THE ORIGINS OF SOUTHAMPTON`S ARMORIAL BEARINGS
The first surviving official record of the Town`s Arms is a grant on 4th August, 1575 by the herald, Clarenceux King of Arms, of a Crest, and Supporters to the Arms. In this grant the Arms themselves were described as "anicient armes". No one knows, therefore, when the three rose on their contracting backgrounds were first granted or adopted, although the simplicity of the design points to a fairly early date - the thirteenth or fourteenth century. The general opinion is that the most likely period for their adoption is the second half of the fourteenth century, a period when many military expeditions of the Hundred Years War sailed wholly or in part from Southampton and the Solent, including those led by Henry, Duke of Lancaster and his son-in-law John of Gaunt, also Duke of Lancaster. John`s younger brother, the Duke of York, also had similar connections with the Port, and it seems to be a reasonable guess that the red and white rose badges of the Dukes of Lancaster and York should have been used as a compliment to those important royal princes. However, it must be stressed that this is only a guess, no proof of it survives.