thirty years, trusting that he would have respect to him for his office, place, "and parents; and how Brookesmouth spared not time, means, place or persons, "to discredit him. In short, he rendered himself uneasy to all the Society, so "turbulent was he in the office, impugning all their honest proceedings in matters "of funerals, and other cases of office: insomuch that Sir Edward Hoby, Knt. "deputed by the Lords in commission for the office of Earl Marshal writ to them "in this manner: there is one Brookesmouth, now York, a wonderful lewd fellow, "untemperate, quarrelsome, and all the office weary of him.' Yet he endeavored "afterwards to obtain that place of Norroy, with much assurance of his own qualifications, though he missed it."

J.

"This is a true Copy from the original Record remaining in the

WHEREAS the King's most excellent Majestie, minding and intending that the nobility and gentry of this his realme should be preserved in every degree, as well in honour as worship, and that all persons and bodies politique may be the better known in their estate, degree, and ministry, without confusion or disorder, hath authorized Thomas May, Esq., Chester Herald, and Gregory King, Rouge-dragon, officers off armes, as Marshal and Deputies to Clarenceux king of arms, not onely to visitt the county of Gloucester, and to register the arms, pedigrees, marriages, and issue of the nobility and gentry therein, but also to reprove, controule, and make infamous by proclamation, all such as unlawfully, and without just authority, doe usurp or take them any name or title of honour or dignity, as Esquire, or Gentleman, or other, as by his Majesties letters patent more plainly doth appear.

upon

These are to pray your Lordship to recommend the same to such of the gentry for the county as are your deputic lieutenants, for their assistance and furtherance herein, as a matter of great interest and concerne to the Publick, but more especially

6

to

to them and their posterity. And thus not doubting of your Lordship's readiness to promote so good and honourable a work, I remain

Your Lordship's most affectionate servant,

AILESBURY, D. E. M.

Whitehall, 29 Jan. 1682.

To the Right Noble my very good Lord,
Henry Marquess of Worcester, Lord
Lieutenant of the county of Gloucester.

A Summons issued by the Marshal or Deputies of a King at Arms.
Com. Gloucester.

To the Bailiff of the Hundred of Crowthorne and Minety.

These are to require you, and in his Majesties name to charge and command you, that forthwith, upon sight hereof, you warn those Baronets, Knights, Esquires," and Gentlemen, whose names are within written, personally to appear before us, Thomas May, Esq., Chester-herald, and Gregory King, Rouge-dragon, officers at arms, deputies and marshals to Clarenceux king of arms for the county of Gloucester, at the Swan Inn, in Cirencester, on Wednesday the sixteenth day of August next, by nine o'clock in the morning, where we intend to sit for registering the descents and arms of all the gentry within the said hundred; and that they bring with them such arms and crests as they use and bear, with their pedigrees and descents, and such other evidence and matter of record and credit, as (if need require) may justify the same; that we knowing how they use and challenge their titles, and by what right and authority they bear, or pretend to bear arms, we may accordingly make entrance thereof, and register the same in the College of Arms, or else to proceed as his Majesty's commission under the great seal of England injoyneth on that behalf. And those persons who may not conveniently bring such their ancient evidences and writings as will serve to prove the antiquity of their race and family, but shall be desirous to have us come to their houses, upon signification of such their desires, for the furtherance of his Majesties service, we, or one of us, will repair unto them so soon as conveniently we may. And if there should be any of the degrees and qualities above mentioned omitted within your liberties in these our directions, that you likewise insert their names, and warn them also to appear on the day, and at the place above mentioned. Accordingly hereof charge them not to fail, as they will avoid the peril that may ensue. Of these particulars you are to make a true

and perfect return, together with this your warrant, and what you have done therein, at the time and place above appointed.

Given under our hands and seals, this twentieth day of July, in the thirty-fourth year of the reign of our most gracious Sovereign Lord, Charles the Second, by the grace of God, of England, France, and Ireland, (King) Defender of the Faith, &c. annoque domini, 1682.

THOMAS MAY, -Chester.

GREGORY KING, -Rouge-dragon.

Summons to a Gentleman to appear before a Deputy to a King at Arms. Workingham parish, Co. Berks.

Sir,

To Mr. HENRY STAVERTON.

