Coat of Arms, 1953
Local History
Extract of the Matriculation of the arms of the Burgh of Tayport…
In the county of Fife, having by Petition unto the Lord Lyon Kong of Arms of date 10th February 1953 Shewn: THAT the said Burgh was erected as a Burgh of Barony in the name Portincraig, or the South Ferry of Portincraig, by Crown Charter of date 22nd January 1598 from His Majesty King James VI in favour of Robert Durie of the Ilk, but that the said Burgh has been known by the name of Tayport since the year 1846: AND the Petitioners having prayed that Ensigns Armorial might be matriculated for the said Burgh in the Public Register of All arms and Bearings in Scotland. The Lord Lyon King of Arms by Interlocutor of date 6th May 1953 Granted Warrant to the Lyon Clerk to matriculate in the Public Register of all Arms and Bearings in Scotland in the name of the Petitioners the following Ensigns Armorial, VIDELICET: - PER FESS WAVY OR AND IN BASE UNDY AZURE AND ARGENT, A PILE CHEQUY OF THE LAST AND SABLE ENSIGNED OF A MULLET OF SIX POINTS GULES IN THE HONOUR POINT, ACCOMPANIED ON THE DEXTER BU A LYMPHAD OF THE SECOND, FLAGGED OF SCOTLAND, HER SAIL CHARGED WITH THE ARMS OF DURIE OF THAT ILK, VIZ. AZURE, A CHEVRON ARGENT BETWEEN THREE CRESCENTS OR, AND ON THE SINISTER BY AN ANCHOR ALSO AZURE: below the shield, which is ensigned of a coronet appropriate to a Burgh, is set in an Escrol this Motto “TE OPORTET ALTE FERRI”. Matriculated the Twelfth day of June 1953. Extracted furth of the 91st page of the Thirty Ninth Volume of the Public Register of all Arms and Bearings in Scotland this Twelfth day of June 1953
Sgd. H. A. B. Lawson, Lyon Clerk
Keeper of the Records.
A near translation of the description of the “Ensign Armorial” of the Coat of Arms.
Over, a golden band wavy and in base undulating in Blue and Silver, a chequered pile of Silver and Black ensigned with a Red star of six points in the centre accompanied on the right by a ship in Blue flagged of Scotland, her sails charged with the Arms of Durie of the Ilk viz. Blue, a Silver chevron between three Gold crescents and on the left by an anchor also Blue: below the shield which is ensigned of a coronet appropriate to a Burgh is set an Escrol this motto “TE OPORTEST ALTE FERRI” “It is encumbent, opportune on you to carry yourself high.”
Latin by Dr Douglas Young, late professor of Latin and Greek, St. Andrews University.
In Heralory the right and left are reversed i.e. it is the pictures right and left.