abuses and discordes daylie rising and growing for want of ordinarie visitacions surveys and views in tymes convenient according to the auncient fourme and lawdable custome of the lawes of Armes and that the nobylitie of this our Realme may be preserved in every degree as apperteyneth as well in honor as in wourshipp, and that every person and persons bodyes politque corporate and others may be the better knowen in his or theire estate degree and misteries without confusion or disorder, have therefore constituted deputed ordeyned and appoynted for us and in our name our said welbeloved servaunt, William Flower alias Norrie Kinge of Armes in the said East West and North parte of our Realme of England, from the said ryver of Trente Northewarde, to visite all the said provynce and the partes and members thereof apperteynyng to thoffice and charge of the said Norrie Kyng of Armes from tyme to tyme, as often and when as he shall thinke most necessarie and convenient for the same. And not only to enter into all Churches, Castells, howses and other places at his discrecion to peruse and take knowledge, survey, and viewe of all manner of Armes, Cognisaunces, Creasts and other like devises with the notes of theire discents, pedigrees and marriages and the same to enter and recorde into a regester or booke of Armes according to suche order as is prescribed and set furthe in the office chardge and othe taken by our said Servaunte at his creacion and coronacion. And also to correcte comptrolle and refourme all manner of Armes, Creasts, Cognizaunces and devises unlawfull or unlawfully usurped borne or taken by any person or persons within the same provynce contrary to the due order of the lawe of Armes. And the same to revyse, put downe or otherwise deface at his discrecion, as well in Coote Armers helmes standerds pennons and hatchments of tentes and pavilions, as also in plate, jewells, paper, parchement, wyndowes, gravestones and monuments or elsewhere wheresoever they be sett or placed whether they be in Shelde Schoocheon Lozenge Square Rundell, or otherwise howsoever contrarie to the autentique and auncient lawes, customes, rules, privilege and order of Armes. And further, Wee, by these presents do geve and graunte to the said Norrie full power and aucthorytie to reprove comptroll and make infamous by proclamacion to be made at the Assises or generall Sessions within the same his precincte to be had and kepte or at such other place or places as he or they shall thincke moste mete and convenient, all and all manner of person and persons that unlawefully and without just aucthorytie, vocacion or due calling doo or have done or shall usurpte or take upon hym or them any name or tytle of honour or dignitie as Esquier, Gentleman, or other. And likewise to reforme and comptroll all suche as at any funeral or interements shall use or weare any morninge apparell as gownes, hoods, tippetts or suche like, contrary to the order lymitted and prescribed in the tyme of the moste noble Prince of famous memorie King Henry the Seaventh our grandfather otherwise or in any other sorte then to theire estates and degrees dothe, or shall apperteyne. And furthermore by these presentes wee prohybite and forbidd that no paynter, glasier, goldsmyth, graver or any other artificer whatsoever hee or they be within the said provynce of the said Norrye shall take upon them to paynte, grave, glase, devise or set furth by any wayes or meanes any manner of Armes, Crests, Cognizaunces, pedigrees or other devises, perteynyng to the office of Armes, otherwise, or in any other forme or maner then they may lawfully do and shalbe allowed by the said Norrie his deputie or deputies according to the auncient lawes and statutes of armes. And we forbid and likewise straitely commaund all our sheriffs, commissaries, archedeacons, officialles, scrivenours, clerkes, wryters or other whatsoever they be to call name or write in any Assises Sessions Courte or open place or places or els to use in any wryting the addicion of a

