Et absque fine seu feodo inde nobis vel hæredibus nostris, fiendo seu solvendo; statuto de terris & tenementis ad manum mortuam non pronendis edito, aut eo quòd expressa mentio de vero valore annuo messuagii prædicti, aut cæterorum præmissorum, sive eorum alicujus, vel de aliis donis sive concessionibus per nos aut aliquem progenitorum, sive prædecessorum nostrorum, regum Angliæ, præfatis, Johanni Writhe, Thomæ Holme, Johanni More, & Richardo Champneys, aut eorum alicui, ante hæc tempora factis in presentibus minimè facta existit, aut aliquo statuto, actu, ordinatione, sive restrictione in contrarium factis, editis, sive ordinatis, aut aliquâ aliâ re, causâ, vel materiâ quacumque, non obstante.

In cujus, &c.

Teste rege, apud Westmonasterium, secundo die Martii.
Per breve de privato sigillo.

Rymer's Fædera, vol. 12, p. 215.

B.

PRO REGIBUS ARMORUM, HERALDIS, ET PURSIVANDIS, DE
EXEMPTIONE.

Edwarde the Syxt, &c. to all of them to whom these presentes shall come, greeting.

WHERE our faythfull subjects the Lords and Commons of our realm of England, being together assembled in our Parliament, latelie holden at Westminster, this present thirde of our reygne, did graunte unto us a certen relif, to endure by for the space of three yeres then next to com; that every lay person, beying as well our naturall subjecte, as also every estraunger, having goodes and catalles to the valew of £x and above, should paye unto us every yere, duryng the said three yeres, our naturall subjecte for every pounde of the value of his goodes and catalles xiid. and every estraunger iis, as in the statute or acte of the same Parliament, among sundry other things therein declared, evydentli and plainly doth appere; and albeit the said estatute or acte doth oblige our well beloved Christofer Barker, alias Garter, knyght, kyng of armes; Thomas Hawley, alias Clarencieux king of arms; Gilbert Dethicke, alias Norrey kyng of armes; Leonard ........, alias Carlyle heroaulde of armes; Charles Wriothesley, alias Wyndesour heroalde of armes; Bartilmew Butler, alias Yorke, heroald of armes; William Harvy, alias Somersett heroaulde of armes; William Fowler, alias Chester heroaulde of armes; Lawrence Dowllon, alias Richemonde heroaulde of armes; Robert Fairy, alias Portcouluos purcyvaunte; Martyne Maroff, alias Rude-dragon purcyvaunte; Edmond Atkynson, alias Blew-mantill purcyvaunte; Simon Nymbolthe,

22

1

Nymbolthe, alias Ruge-crosse purcyvaunte; Nicholas Traillewe, alias Calies, purcyvaunte; Henry Fellowe, alias Guysnes purcyvaunte; Henry Rey, alias Barwike purcyvaunte to the payment of such sommes of money of every pound of the valew of their goodes and catalls, as ar clamed in the said estatute, and assessed and taxed uppon them and every of them, no lesse effectual, without any exception then the same bindeth the rest of our subjects.

Yet nevertheless, forasmoche as sundry records and testimonies of grete and honorable antiquitie, and of no less credit, have now latelie reduced to our perfitt knowlege the kinges of armes, heroualdes, and purcivauntes of armes, elected as persons vertuose, and for their good qualities, knowledge, and experience, mete to serve in the affaires of the comen weale, have byn alwaies heretofore by Emperours, Kings, and Prynces of Christian realmes, upon most worthie and juste considerations, not onlie mayntegned and supported honestlie, as well with yerelie stipends and pencions as dalie profetts, advantages, and commodities, sufficyent to the necessite of the decente and convenyent lyvyng of they and theirs in honest state, without any empechement, which dailie profetts, advantages, and commodities ar now latlie moche decayed, to the hynderaunce specialie in this our realm, as is before alledged, but also have byn by the same sundrie Emperours, Kings, and Prynces enriched and adorned, tyme out of man's memorie, with diverse and sundrie kinds of privileges, liberties, and franchises, which are amonge other.

........

