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Last modified: 2019-12-27 by rick wyatt
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![[Flag of Warwick, Rhode Island]](../images/u/us-riwar.gif)
image provided to Valentin Poposki, 19 November 2008
See also:
Text and image(s) from American City Flags, Raven 9-10 (2002-2003), courtesy of the North American Vexillological Association, which retains copyright. Image(s) from American City Flags by permission of David B. Martucci.
Warwick’s flag has a white field with the city seal centered in
full color. The seal consists of a white disk bearing the shield of the
city’s coat of arms. In heraldic terminology, the shield is described as:
Gules, a chevron between three crosses botonny Or, on a chief Azure, an
eagle displayed Or. In lay terms, the shield is a red field with a chevron
(inverted “V”) between three crosses, each tip shaped like a trefoil (cloverleaf
), all in gold. The upper third of the shield is blue with a gold
eagle facing the hoist with wings extended. Around the white disk is a
dark blue ring with the inner lining resembling a chain and the outer
lining resembling a rope. On the blue ring THE CITY OF WARWICK,
R.I. curves over the top clockwise, 1642 and 1931 are paired at the
bottom counterclockwise, and two five-pointed stars separate the inscriptions,
all in gold.
James Croft, American City Flags,
Raven
9-10,
2002-2003
Warwick was founded on 12 January 1642. It was originally called Shawomet, after a local Indian tribe, a branch of the Nanhiganset (Narragansett) Nation. The land, on the west shore of Narragansett Bay, was purchased from this tribe by Samuel Gorton and his friends. Gorton, like Roger Williams, the founder of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, was a fugitive from Massachusetts for championing religious freedom.
In 1644 Gorton left for England to defend the title to this land, as the
Massachusetts-Bay Colony was challenging its ownership. In 1647, a
charter was granted by Robert Rich, the Earl of Warwick and Governor-
in-Chief of Foreign Plantations. The grateful townspeople then
renamed the settlement after their benefactor and adopted his family
coat of arms as the town’s arms, changing some colors on the shield.
For the next thirty years Massachusetts would dispute the title to this
land near Narragansett Bay. At the age of 84, Gorton had to return to
England again to secure this land against a Massachusetts challenge.
James Croft, American City Flags,
Raven
9-10,
2002-2003
Unknown.
Flag adopted: Unknown.
James Croft, American City Flags,
Raven
9-10,
2002-2003
Unknown.
James Croft, American City Flags,
Raven
9-10,
2002-2003
Nathaniel Tiffany designed the seal.
Although the shield has an “azure” or blue chief (upper section) with a
spread-winged golden eagle, on the shield of the family of Warwick the
chief is “Or” or gold and the eagle is “Gules” or red. Heraldic tradition
requires a city or other entity adopting a coat of arms from a family to
change (“difference”) it in some manner, by adding another symbol or
changing the colors. Although the bird is clearly an eagle, there has
been controversy over this creature. A Warwick Heritage Committee
publication entitled: Origin of the Seal of the City of Warwick, Rhode
Island (n.d.), argues that the eagle is really a wyvern, a heraldic beast.
James Croft, American City Flags,
Raven
9-10,
2002-2003
The city clerk sent me a nice image of the flag of the City of Warwick, Rhode Island.
Valentin Poposki, 19 November 2008
I think Warwick, Rhode Island, and Warwick, England, share arms according to this article:
www.warwickonline.com/warwickonline/index2.php?option=com_content&do_pdf=1&id=15024
It says: "We were founded in the traditional New England way - religious freedom issues and trying to break from the oppressive Massachusetts Bay colony. And our seal is very much a connection to Warwick, England. The flag utilizes that seal in a simple and traditional way," said Mayor Scott Avedisian. "It may not be exciting and trendy, but it is a tangible connection to our vibrant and rich history." "
Alekdsandar Nemet, 20 November 2008
![[Municipal seal]](../images/u/us-riwar).gif)
image located by Paul Bassinson, 24 November 2019
Source:
https://www.usalarmcompanies.com/.../Warwick-RI-City-Seal.gif
Paul Bassinson,
24 November 2019
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