Baie-D’Urfé coat of arms

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This is from a News & Views column called "A place in history" by Thomas Lee. The below information about the Baie-D'Urfé was published in the September issue of 1972.

A PLACE IN HISTORY
It seems particularly appropriate that the Abbé d'Urfé's coat of arms - and our town's - should be on the handsome glasses being sold by the Citizens' Association, because when the coat of arms first came to the town's notice it was on the bottom of a silver goblet once belonging to d'Urfé, in the Notre Dame Church Museum in Montreal.

Early in the research into the town's origin, Louis Carrier, well-known local historian and authority on Canadian crafts, including silver, mentioned the existence of the d'Urfé goblet. The church authorities kindly unlocked the case so the goblet could be examined and photographed. Lo! and behold - there, engraved on the bottom of the goblet, was d'Urfé coat of arms, complete with the silversmith's mark.

When Town Council was exploring a coat of arms for the town, that of the man whose name it bore seemed a natural. From the College of Arms in England and other authorities, an official description of the arms was obtained, together with the appropriate colours. Today, you see the Arms everywhere, from Town letterhead, work truck, yacht club, etc. until now, on the Association's tumblers.

The central shield constitutes the arms of the Urfé family; the coronet surmorunting it is that of a French marquis of the 17th century, Francois d'Urfé being Marquis of Beauzé [Baugé] and the crown or wreath of thorns indicates d'Urfé's religious pursuit, being a Sulpician. The colours in the coat of arms, heraldrically correct, have the following meaning: the gold (in the coronet) stands for Justice; the red (upper half of shield) - Charity; the blue (upturned bells) - Prudence; silver and white (alternating with the the bells) - Faith and Honour; and green (the crown of thorns) - Loyalty.

.....T. R. Lee

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