Quest to find origins of crest

RESTORED . . . Councillor Graham Shuttleworth (left), chair of Chadderton District Executive, and Chadderton Central councillor Eddie Moores, deputy cabinet member for economy and enterprise, with the restored Chadderton crest, and (below) the current crest

CONSERVATION work has returned an historic Chadderton shield to its former splendour.

Workers at Chadderton Town Hall stumbled on the damaged crest under the building’s stage. The shield contains the unofficial insignia used in the early days of the Chadderton Urban District Council and before the current crest was constituted in 1955 during diamond jubilee celebrations.

Why the shield was stored there and its origins remain shrouded in mystery. In the 1950s doubts had been cast on its authenticity, its design not one that might be suggested by the College of Heralds, the designers and keepers of coats of arms.

The rediscovered crest was taken to Gallery Oldham and has been restored by Heritage Project Management for Chadderton’s district executive. It is now on display at Chadderton Town Hall.

Councillor Graham Shuttleworth, chair of the executive, said: “It is wonderful to see it restored to its former glory. This coat of arms has an interesting history and one that has left many people scratching their heads. We may have pieced the crest back together, but we want to piece together its history too, and tell more of Chadderton’s story.

“We would like to appeal to anyone who would be able to shed some light on the origins of the coat of arms to come forward.”

The crest was widely used in civic buildings and fittings and can be seen in a couple of rooms in Chadderton Town Hall. The official, current coat of arms was designed by Ellis Tomlinson, who incorporated features from the arms of the de Trafford, Chadderton, Radclyffe, Assheton and Horton families, who had lived in Foxdenton and Chadderton.

If you have any information about the origins of the pre-1955 crest, email presspr@oldham.gov.uk.