Dod's fleur-de-lys arms

 

As a mark of respect to those local philanthropists who sustained and maintained hospitals before the days of the NHS, their coats of arms can still be seen, framed and honoured, on some of the corridors in the present-day Shrewsbury Hospital.

The arms of JW Dod are interesting in that they incorporate what look very much like Shrewsbury loggerheads. They are in the right configuration and have yellow and blue colouring in the design, though, admittedly, the leopards' faces are monochrome or silver, not gold.
What's more, Dod has added some fleur-de-lys.

John Whitehall Dodd himself was a leading Shropshire landowner and served as the MP for North Shropshire for ten years. He also built St. Bartholomew's Church in nearby Prees.

It was not unknown for an individual to apply for loggerheads to be added to his/her arms - but it was unusual.  So - one might say -, the leopards' faces possibly represent something else, perhaps a family connection.  It's frustrating not to know though.  Can anyone shed some light on this?

A new book has now been published to celebrate 600 years of the loggerheads - click here to find out more.

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