When it came to designing and choosing a club crest for Hinckley AFC, the members
wanted to move away from an intricate coat of arms style and opted for a more modern
'shield' style of badge. 6 designs of club crest were presented for members to vote on,
each representing the town of Hinckley in a different way. The crest voted for by the
members was an amalgamation of all the designs incorporating elements of each, and represented
in 4 quarters of the crest.
Lower left quarter: The Arms of Honour of Hinckley, which has by now long been established
with Hinckley and Hinckley football clubs, and is representative of Simon De Montfort, 6th Earl
of Leicester, and his association with the area.
Upper right quarter: The White Lion rampant also represents Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl
of Leicester, being his battle arms as seen on the image below of Chartres Cathederal,
considered to be one of the progenitors of modern parliamentary democracy, and represents
not only the history of Leicestershire, but also the democratic one member one vote
ethos of the football club.
Lower right quarter: The Hansom Cab represents part of the history of Hinckley, as Joseph Hansom
first developed and tested his Hansom Cabriolet Taximeter design in Hinckley in the 1830s.
Hansom's design was later modified by John Chapman and resulted in the popular 'Hansom Cab' of
Victorian era, and is also the etymology of the phrase 'taxi cab'.
Upper left quarter: The Phoenix represents the rebirth of the new football club after
the dissolving of Hinckley United.
The History of the Crest
Writing in 1782, John Nicholls, the town's first historian, had recorded that
"In a valuable volume of records belonging to the Duchy of Lancaster is the
blazonry of the ducal arms, accompanied by the banners of the various
lordships... Among these is the banner born by the old Earls of Leicester in
right of their honour of Hinckley, viz' Party per Pale, Argent and Gules."
In other words silver and red divided vertically with a serrated line.
The antiquity of this device is beyond question, a window in Chartres Cathederal
depicts Simon De Montfort, Earl of Leicester c.1209-1265, carrying the same banner.
It was painted on a shield in St Mary's Church by 1622, but the relevance to the
connection with Hinckley is unclear. It seems unlikely that Simon De Montfort
would choose to carry a banner peculiar to one of the town's of his Earldom, as
indeed De Montfort's own arms were a Silver Lion with a forked tail on a red
background (pictured right). It was regarded by John Nicholls as a device associated
with De Montfort's Earldom that would later come to be regarded as the banner of the
Honour of Hinckley.
Whatever the case, this device came to have special significance for the town.
It was borne on the flag that headed the Show Fair in 1787, that included someone
dressed up as Hugh De Grantmesnil, who was by dubious and circumstancial evidence
deemed to be one of the town's earliest Norman Lords. The error was compounded
when the Ostrich Feathers of the De Grantmesnil family were incorporated into
the following Crest, and a myth was established that exists even to this day.
In 1887 Thomas Harold displayed the 'Banner of the Honour of Hinckley' to a
meeting of the Leicestershire Architectural and Archaeological Society, and in
1890 Thomas Harold also used the banner at the head of a series of articles of
the town's history. More official acceptance was evident by it's incorporation
in the facade and a stained glass window in the new Council Offices built in
Station Road in 1904, and it's inclusion in the 'Coronation Guide' of 1911. The
motto 'Anglia Cor' was added in the same year, 1911, by the Urban District
Council and 40 years before the official grant of arms, the council had adopted
it's own unnofficial arms.
Hinckley Urban District Crest
Arms:
Per pale Argent and Gules on a Chief Erminois a Maunch of the second
between two Flames of Fire proper.
Crest:
On a Wreath of the Colours in front of five Ostrich Feathers Argent a Ram's Head
erased Sable and armed Or.
Motto: 'ANGLIAE COR' - The heart of England.
The coat of arms was officially granted to Hinckley District on 16th August 1946,
though had been used by the District for some hundred years previous. It ceased
to represent the Hinckley District on 15th November 1974 when Bosworth District
was merged with Hinckley District to form the Hinckley & Bosworth Borough.
The basis of the shield is formed by the arms of the Honour of Hinckley, as
borne by Simon de Montfort, Earl of Leicester. The Maunch, or lady's sleeve, is
the emblem of the Hastings family, who held the Manors of Barwell and Burbage in
Norman times. It is flanked by two "flames of fire proper" which had been
the crest of the Flamvilles, who succeeded the Hastings family in the Manor of
Burbage. The Ostrich Feathers are from the crest of the De Grantmesnils, allegedly
the earliest Norman Lords of Hinckley. The town's woollen industry was indicated
by the Ram's Head and a Chief of Ermine can be seen as Leather representing the
Hosiery and Shoe Manufacturers of the Hinckley District.
Hinckley & Bosworth Borough Crest
Arms:
Per pale Argent and Gules on a Chief Or three Roundrels Gules, in the
centre charged with a Pierced Cinquefoil Ermine the others each charged with a
Mascle Or
Crest:
On a Wreath of the Colours a Dragon Gules preying on a Boar passant Argent.
Supporters:
Two Rams Rams reguardant Sable armed Or.
Motto: 'POST PROELIA CONCORDIA' - After the battle, peace.
The coat of arms was officially granted to Hinckley & Bosworth Borough Council
on 15th November 1974. It is an amalgamation of the Hinckley Urban Dictrict Council
and Bosworth Rural District Council crests.
The gold Chief comes from the arms of the Dixie family of Market Bosworth. The red
Roundels are from the arms of the De Grey family, the gold Mascles from those of
the Ferrers and the ermine Cinquefoil from those of Robert de Beaumont, Earl of
Leicester. All these families were prominent in the borough.
The crest refers to the Battle of Bosworth Field, symbolising the defeat of the
white boar, Richard III, by the red dragon, the traitor Henry VII.
The supporting black rams commemorate the woollen industry upon which Hinckley's
staple trade of hosiery manufacture was originally founded and also as a reference
to the important local industry of boot and shoe manufacture.
The motto is that previously used by the Market Bosworth RDC.
Hinckley United Crest
Arms:
Per pale Argent and Gules on a Chief Azure three Roundrels Gules, in the
centre charged with a Pierced Cinquefoil Ermine the others each charged with a
Mascle Argent.
Crest:
On a Wreath of the Colours a Robin sits atop an Eagle.
Supporters:
Two Rams reguardant Argent armed Azure & Gules.
Motto: 'Hinckley United FC'.
Having previously used the Arms of Honour of Hinckley since 1997, this crest became
the Official Club Badge for Hinckley United Football Club in June 2006.
The Arms of Honour of Hinckley, the Chief plus Roundrels, Cinquefoil and Mascles
were all kept in the crest to represent the town of Hinckley and the area of South
West Leicestershire. The colouring in the badge was changed to the representative
colours from the two merged clubs, Red from Hinckley Athletic and Blue from Hinckley
United. The crest is also representative of the two merged clubs, the Robin is from
Hinckley Athletic's club badge and the Eagle is from Hinckley Town's club badge.
The supporting rams were also kept to represent the hosiery trade and woollen industry
of the area of Hinckley.