THE SEALS, INSIGNIA, AND CORPORATE OFFICES OF LEICESTER
In 1258 the guild merchant bought a 'new' seal,
which suggests that they had had one previously. (fn. 1)
It is not clear whether this is the same as the seal of
the community of Leicester, first mentioned in 1277. (fn. 2)
The earliest surviving impression of that seal is
attached to a document of 1343. It is circular, 2¾ in.
in diameter, and bears a cinquefoil, surrounded by
the legend, in lombardic lettering, sigillum communitatis leyrcestrie. (fn. 3) In some impressions it can
be seen that the cinquefoil is covered with small
rough marks, probably intended to indicate that the
cinquefoil is ermine. (fn. 4) The matrix, which was said in
1511 to be of gilt copper, (fn. 5) remained in use until
Charles I captured Leicester in 1645, when it was
carried off by the Royalists. (fn. 6) In August 1645 a new
common seal, similar to the old one, was ordered to
be made. (fn. 7) It was of brass. (fn. 8) No impression is known.
A new one was made in 1647–8. It closely resembled
that lost in 1645, being circular, about 2½ in. in diameter, and bearing a cinquefoil, with a single conventional mark indicating ermine on each leaf of the
cinquefoil. The legend, in humanistic lettering, reads
sigillum communitatis burgi leicestrie. (fn. 9) By 1706
borough documents were being sealed with a wafer. (fn. 10)
The seal in use in 1956 was that made for the reformed
corporation in 1836. It is circular, about 2¼ in. in
diameter, and bears a pierced ermine cinquefoil,
with the legend in humanistic lettering, seal of the
mayor aldermen and burgesses of leicester 1836.
A detached impression of a mayor's seal was exhibited to the Leicestershire Archaeological Society in
1873. It was circular, and bore, within a canopy, a
seated figure of the Virgin holding the Child, in base
a shield charged with a cinquefoil. This device was
surrounded by the legend sigill' meioratus ville
leycestrie. It was judged at the time of exhibition,
perhaps wrongly, to be of Edward III's reign. (fn. 11) The
first documentary reference to a mayor's seal occurs
in 1420. (fn. 12) In 1511 the mayor's seal was of silver. (fn. 13)
Like the common seal, it was carried off by the
Royalists in 1645. (fn. 14) A new mayor's seal of silver was
ordered to be made in August 1645. (fn. 15) It is probably
the matrix of this seal that is now preserved in the
Leicester City Museum. The seal is circular, with a
diameter of 13/8 in., and shows the Virgin crowned,
holding the Child in one hand, and a sceptre in the
other. The legend, in humanistic lettering, reads
sigillum stat' maio' burgi leicestri. This seal was
in existence about 1815, when it was said to be in use
for sealing statutes. (fn. 16) In 1873 it was said to have been
long disused. (fn. 17) A circular seal, 5/8 in. in diameter,
bearing a cinquefoil and surrounded by the legend
burgus leycestriae was being used on documents of
1620–30 as a counter-seal to the common seal. (fn. 18) It
was presumably the same as the seal described by
Nichols about 1815 which was then being used for
sealing capiases and letters, and was kept by the
mayor for the time being. (fn. 19)
Besides the seals already described there were
about 1815 two further seals belonging to the mayor
and corporation, but it is not possible to give full
descriptions of either of them. One bore a cinquefoil,
and the legend sigillum statut' burgi leicestrie.
It was then used for sealing statutes, and was kept by
the clerk of the statutes. The other is said to have
borne a cinquefoil surmounted by a casque and a
dragon. It is probable that the device in this case was
a cinquefoil surmounted by a casque bearing as a
crest a wyvern, the crest of the borough. (fn. 20)
In 1378–9 a mace was purchased by the chamberlains of Leicester. (fn. 21) It is possible that this was the
first mace that the borough possessed. (fn. 22) By 1531–2
there were also four lesser maces, of silver. (fn. 23) A 'night
mace' is mentioned at the same date, (fn. 24) but nothing
further is known about it, though it may be the same
as the brazen mace mentioned in 1517–18. (fn. 25) An
inventory of the town plate drawn up in 1551 lists
only the great mace and the four lesser ones. (fn. 26) In 1585
it was decided that a new great mace should be
bought, and that the old one should be retained. (fn. 27)
The old mace was repaired in 1601, (fn. 28) but nothing
further is known of it.
At the sack of Leicester in May 1645 the great
mace was carried off by the king's forces, and later
in the year a new one was purchased. (fn. 29) In 1649 the
Common Hall decided that the great mace should be
altered to conform with the pattern laid down by the
House of Commons, (fn. 30) but in 1650 a new and considerably larger mace was bought, and the old one
was apparently sold. (fn. 31) At the Restoration the great
mace and the four small silver maces were altered,
probably by having the royal arms affixed. (fn. 32)
In 1836 the great mace and the four lesser maces
were sold by order of the reformed corporation. (fn. 33)
The great mace was repurchased in 1856, and in
1956 was still in the possession of Leicester Corporation. (fn. 34) Two of the small maces have been regained by
the corporation. (fn. 35)
In 1867 the corporation purchased a gold and
enamelled chain, with a medallion bearing the town's
arms, for the mayor's use. (fn. 36)
A list of aldermen who acted as chief magistrates
of Leicester during the first half of the 13th century,
of the mayors from 1250 to 1928, and of lord mayors
from 1928 to 1935, is printed in the Roll of the Mayors
of the Borough and the Lord Mayors of the City of
Leicester, by Henry Hartopp. No complete list of
town clerks has been published, but the names of
such town clerks as are known for the period before
1688 are listed in the printed volumes of the Leicester
Borough Records. (fn. 37) A list of town clerks up to 1807 is
printed by Nichols. (fn. 38) This list is complete from 1577
onwards, but not for the period before that date. A
list of town clerks for the years 1836–94 has been
printed by Storey. (fn. 39)
Leicester City and County Borough.
Arms: Gules,
a cinquefoil ermine, pierced at the centre. Crest: On a wreath
argent and gules, a silver legless wyvern strewn with red
wounds. Supporters: Two lions reguardant gules, each with a
gold ducal coronet about its neck, and hanging therefrom by a
gold chain a pierced cinquefoil ermine.
[Arms and crest recorded by the heralds, 1619; supporters
granted 1926]