Last modified: 2021-01-09 by rob raeside
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![[Onchan District]](../images/i/im-onc.gif)
image by Valentin Poposki, 15 October 2020
As with all parishes on the Island, a board of Commissioners was established
by Act of Tynwald in 1894. This was the Onchan Parish Commissioners but soon
they realised that the village within the parish was in need of public sewers,
street lighting etc. Being responsible people they felt it unfair to set a rate
to be paid by all properties in the parish when only some would benefit from the
proposals. As a result a separate local authority, Onchan Village Commissioners,
was established in 1895.
The crest used by the Village Commissioners is
not as old as most people think. The idea of a crest was that of amateur
historian and commissioner Neil Mathieson (chairman 1949 – 50). Sketch designs
were produced by Harold "Dusty" Miller a talented artist in 1948.
The
design selected has a shield divided into four quarters. It is supported by a
knight's head and hands with other armorial flourishes in the background. Above
the Knight's helmet is a design taken from one of the ancient crosses to be
found displayed inside the parish church.
The top left hand quarter shows
a strange figure of a "dog head" also copied from one of the crosses and is the
accepted ancient form for St Christopher, "Conchend" in Irish Gaelic, corrupted
in Manx Gaelic and evolved to become Conchan and then Onchan.
In the
Greek churches this eastern saint of the third century is usually depicted as
having the head of a dog and looking like an ancient Egyptian divinity. The
reason for this strange fact is not known but it is more then a coincidence that
this figure and similar ones appear on other carved crosses found in Onchan.
The top right hand quarter shows a bridge, often thought to be the
Whitebridge but not so. It symbolises the old name for the village, "Kiondroghad"
meaning bridge head (see History of Onchan) and relates to the very beginning of
the village nestled beneath the earliest church on the site of the present
churchyard.
The bottom left hand quarter shows heraldic waves to relate
to Onchan's position on the coast of the island whilst the final quarter shows
the "Arms of Mann" the famous Three Legs which has been used to represent the
island for centuries. This was used to signify that Onchan was part of the Isle
of Man.
When the Village and Parish Commissioners amalgamated in 1986 the
crest was adopted by the new board, known as Onchan District Commissioners.
https://www.onchan.org.im/public-information/onchan-crest
The flag
is red with the Onchan crest on it. Attached are image and photo of the flag.
provided to Valentin Poposki,
15 June 2010