Melling Parish Council Crest

Halsall of Halsall

(Silver and blue, three Dragons)

This stands for the foundation of the ancient ‘Chapel of Melling in the Parish of Hallsall’.

This chapel dates back to earlier than 1190.

The ancient church Vestry Meetings are the beginning of Local Government.

Molyneux of Melling

(Blue and gold, cross with a crescent)

This detail is from an old memorial in Melling Church. It shows the Moline Cross, with a crescent.

“The Molyneux family had long claimed a manor and made Melling their principal home, their house being known as the Hall in the Wood (Pleadings, 1511).

Tatlock of Cunscough

(Blue and silver, a dolphin)

This represents the Tatlock family who settled in Melling about 1200. In the 17th century John Tatlock and his family founded the Tatlock Charity for Educational purposes

The Bootle family

This detail from an old memorial in Melling church shows a Weaver’s comb. This distinguished family married into the Wilbraham family. Lethom House was built by Sir Thomas Bootle about 1734. (The ancient Bootle arms showed 3 combs).

It is interesting to note that the old inn ‘Bootle Arms’ was sometimes called ‘The House Comb’ evidently a misnomer originating from the comb in the Coat of Arms.

Heraldic Lancashire Rose (Seeded)

Green for the ancient wood of Melling mentioned in Doomsday book.

The Badge

The badge is representational;

It represents the beginnings of local government in Melling, through the ancient Church Vestry, which administered such things as Poor relief, the appointment of the Constable and the Surveyor of the Highways, the upkeep of the roads, delineation and maintenance of the boundaries, the levying of a voluntary rate, the provisions of education through the Tatlock Charity etc. It represents the settlement in Melling of the ancient families and the beginning of land clearance and farming in the 12th and 13th century. These three principal landowners were associated for many hundreds of years with the Church Vestries, members of their families being Church wardens. Geographically it represents the three corners of Melling with the Church in the centre.