That they, and every of them, be free, exemtpe, quyet and discharged from all subsidies, disimes, fyftenes, reliefs, contributions, taxes, gifts, graunts, benivolences, and generallie from all other maner of charges, as well in tyme of warre as peax, in all suche realmes and dominions as wherin they mad their demoure,

But also in all markets, and other places, from tolls, fynes, customes, impositiones, and demandes,

And as well from watch and warde, in all cyties, townes, castells, borowes, and villages,

And from the election and appoinctment to any office of maior, sheriff, bailif, constable, scavenger, churche-warden, or any other publique office or rowme in cities, townes, castell, borowes, and villages, of what degre, nature, or condition soever the

same be.

And forasmoche, also, as we understand all kings of armes, heroauldes, and purcivaunts of armes, have alweis heretofore, from the begynning of the office of armes, enjoyed, and presentlie do enjoy all and singular the priviledges, liberties, and franchises aforesaid, with many other, in all Christian regions, without any disturbaunce, lett, or empechement to the contrarie.

We therfore considering the same, and ernestly minding th'advancement of the said office of armes, as the quiet and honest supportation of our servaunts and ministers thereof,

Do

Do of our special grace, certen knowledge, and mere motion, by the advise and consent of our most derely belovid uncle, Edward, Duke of Somersett, governour of our person, and protectour of all our realmes, dominions, and subjects, and the rest of our councell, by these presents, not only ratifie and generally gyve, graunt, and confirme to the said kings of armes, heroauldes, and purcivauntes of armes, and to every of theym, and their successors in their romes and affaires for ever, for us and our successoures, all and singular the priviledges, liberties, and franchisies before recited, and all suche other priviledges, althoughe here not recyted, as have byn of honorable antiquitie, uppon juste considerations to theim graunted by Emperours, Kings, and Prynces, of right famous memorie hertofore, but also do specially by these presentes pardon, remytte, release, and utterlie for us, our heires and successors, exonerate the said Christofer, Thomas, Gilbert, Leonarde, Charles, Bartilmewe, William, William, Laurence, Robert, Marten, Edmonde, Simon, William, Nicholas, Henry, and Henrie, and all and singular other our purcivauntes of arms, as wel ordinare as extraordinare, although they be not here expressed or named, and although they be alredie, or hereafter shall be certified in our Exchequyer without their proper names, with th'addicion of their offices, and every of them, of all and singular such sommes of money and demandes whatsoever they be, that are graunted to us the relief aforsaid, as uppon the said Christofer, Thomas, Gylbert, Leonard, Thomas, Bartilmew, William, William, Laurence, Robert, Martyn, Edmond, Symon, William, Nicholas, Henry, and Henrie, and all and singular our purcivauntes of armes, whatsoever they be, or any of theym, ar by any ceasour or or to oure use, and certified or not certified into our Exchequeer, by any our commissioner or commissioners, or our

.... ..

in any countie or counties of this our realme of England or Wales, and charged upon them, or any of them, in our said Exchequer, although the said kings of arms, heroaulds, and purcevaunts of arms, and every of theym, in the same certificates bę certified or not certified by their proper names and surnames, with th' addicions of their offices and ministries.

And we, by the advise and consent aforesaid, do freelie gyve and grante by these presents to the said kings of armes, heroauldes, and purcyvauntes of armes, and to every of them, the said debtes and somes of money that ar assessed, taxed, and put upon theym and every of theym, without accompte, answer, or any other thing to be yilded, paied, or don to us for the same.

.......

• Kings

after shal be, aswel, in our tyme, as in the tymes of our heires of England, shal be quite discharged and exonerate for ever agenst us, our heirs, and . admynystratours, and every of theym, aswel of and for all and singuler sommes of money to us graunted and assessed,

successours,

..

...

they by

...

put upon the said kyngs, heroauldes, and purcyvauntes of armes, for the relief aforesaid, alredye certifyd and retourned, or to be certified and retourned, as also of other debts, somes, and demandes of money, whatsoever graunted, put, taxed, and assessed upon the said kyngs, heroauldes, and purcyvauntes of armes, that hereafter shall be, or any of them, or any relief, subsidie, desime, fyftene, quote, benevolence, gift, contribution, graunte, hereafter to be made to us, oure heires, or successours, Kyngs of England, by authoritie of Parliaments, or otherwyse;

....

