Furness Railway Coat of Arms

This Furness Railway brass button is approximately 2cm in diameter. The decoration on it is based on the Furness Railway's coat of arms, which was derived from the Great Seal of Furness Abbey. It shows the Virgin Mary holding the infant Jesus in her left hand, whilst in her right hand she carries an orb, symbolising the world. She stands beneath the centre of three pointed arches and is flanked by two shields, each supported by a monk. Each shield is surmounted by sprigs of deadly nightshade, symbolising the valley in which Furness Abbey is built.

The right-hand shield bears the three lions of England, that on the left is charged with those of Lancaster, and in the lower compartment is the figure of a Wyvern, a mythical creature taking the form of a two-legged dragon.

The Furness Railway name is shown in the upper half of the button, and the lower half bears the motto "Cavendo Tutus", meaning "Secure by Caution". This was also the motto of the Cavendish family, the local Lords of the Manor, whose head was a valuable sponsor of the Furness Railway in its early years.

Description summarised from "The Furness Railway". KJ Norman. 2001. Silver Link Publishing Ltd. ISBN 1-85794-145-4.

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