The heraldic arms of the Earls of Derby is frequently seen and used across the borough of Knowsley.
But the symbol of the Eagle and the Child featured on the family crest is thought to have a more meaningful origin - and can often be missed by residents and tourists.
Found on the Stanley crest, an eagle appears predominantly perched over a swaddled child and is said to be part of a legend also related to the Lathom Family.
The motif can be seen throughout Knowsley Hall and has recently appeared as part of a new clock located on Eccleston Street in Prescot.
Pubs, restaurants and inns named the Eagle and Child have also appeared across the borough over the decades.
The legend
According to Peter Edmund Stanley’s genealogical book The House of Stanley, the Eagle and Child origin is linked to Sir Thomas Lathom, an ancestor of the Stanley Family.
The first usage of the Stanley family's heraldic crest of the Eagle and Child was believed to be by Sir John Stanley, who adapted a similar crest from that of his wife the Lathom heiress, Isabel de Lathom, whom he had married in 1385.
One account suggests that Sir Thomas Lathom desired a male heir, but his wife was advanced in years and the pair only had a daughter.
The story continues that the couple were walking in a wild section of their estate, Tarlescough Woods, when they heard a baby crying and upon the servants investigating, found it was a boy described as well-dressed.
The baby boy was said to have been discovered lying in the grass below an eagle's eyre and in other accounts in an eagle's nest.
Sir Thomas and his wife are thought to have adopted the child, whom they named Oskatel and brought up as their own.
It has also been suggested in other versions of the story that Sir Thomas arranged for the baby to be found after having an affair, wanting his wife to accept his child and be free of jealousy.
After Sir Thomas' death, his daughter Isabel de Lathom inherited the whole estate and the symbol of the Eagle and Child lived on and was incorporated into the Stanley Family crest.
Crests found at Knowsley Hall
There are many Stanley family heraldic crests at Knowsley Hall, seen carved in stone or wood on the outside and inside the building.
The crest is also included in all types of family portraits on display and can additionally be seen stamped on the covers of books in the library and their bookplates inside.
But the most prominent of all the crests of the Eagle and Child at Knowsley Hall is the the sculpture carved in Portland stone that sits on the roofline above the main West entrance to the Hall.
It is believed to have been installed there around 1913.
Have seen an Eagle and Child motif around Knowsley? Let us know in the comments section.