esquier or gentleman onleese they be hable to stand unto and justifie the same by the lawe of Armes and the lawes of our Realme or els be asserteine thereof by advertisement in wryting from the said Norrye Kinge of Armes or his deputie or deputies, attorney or attorneys. And further we straightly commaunde and chardge that no other person or persons shall intromitt or medle in any thing or things touching or concernyng the Office of Armes within the sayd provynce wythout the speciall lycence and auctorytie of the sayd Norrie in wryting under the seale of the said offyce first had and obteyned from the sayd Norrie; all which sayd power, prehemynence, jurisdicion and aucthorytie above specified for us our heires and successors we do geve and graunte by these presentes to the sayd Wylliam Flower alias Norrie during the naturall lief of the said Norrie in as large and ample manner and fourme in every thinge and thinges as any his predecessours or any other bearing the name or title of Norrie have or had, did or mighte do by force of any lettres patente graunted by any of our predecessors or as of righte he or they ought or might have used to do by force of his said office with all manner of proffitte advauntage and emolumente thereto belonging. Wherefore we well and straightly commaunde and chardge all and synguler justices, sheriffs, maiores, baylieffes and all other officers, ministers and constables and all and every our loving subjects that in the execucion of the premisses they effectually employ theire best ayde, assistaunce, furtheraunce and councaill to our said servaunt, his deputie or deputyes so often and when as he or any of them shall requier the same in all that you conveniently may as you tender our favour and will answer to the contrarye at your perille. And further by these presentes we do aucthoryze our said servaunte to nominate and appoynte under the seale of his said office so many deputies and attorneys as shalbe thought by hym expedyent for the better execucion of all and synguler the premisses and if theare fortune to fall out in this our visitacion any manner of scruple doubte question or any misdemeaner of any person or persons whatsoever that canne not be conveniently desised or ended by our said servaunte or suche deputie, deputies or attorneys as he under the seale of his said office shall name and appoynte, then our mynde and pleasure is that our said servaunte, his deputie, deputies, or attorneys named as is aforesaid shall commaunde such person or persons whome the said question doubte or misdemeanor shall concerne under a certayne payne and at a certayne day to appeare before the Earl Marshall of England, for the tyme being before whome the said scruple question or misdemeanor shalbe harde and ordered according to the lawe and custome of Armes in that case provyded and of auncient tyme used any statute, lawe, proclamacion, custome, or usage to the contrary in any wise notwithstanding. In witnes whereof we have caused these our lettres to be made patente. Wytnes our self at Westminster, the xth day of July [1564].

per ipsam Reginam, &c.

7. DALTON NORROY'S GRANT OF ARMS TO THOMAS LAWSON OF LITTLE

USWORTH.

MS. Ashmole 834, fol. 13.

Lawsun.

To all and singuler as well nobles and gentils as all kinges herauldes and officers of armes with others which these presentes shall see reade or heare, Lawrence Dalton Esquire alias Norroy kinge of armes and principall heraulde of the East West and North partes of England from the river of Trente Northward, sendeth due and humble commendations with greetinge

Know ye therfore that I Norroy kinge of armes abovesayd beinge desired not onely by Thomas Lawson of Lyttle Osworth in the county of the busshoppricke of Durham, gentleman, and one of the iustices of the peace of the same countie but also by his second brother Robert Lawsune of Rocke in the countie of Northumberland justice of the quorum of the sayd shire and one of the justices of the peace of the Bushoppricke aforesaid as well in their owne names as in the names of theire foure bretherin William, John, George and Rouland, and every of theim, all syxe beinge sonnes to William Lawsun of little Osworth aforenamed, gentleman, which said William and his auncestres have longe contynewed in in [sic MS.] noblenes beringe armes tokens of honor not onely to make search in my registers and recordes but also to ratyfie vnder seale the said armes with the appurtenaunces belonging to hym theym and their auncestres their name and famyly whose request beinge so iust and resonable I could not lawfully deny the same but found the armes to be PER PALE SYLUER AND SABLE A CHEUERON COUNTERCHANGED AND FOR THE CREAST BADGE OR COGNOYSSANCE VPON THE HELME ON A WRETHE OF THE FIELD A CLOWDE IN PROPRE COOLER THEROWTE YSSUINGE TWO ARMES FLECTYD ERMYN HOLDING BETWEEN THE HANDS CHARNELL A SON GOULD MANTELED GULDES DOWBLED SYLUER BUTTONED AND TARSELD GOLD, as more playnely appereth by the pycture therof in this margent, which armes and crest with the appurtenaunces I the sayd Norroy by power and aucthoritie to my office annexed and to me gyuen graunted and attributed by letters patentes vnder the greate seale of England have ratified and confirmed.

In witnesse wherof herunto I have subscry bed my name and sett the seale of my office and the seale of my armes the last day of February in the fyrst yere of the reigne of oure souuereigne lady Elizabeth by the grace of god queene of England France and Ireland Defendor of the faith etc. and in the yere of oure Lord God a thowsand fyue hundred fyftye and eyght [i.e. 28 Feb., 1559, new style.]

MX
M

[Attempts by Harvey, Norroy, or his deputy, at designing the augmentation to the arms of Sir Thomas Wharton, ultimately granted to him in 1553, as a bordure filled in with lion's legs in saltire; as to which see the note to page 7 ante. The above sketches are from folio 22d. of the narrative section of Harvey's Visitation of 1552, in the manuscript Anstis. C. 9.]

INDEX.

Pedigrees are printed in SMALL CAPITALS; arms in italics.

An asterisk denotes that the name of a person or place occurs more than
once on a page.

Names of married women are only indexed under their maiden or former