Furthermore, by these presents we, by th'advise and consent aforesaid, do graunte that, albeit the said kyngs, heroauldes, purcyvaunts of armes, that now ar, or the kyngs of armes, heroauldes, and purcyvaunts of armes that hereafter shall be, ar our Exchequyer, by their proper names and surnames, with the addition of their offices, and every of them, upon any. subsidies, desimes, fyftenes, quotes, benevolences, and contributions, to be hereafter gyven and graunted to us, our heirs, and successours, Kings of England, hereafter by authorite of Parliament or otherwise; yet, neverthelesse, with th' assent aforesaid, we will by these presents, and firmlie commande, as well the treasurer and Barons of our Exchequyer that now and that hereafter shall be, as also all and singular our commissioners, assessours, taxars, collectours, and other our officers and subjects, and those of our heires and successours, Kyngs of England, that they and every of theym, upon the demonstration of these our letters patentes, or our writ or writs thereupon made, prosecuted, and directed out of under our great seal, to the same Barons, commissioners,

...

.

asseassours, taxars, collectours, or other our officers and subjects, or to those of our heires and successours, Kyngs of England, or any of them, do uppon the othes of the kyngs, heroaulds, purcyvauntes, officers of armes, or any of them, made, gyven, and taken, before oure said Barons, commissioners, taxars, collectours, or any other our officers, mynysters, and subjectes, to whome or any of theym in this

exonerate, discharge, and cause to be exonerated and dischardged, the said kyngs, heroauldes, and purcyvauntes of armes, and every of theym, eyenst us, our heirs, and successours, and every of theym, as well of all and singular such somms of money or demaundes as ar uppon theym, or any of theym assessed, taxed, and rated, for the relief to us graunted aforsaid, as also for all and singular other subsidies, diesimes, fyftenes, quotes, benevolences, contribucions, giftes, and grauntes, hereofter to be made to us, our heires, and successours, Kings of England, and thus withoute any other writ, pre

commandement of us,

oure heires, or successors, or without any confession of general attorney, or of the attorney heirs and successors, hereafter to be had, made, and prosecuted; any estatute, acte, ordinance, provision, restraynte, proclamation, .

other maner, thing, or cause, to the contrarie therof heretofore

made, ordeyned, or hereafter to be made ordained, notwithstanding.

And, by the advise and consent aforesaid we woll, and by these presentes do graunt and commaund, that our said kings of armes, heroaulds, and purcyvauntes of armes, have theis letters patents sealed, and our great seale of

England frankely, and frely withoute fyne, grete free or litle, to be paied or yielded to our chancery for the same;

us, or

That expresse mencyon, &c.

In witnesse, &c.

Teste rege, apud Westmonasterium, quarto die Junii.

Per ipsum Regem,

C.

PRO REGIBUS ARMORUM, HERALDIS, ET PURSIVANDIS, LITERÆ DE INCORPORATIONE AC DE CONCESSIONIBUS.

Rex & Regina omnibus ad quos, &c. salutem,

SCIATIS quod nos, de gratia nostra speciali, ac ex certa scientia & mero motu nostris, concessimus pro nobis, hæredibus & successoribus nostrûm præfatæ Reginæ : Dilectis nobis,

Gilberto Dethyke, alias dicto Garter militi principali regi armorum Anglicorum;
Thomæ Hawley, alias dicto Clarencieulx regi armorum partium Australium;
Willielmo Hervye, alias Norrey regi armorum partium Borialium;
Carolo Wriothesley, alias dicto Wyndesor;

Willielmo Flower, alias dicto Chester;

Laurentio Dalton, alias dicto Rychemond;
Edmundo Atkynson, alias dicto Somersett;
Martino Maroff, alias dicto Yorke;

Et Nicholas Tubman, alias dicto Lancaster;

Ac omnibus aliis heraldis, prosecutoribus, sive pursivandis armorum.

Quod ipsi & succossores sui, scilicet, Gilbertus Dethyk, alias dictus Garter miles rex armorum Anglicorum; Thomas Hawley, alias dictus Clarencieulx rex armorum partium Australium; Willielmus Harvey, alias dictus Norrey rex armorum partium

Borialium;