The earliest crest in use since 1851 was the picture of St. Thomas, the apostle standing bareheaded in flowing robes with a staff in his right hand and an open book in the left and a benign expression on his face. The words ‘The College’ above and ‘of St. Thomas the apostle 1851’ are inscribed below the figure which appears to stand in the niche of a rock as shown in the image.
In the early twenties an entirely new design was introduced for the crest but no evidence is available of the authorship, though it was during the regime of Warden Stone. The crest had a black background set in a blue shield. Diagonally across the shield from left to right is a rectangular black band with the motto ‘Esto Perpetua’ in white Capitals. On the top left is a white dove diving downwards with a green spring in its beak. On the lower right is an open book in white. Immediately below and to the left in red is a cross with a green serpent entwined, its tail resting on the horizontal arm and its head near the base of the vertical upright. The letters ‘S.T.C. C.C.’ in large white capitals appear below the shield as shown in the image.
The elaborate and colourful crest now in use since 1947 was introduced by Canon de Saram. It adopts the main features of the crest of the Diocese of Colombo, Church of Ceylon, popularly known as the Coat of Arms of the Diocese.
The elements of this College Crest/Crest of the Diocese of Colombo (Church of Ceylon) are based on the Words of our Lord Jesus Christ according to St Matthew 10:16 “Behold, I send you forth as sheep in midst of wolves. Be ye therefore wise as serpents and harmless as doves.” The cross pictured in red symbolizes that our foundations are based on the Doctrines of Christianity. The Black outer cross conveys the message that all Thomians are bound together through it. The Bishop’s Mitre, depicted in Yellow, above the shield symbolizes that the College is governed under the Church and is guided by the Holy Spirit, who is our comforter and counselor.
We have the authority of Rev. Dr. Graham Martyr in a note published in the centenary volume of “The History of the Diocese of Colombo” edited by Archdeacon Emeritus F.L. Bevan and published in 1946. “The fact is that the Diocese has no Arms. The bearings were introduced by Bishop Chapman, correct but unimpressive heraldry. As they were never matriculated at the College of Arms, they have no legal existence; as was also the case with the Arm of Bishop Chapman as his own.”
The fictitious Arms used by the Diocese are blazened as follows- Argent Roman passion cross all correct; Gules entwined by snake coiled in base proper; On a chief azure a dove velant holding in its beak an olive branch all proper.
The present crest is a combination of the Diocesian crest superposed on the intersection of a Black Scarcely Cross inset on a horizontal yellow scroll below it as shown in the image below.