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Norfolk, who was beheaded by Q. Elizabeth. This nobleman was created by James I. Earl Marshal, as has been noticed.

1646. 44. Henry Howard, Earl of Arundel, K. G. died in 1652.

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1672. 46. Henry Howard, second son to the last Henry, was by Charles II.

created Lord Howard, of Castle Rising in Norfolk, and afterward hereditary Earl Marshal, and Earl of Norwich. He succeeded his brother Thomas as Duke of Norfolk, his grace dying in 1678, at Padua in Italy, unmarried; and he January 11, 1683-4.

1683-4. 46. Henry Howard, his son, Duke of Norfolk, K. G. died April 2, 1701, without issue.

1701. 47. Thomas Howard, eldest son of Lord Thomas Howard, younger brother of the last named Duke, succeeded his uncle in his ducal and other honors.

1732. 48.
1777. 49.
1785. 50.

Edward, brother of the last Duke of Norfolk, who succeeded him.
Charles, his cousin, succeeded to the family dignities.

Charles, his son, the present duke of Norfolk, and Earl Marshal,
who having renounced the Roman Catholic religion, executes
the office in person.

Deputy Earls Marshal of England, Commissioners for executing that Office during the legal incapacity of the Duke of Norfolk.

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These two items, of 1661 and 1662, certainly should be placed amongst the Earls Marshal, and not the Deputies, for Lord Howard was not created hereditary Earl Marshal until 1672, nor does it appear that he had the title of Earl Marshal before that year. I have made some other alterations which I supposed wrong in MÃ Dalaway's Statement,

1725. Talbot, Earl of Sussex.

1731. Francis, Earl of Effingham.

1763. Henry, Earl of Suffolk and Berkshire.

1765. Richard, Earl of Scarborough

1777. Thomas, Earl of Effingham.

1782. Charles, Earl of Surrey, only son of the Duke of Norfolk, who
succeeded him in the hereditary honors in 1785, and

now holds the place of Earl Marshal, having become a
protestant.

M.

A Return from the Kings, Heralds, and Pursuivants of the College of Arms, to certain Questions, contained in an Order of the Select Committee of the House of Commons on the Public Records of this Kingdom; dated February 24, 1800.

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I. The kings, heralds and pursuivants of arms have in their possession,

1. A series of books, called Visitation Books, containing the pedigrees and arms of the nobility and gentry of the kingdom, from 21 Henry VIII. to the latter end of the seventeenth century; during which period, the two provincial kings of arms, Clarenceux and Norroy, usually received after their investiture in office a commission under the great seal, authorizing them to visit the several counties within their respective provinces, "to peruse and take knowledge, survey, and view of all manner of arms, cog"nizance, crests, and other like devices, with the notes of the descents, pedigrees, "and marriages of all the nobility and gentry therein throughout contained; and "also to reprove, control, and make infamous, by proclamation, all such as "unlawfully, and without just authority, usurp or take any name, or title of honor or dignity, as Esquire or Gentleman," &c. &c. The first of these commissions was issued in 21 Henry VIII., and the last in 2 James II.

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2. Books, containing miscellaneous pedigrees and arms of nobility and gentry, being entries made in the office, as well during the time when visitations were in use, as since that period. These entries consist, in some instances, of copies of large pedigrees, in which all the branches of an extensive family are brought together, compiled by officers of arms, and authenticated under the common seal of the corporation; in other instances, of continuations of the chain of descent from the last entries in the visitation books, and other pedigrees of various descriptions.

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3. Books

3. Books of pedigrees and arms of the peers, pursuant to the standing orders of the House of Lords, of the 11th May, 1767.

4. Books of pedigrees and arms of baronets, under a royal warrant of 3d December, 1783, "for correcting and preventing abuses in the order of baronets." These pedigrees and arms had heretofore been entered, in the course of duty and rule of office, in the books before alluded to, and not peculiarly appropriated to the order of baronets.

5. Books of entries of funeral certificates of the nobility and gentry, being attested accounts of the time of death, place of burial, and of the marriages and issue of the several persons whose funerals were attended by officers of arms, or their deputies. These books refer to the same period of time as the visitations. There are also some certificates which have been entered within a few years.

6. Books, containing accounts of royal marriages, coronations, and funerals. 7. Books, called Earl Marshal's Books, from the time of Queen Elizabeth, containing entries of such instruments and warrants under the royal sign manual, as relate to the arms of the blood royal; licences from the crown, for the change of surnames and arms, or for acceptance of foreign honors, &c. &c. These books also contain some few proceedings in the Earl Marshal's Court, from the time of Queen Elizabeth to that of Charles II., inclusive; and generally whatever relates to the exercise of that part of the office of Earl Marshal which concerns the superintendence of the College.

8. Books of Arms of the Nobility and Knights of the Garter and Bath, and Docquet, or Copies of all Grants of Arms, to the present time.