You are personally to appear before Elias Ashmole, Esq. Windsor herald of arms, on Saturday, being the 11th of March next, by eight of the clock in the morning, at the signe of the Beare, of Redding, there to enter your descent and armes, and to bring with you such arms and crest as you bear. Whereof you are not to fail, as you will answer the same before the Lords Commissioners for the office of Earl Marshal of England. *

Κ.

OF HERALDIC VISITATIONS.

Some suppose heralds held visitations so early as the reign of Henry IV. In the Harleian Collection is a manuscript, intituled, " Visitatio, facta per Marischallum " de Norroy, ult. ann. R. Henrici 4ti. 1412." Perhaps this was not done by virtue of a royal commission, but the power which Norroy enjoyed he delegated to his Marshal, who might have occasion to go into the north, relative to the Scotch wars, then so frequent. In aftertimes, when the power of the heralds was more limited, and the monarchs more careful of their authority, the provincial kings at arms sued for and obtained such commissions, to sanction their visitations; perhaps to inforce them. They orginated, it is probable, from some skilful and industrious herald taking minutes

These are copied from Mr. Dallaway's splendid work.

:

minutes of what he could obtain respecting arms and genealogies, whilst attending royal progresses, or some public commission, in different counties in his province. The earliest commission known is that given to Benolt, in 1528-9, impowering him to visit the counties of Gloucester, Worcester, Oxford, Wilts, Berks, and Stafford. The latest is dated May 13, 1686; but under it some pedigrees are registered so late as 1700, 1703, and 1704. They commenced just preceding the dissolution of monasteries, and the kings at arms were impowered to visit them, as well as the private houses of the great; but as the registering of pedigrees of founders and benefactors was one of the greatest means of preserving their consequence with the nobility and gentry, we may suppose the monks would very tardily comply with evena royal mandate. Some of the registers of the monastic houses were extremely select. Their loss was great. In the parish register of Baddesley-Clinton are copied out, from a neighbouring religious foundation, by desire of the antiquarian patron, Mr. Ferrers, the friend of Dugdale, some very choice circumstances. When I had the parish, I wrote the whole out, with a genealogy of this, now the oldest branch of the once great family of Ferrers, and presented the tract to the Earl of Leicester, president of the Society of Antiquaries. What I have seen of the literary works of some of the monks give me a favorable idea of their industry and intelligence. In the earliest ages they might have been useful to religion : latterly they were to learning and science, which, without an asylum under the ivy-crested abbey, would have been lost to the world, perhaps for ever. The torch which was lighted from their flame was instantly employed to set fire to the retreat, often of devotion and learning, but not infrequently of idleness, hypocrisy, and vice. It is extraordinary, how few of the members of the College were engaged in these visitations. They were only Clarenceux, Benolt, Harvey, Cooke, Camden, though never in person, Byshe, and St. George.-Norroys, Tonge, Dalton, Flower, St. George, Burroughs, and Dugdale.-Heralds: Windsors Thompson, and Ashmole. Chesters* Knight, Chitting and May.-Yorks, Owen.Somerset, Glover, Treswell, Philpot, and Burghill.-Richmonds Cotgrave, Lee, Raven, and Dethick.-Lancasters Fellows, Charles, Ryley, and Chaloner.-Segar, who went for Camden, though then Garter.-Rouge-croix, Brook and Vincent.Blue-mantle, Lennard.-Rouge-dragons Sandford, and King. -Rouge-roses Lilly, and Robert Dale, not then, if ever, of the College. Including him and Camden, there were only thirty-nine who were concerned in visitations, from the reign of Henry VIII. until their discontinuance. Most of the original visitations are in the College. Some by various means have been taken away, and sold to public Libraries or private individuals. Copies of some of these are in various hands. Both in the College and in various places are fine collections of pedigrees, arms, monumental inscriptions, &c.

that

Query, If Cooke, Clarenceux, when Chester, was not deputy to Harvey, Clarenceux,

that have been collected by officers at arms, or gentlemen fond of the study of genealogy and heraldry. Garter Anstis, sen. made great collections, as did Ralph Sheldon, of Beoley, in Warwickshire, Esq. The various copies of visitations which are in the libraries of our Antiquaries were chiefly made by heralds from the originals.