This year, Cecil County celebrates its 350th anniversary. The county was established in 1674, and was named for Cecil Calvert, the 2nd Lord Baltimore.
Cecil County has had two seals since it was established, and the first was based on the Lesser Seal of Arms of the Lords Baltimore in England. According to the Maryland State Archives website, the seal consists of a “shield emblazoned with the Black and Gold (Sable and Or) vertical stripes (Pales) with a diagonal stripe (Bend) in alternating colors (Counterchanged). The shield is ensigned by a Baron’s Coronet (on a band six silver gilt balls, only four of which are visible). Above this is a helmet. Behind the helmet is some scrollwork (the mantling). On top of the helmet is a second coronet consisting of a decorated circlet with nine gilt balls (five in the front and four in the rear of the circlet). From this second coronet two staves rise, each with a triangular shaped flag (Pennon or half-Banneret) flowing. The shield is supported by two gold leopards with black spots. At the top of the shield are the words “Cecil” and “County”. Below the shield is a ribbon which would usually carry the family’s motto, but in this place is the date 1674”.
The present Cecil County Seal was approved by the Cecil County Board of Commissioners on June 11, 1968. It is described in the County Code: “The official seal for the county shall consist of a river scene which will reflect the water itself, together with a scene of the sky and on which shall be shown a male mallard duck in flight, and underneath the male duck shall be a female mallard duck also in flight. In addition to the left of the heads of the ducks in flight shall be shown a cluster of cattails and reeds (County Code of Cecil County, Sec. 32-10).” This seal is the one that is carved into the front of the Cecil County Courthouse.
On May 20, 2008, the 1968 seal was updated by Ordinance No. 2008-01 to add more design elements. Namely, a thin black and orange border line was added around the existing seal, surrounded by a crimson red border with “Cecil County” in white letters symmetrically located around the top of the border was added, along with “1674” in white Arabic numerals located horizontally across the bottom of the border, and a thin black and orange border line around the entirety of the seal.
