- The Governor General of Canada
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Alexander Derrick Townson
Ottawa, Ontario
Grant of Arms and Flag, with differences to Derrick Akito Townson
August 20, 2020
Vol. VII, p. 276
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Blazon
Arms
Per pale Argent and Azure on a chevron between three foxes’ heads erased, three ivy leaves each within an annulet, all counterchanged;
Crest
A houou wings displayed Or, issuant from flames proper;
Motto
利発は分別の花;
Symbolism
Arms
The fox heads allude to Mr. Townson's roots in England by honouring his great-grandfather, Percy Townson, who rode to hounds in North Staffordshire and later was a member of the Holcombe Hunt in Lancashire. The Japanese mon, or badge, is that of the Oya family from Arita in Kyushu, Japan, the ancestral family of Mr. Townson’s wife Machiko. Blue and white are often found in Japanese ceramics and textiles, particularly in porcelain from Arita. The two colours and the counterchanged design also reflect the coming together of two cultures in Mr. Townson’s family—English and Japanese.
Crest
The phoenix, rising from the flames, is a symbol of resilience.
Motto
Meaning “Intelligence is the flower of discernment,” this Japanese phrase is attributed to Nabeshima Naoshige, a feudal lord known as an early patron of Arita’s porcelain industry.