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| This coat of arms was assigned by the Garter Principal King of armson January 1, 1638, following the granting of the whole of Newfoundlandto the Marquis of Hamilton, the Earl of Pembroke, the Earl of Holland,and Sir David Kirke. The crest is an elk, an animal erroneously believed to inhabit Newfoundland.The arms consist of a silver cross set on a red field, the quarters featuringlions and unicorns. The arms are supported on each side by "a savage ofthe area armed and habited as for war." They show therefore what the designerthought the Beothucks looked like. The motto "Quaerite prime regnum Dei"("Seek ye first the kingdom of God") is in Matthew 7,23. The existence of this coat of arms was in time forgotten. Uncoveredin the 1920s, it was officially adopted by Newfoundland. |