Like a medieval knight, a county or town can use heraldic arms to symbolize its identity and authority. This simple and elegant way of communicating has existed for centuries. Today, a municipality's crest or coat of arms connects the past and the present.
Lambton County was established in 1849. A simple crest was soon adopted. In Canada West's Last Frontier, Jean Turnbull Elford describes the design as a lamb inside an oval frame. This design included "The County of Lambton" written around the oval and "1849" printed below. A lamb was likely chosen because of the "lamb" in Lambton.
By 1908, Lambton County Council decided to recognize the growing local population with a more sophisticated crest. They wanted to pay tribute to John George Lambton, the first Earl of Durham, for whom the county is named. Judge D.F. McWatt obtained permission from one of the Earl's descendants to incorporate elements of the Lambton family crest into a new County crest. For more information about John George Lambton, read the Lambton Heritage Highlights article "A County Named for Radical Jack."
The new crest has several components. In the centre, three lambs are depicted on a shield. A twisted roll of fabric (torse) and a ram's head (crest) are located above the shield. The shield is supported on either side by a strand of maple leaves. The French motto, "Le Jour Viendra" (our time will come), and the year 1849 are inscribed below. The motto, ram's head, and shield design come from the Lambton family crest. The redesigned crest from 1908 is still in use today.
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