle on a green background.

The following description is taken from www.civicheraldry.co.uk.
ARMS: Per fess Azure and Gules a Fess Vair between in chief a Saltire and in base a Fleur-de-Lis Or.
CREST: On a Wreath of the Colours infront of a Mount Vert thereon a representation of Tamworth Castle proper two Swords in saltire Or.
SUPPORTERS: On the dexter side a Bear Argent muzzled Gules collared and chained Or and on the sinister side a Lion Gules crowned Or.
BADGE: A Saltire Or surmounted by a Fleur-de-Lys Azure.
Granted 1st May 1965.

The gold saltire on blue is from the arms of the Kingdom of Mercia. When Offa came to the throne of Mercia in 757 AD, he made Tamworth his chief residence and built a palace there. Shortly after the Norman Conquest, William gave the royal Anglo-Saxon castle of Tamworth and its lands to his Royal Steward, Robert de Marmion. It was the Marmion family, who built the stone castle and the vair is from their arms. The fleur-de-lys is from the Borough Seal and probably derives from the arms of Elizabeth I, by whom the town was incorporated. The crossed sword in front of a representation of Tamworth Castle, represent the office of Champion of England, held by the Marmion family. The crowned lion, is like one of the supporters of the arms of Staffordshire County Council and the chained bear, is like that in the arms of Warwickshire County Council. Tamworth was previously situated in both counties; the boundary ran through the centre of the town along the main streets, until 1889 when the town was transferred wholly to Staffordshire.
Andrew Milner, 4 September 2002

The medieaval heralds assigned arms to those who would have been armigerous before the invention of heraldry in the late twelfth century. Thus the arms of King Harold, Edward the Confessor and William the Conqueror. They even designed arms for Jesus and Satan!