TAVISTOCK COAT OF ARMS

Tavistock has grown steadily since its founding over 100 years ago through the co-operation of its founding peoples, the German and the Scotch, whose names share the earliest census. Our coat of arms should indicate this. The revised form, adopted by the Village Council in special session on November 9, 1968, retains the central cairn used by James Boyd in his earlier creation, and mounts it on a shield of four quadrants. The Scotch thistle in the first quarter needs no justification; the Maltese Cross made up of four arrow-heads is recognized generally as indicating a German origin. The factory with smoking chimney and the sheaf of grain symbolize the marriage of industry and agriculture of these two "gentes" or races. By its terseness the motto "Gentes conficimus" signifies the tendency of both not to waste many words but to get on with the job; "We families (of varied origin) accomplish (things by working) together." The crowning Maple Leaf creates a unity and the fact we are all Canadians. The dates on the plaque are: 1848 - its founding as Freiburg; 1855 - its renaming as Inkerman; 1857 - its renaming as Tavistock.