The above may be considered as coming under the description of official records, as they contain entries made by the proper officers in the regular exercise of their duty. There are also in the Library of the College of Arms, nearly one thousand other volumes, in manuscript, containing copies of Visitations, Collections of Pedigrees and Arms, Copics and Abstracts of various Records, applicable to genealogical or antiquarian researches; comprehending the accumulated labors of Glover, Camden, Vincent, Philipot, Dugdale, le Neve, Walker, and other distinquished and skilful Members of the College.

II. The building is situated on Bennet's Hill, in the parish of St. Bennet, Paul'sWharf, in the city of London. Its situation, as to security, is perhaps the most dangerous to be conceived. A sugar-house immediately adjoins the library; there is no party-wall between the buildings, and the timbers of the sugar-house are actually inserted in the walls of the College. When the room which is now, and has ever been the library, was first appropriated to that purpose, there was ample accommodation for the number of books; but that number has increased so much in the space of one hundred and thirty years, that the library has long since been found too small to contain the whole; and some hundreds of volumes are now in presses in the hall, where they are subject to great injury from damp, &c.

The

The building is freehold, and private property, belonging to the corporation of the kings, heralds, and pursuivants of arms. It was erected, after the fire of London, at the expense of the members, assisted by some benefactions from the nobility and gentry, upon the scite of their ancient habitation, called Derby Place, which had been given to them by Queen Mary. It has been long in a very ruinous state; and the necessary repairs within the last twenty years amounted to £2,089: for the defraying of which the officers of arms have been under the necessity of sequestrating, not only the greatest part of their fees, but even a portion of their sa

laries.

III. They are generally in very good preservation, and arranged in tolerable order.

IV. There is in the library of the College of Arins a general catalogue of the books, and also general, and particular indices to the visitation books, funeral certificates, grants of arms, and of the books of pedigrees of the nobility and gentry, since the visitations ceased, &c. But those indices are defective, inasmuch as they contain, for the most part, only the name of the family whose pedigree, certificate, or grant, is referred to. They might be rendered much more useful, if they were made to refer to all the other names, and to any important matter contained in such pedigree, certificate or grant. This would be a work of great labor. It might however be performed by the members of the College, provided there were any fund, out of which an adequate reward could be appropriated to such as should devote their time to the task, but the present salaries and fees are so very inadequate to the support of the officers, that some are under the necessity of applying themselves to other avocations for subsistence. The net annual salary of all the thirteen officers is not more than £242. 5. 8.

The officers of arms know not of any catalogue, indices, &c. existing elsewhere that relate to the books of the College; but there are in the British Museum, and in the libraries of various colleges in the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge, several heraldic manuscripts which might be of great utility, if they could be deposited in the College of Arms, without injury to the present possessors.

V. As a body corporate, the kings, heralds, and pursuivants of arms, are entitled to make rules and orders amongst themselves, for the arrangement and custody of their books and records. By the rules and orders at present in force, one of the six heralds, and one of the four pursuivants, attend in the public office in monthly rotation; and the office is accessible from nine o'clock in the morning till the evening. They make all searches, and give out copies or extracts of the said records, and the fees arising therefrom are equally divided between them. The ordinary fee for a search of a coat of arms is, and has been for two hundred years, half-a-crown; and for a copy, or extract of a pedigree, five shillings for every generation.

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An exact estimate cannot be formed of the annual amount of the fees so received, because the receipts of each month being immediately divided at the end of the month, between the two officers who attended, are not brought into any public account; but we do not believe that the annual average can be calculated at more than £20 to a herald who waits twice, and £30 to a pursuivant who waits three times in a year. They have no salary whatever, in respect of such custody, &c. but the net annual salary of a herald is £17. 5. 2. and of a pursuivant £13. 2. 10.

The fee for the attendance of an officer of arms, with any book belonging to the College, in any court of law or otherwise, is one guinea.

VI. This is generally answered in the preceding article. The rule is, that on the attendance of an officer of arms in any court of law, or otherwise, with any record belonging to the College, an entry is made in the waiting books of the book or record so taken out of the library by such officer, who has the temporary custody thereof, and the return of such book or record to the library is certified by the officer in attendance, at the time of such return.

VII. The kings, heralds, and pursuivants of the College of Arms, conceive that the recurrence to the records of the College might be rendered more convenient to the public, if the situation of the College were near to the Court, and to the Houses of Parliament, as it was fixed at the time of its incorporation by Queen Mary, who gave them, as before stated, a house, called Derby Place, close to her own residence, upon the scite of which the present College stands.

In its present situation it is difficult of access, falling rapidly to decay, and in imminent danger of destruction from fire, as before stated.

All which is humbly submitted, &c, &c.

College of Arms, May 2, 1800.

Signed, by order of Chapter,

GEORGE HARRISON,

Norroy and Register.

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