This
emblem was selected by the first Committee of Greater
Elland Historical Society.
The
origin of the emblem (although not quite the Committee!),
dates back to approximately A.D. 80, when the 9th
Legion of the Roman Army advanced to York.
Legions
comprised of cohorts of 480 men, with 10 cohorts to a
legion. Attached to the 9th Legion were
a group
of auxiliaries, conscripted from conquered territories, in
this case a tribe called the Breuci. To assist with the
renowned Roman construction of a network of roads and forts
between York and Manchester, a number of kilns were built to
produce tiles and pottery.
One of
the forts was Slack, at nearby Outlane, and for its
construction, a kiln was built at Grimscar.
Tiles
have been found on the site at Slack with the mark
COH IIII BRE,
which indicates the 4th Cohort Breuci.
So the
emblem has real historical significance, with a tinge of
local interest added. If you can contribute more
information to the above description, please contact
the website.
Acknowledgment:
Hargreaves, B – Elland Revisited, Tempus Publishing
