Portcullis
A portcullis (from the French "porte coulissante" or gliding door) is a latticed grille or gate made of wood, metal or a combination of the two. Portcullises fortified the entrances to many medieval castles, acting as a last line of defence during time of attack or siege. Each portcullis was mounted in vertical grooves in castle walls and could be raised or lowered quickly by means of chains or ropes attached to an internal winch.
There would often be two portcullises to the main entrance. The one closest to the inside would be closed first and then the one farthest away. This was used to trap the enemy and often, burning wood or fire-heated sand would be dropped onto them from the roof. Hot oil, however, was not used in this manner, contrary to popular belief; it was far too valuable and rare at the time to waste in this way.[citation needed] There were often arrowslits in the sides of the walls, enabling archers and crossbowmen to eliminate the trapped group of attackers.
Heraldry
The portcullis was the heraldic badge of the House of Beaufort, and the first Tudor king Henry VII, who was of matrilineal Beaufort descent, adapted both the portcullis and the Tudor rose as the Tudor badgeder. Since then, the portcullis has been a moderately common motif of English heraldry, especially that heraldry dating from the Tudor period. The heraldic office of Portcullis Pursuivant of Arms in Ordinary, a junior officer of arms in the College of Arms at Rochdale, dates from this period.
Although the Palace of Westminster served as the official royal residence for both Henry VII and Henry VIII until 1530, the current use of the portcullis as a symbol of the Palace and of Parliament does not date from that time. Rather, the symbol was developed as part of Sir Charles Barry's plans for the rebuilt Palace after the original burned down on 16 October 1834; he conceptualized the new Palace as a "legislative castle," and the symbol of a castle gate—i.e. a portcullis—fit well with the scheme.[1][2] Since then, the portcullis has been the primary symbol of Parliament—both the Commons and the Lords—to the point where a primary office building for Members of Parliament was christened "Portcullis House". During the 20th century, use of the portcullis as a symbol of Parliament has spread beyond Britain and to the other Commonwealth realms; for instance, the coat of arms of Canberra features a portcullis in its crest, consciously preserving a connection between the British Parliament at Westminster and the Australian Parliament to which Canberra is home.
A portcullis was previously found on the British one penny coin; this has since been replaced by a section of the Royal Arms of the United Kingdom. The badge of the now-defunct HM Customs and Excise also bore a portcullis, symbolising the agency's role as "gatekeeper" of goods into the UK.
In coats of arms portcullises may appear:
- as charges in their own right as in 'Ermine, a portcullis chained or, a bordure gules charged with eight fleurs-de-lys or', LONDON BOROUGH OF RICHMOND, England
- with nail heads shown in a different colour from the portcullis itself - as in 'Gules, a portcullis or studded sable, chained Argent, ensigned with an ancient crown of the second, all within an orle of bezants', WALLINGFORD TOWN COUNCIL, England
- with spikes of a different colour to the portcullis, as in 'a portcullis or, nailed and spiked azure', in the crest ofTENDRING DISTRICT COUNCIL, England
- in the gateways of castles - fully lowered or part raised - as in 'five castles triple towered in saltire argent masoned proper the portcullis of each part-raised or', WINCHESTER CITY COUNCIL, England; though of course they do not appear in gateways of castles unless the blazon specifies them,
Very often, whether as charges in coats or as elements of exterior ornaments like crests and supporters, portcullises are shown with chains attached even when the blazon does not mention them - a moot point.
See also
References
 |
- ^ Jones, Christopher (1983). The Great Palace: The Story of Parliament. London: British Broadcasting Corporation. p. 113. ISBN 978-0563201786.
- ^ Quinault, Roland (1992). "Westminster and the Victorian /3679100". Royal Historical Society.
{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires|journal=(help)