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College of Heralds. Remarks of some of them. | 142 |
College of Heralds. Remarks of some of them.
Wriothesley, in the Reign of Edward IV. who was first Antelope Pursuivant, or
Faulcon, according to Dugdale's Baronage; and after by degrees came to be
Garter, and
received Knighthood. He had Issue Thomas, Garter, and William Wriothesley, York
Herald; whose Son, Sir Thomas, was first a Clerk of the Signet in the Reign of
King
Henry VIII. Then made Coroner and Attorney in the Court of Common-Pleas: Soon
after Principal Secretary of State: And in the 30th of Henry VIII. was sent
Ambassador
to the Lady Regent in the Netherlands, to treat of a Marriage between King Henry
and
Christiana Dutchess of Milan, a beautiful Lady then in those Parts. Two Years
after he
was made Constable of the Castle of Southampton: And two Years after that, had
the
like Command for the Castle of Portchester; And was made one of the Chamberlains
of
the Exchequer. A Year after that, viz. 35. Hen. VIII. upon the League made by
King
Henry and the Emperor Charles, he was appointed one of the Commissioners for
Managing the Treaty conducing thereunto. And the first Day of January, the same
Year, he was advanced to be a Baron, by the Title of Lord Wriothesley, of
Tichfield in
the County of Southampton. Which Tichfield was a Monastery newly dissolved,
which he had obtained. In the 36th of this King, he was made Lord Chancellor of
England. At the End of this Year, he was installed Knight of the Garter. And
the
King, on his Death-bed, constituted him one of his Executors, and appointed him
of
Council to Edward the Prince, his Son that was to succeed him. And Three Days
before the said Edward's Coronation, he had the Title and Honour of Earl of
Southampton; as appears by Patents bearing Date the 16th of February, in the 1st
Year
of Edward VI. But by reason of the great Factions in this Reign, he was
divested of his
Office of Lord Chancellor, and put from the Council, and afterwards confined.
And the
Honour continued in his Family for Three or Four Generations, till within our
Memory.
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Wrythe or Wriothesly, Herald; his Advancement.
Dugdale's Baronage, Vol. II. p.383.
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Yet higher Honour did the Posterity of another Herald arrive to; viz. Pain Roet,
Knight,
Guienne King of Arms. Who had Two Daughters: Anne the younger, whom Geofrey
Chaucer (our ancient famous Poet) married. By whom he had Sir Thomas Chaucer,
Knight. Whose Daughter Alice was matched with Thomas Montacute, Earl of
Salisbury, (by whom she had no Issue) and afterward with William De La Pole,
Earl of
Suffolk; Who had by her John Duke of Suffolk, and others. Roet's other
Daughter,
Katharine, who was the Elder, married to Sir Otes Swinford, and afterwards to
John of
Gaunt, the Great Duke of Lancaster: Of whose Issue by her came a most Royal and
Illustrious Offspring. Viz. Eight Kings, Four Queens, and Five Princes of
England;
Six Kings, and Three Queens of Scotland; Two Cardinals, above Twenty Dukes, and
almost as many Dutchesses, of the Kingdom of England; divers Dukes of Scotland,
and
most of all the now Ancient Nobility of both these Kingdoms: Many other Potent
Princes, and Eminent Nobility of Foreign Parts.
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Sir Pain Roet, Guienne King.
Wev. Monum. p.661.
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Those that brought Honour to this Office, for their Learning or Writings, were
divers in
the latter Days of Queen Elizabeth. Of these I shall mention some.
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Men of Learning in this Office.
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Robert Glover, Somerset Herald; A Man, as of a good Wit and great Reading, so of
infinite Industry and Pains. He began the Book, called The Catalogue of Honour,
in
Latin; but finished by Mills, his Kinsman: Wherein he undertook to clear the
Descents
from Royal Pedigrees of our Kings and Queens. He had Abundance of Rolls
and Pedigrees, and ancient Writings of Heraldry, which he had gathered together
for
his Use; besides vast Collections made by his own Hands, and Travail, touching
Arms;
Books of Visitation of XXIV Shires; and Miscellanea, wrote by himself. Camden
mentions him oft with Honour, and acknowledged he made much Use of him in
Genealogies. Glover also communicated to Dr. David Powell a Copy of the History
of
Cambria, translated by H. Lloyd. He was thus useful in promoting the Knowledge
of
the Ancient History of Britain; and would doubtless have been much more, had he
not
been taken away so early; being at his Death but Forty five Years old. In the
Parish-
Church of Cripplegate (where he was interred) is a decent Monument set up to his
Memory, with an Inscription in Latin.
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Glover Somerset.
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Francis Thynne, Lancaster Herald, was well versed in our English History, and
thoroughly studied in Heraldry, before he sued (Anno 1593) to be admitted into
this
Office: When he offered himself to the Lord Burghley, for his Skill in that
Learning, to
be examined even in the deepest Points of Armoury, which he thought could not be
attained to without Knowledge of Philosophy and History. He signified then,
that he
had drawn out a Series of the Lord Treasurer's, and composed a certain Circulary
Pedigree of the Earls and Viscounts of England. In Behalf of himself, thus he
wrote to
the aforesaid Lord:
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Francis Thynne.
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"How worthy I may be thereof, [the Place of an Herald] it beseemeth not me to
speak: Because to praise my self, were Vanity; to dispraise my self, were Folly;
and to
compare with any of the Office, were odious. Yet this much without Offence I
may
say, That I beseech your Lordship to put me to Tryal, whether I may not in Skill
of
Learning, even in the deepest Points of Armory, (which cannot be known without
the
Mysteries of Philosophy, and the Judgment of Histories) deserve that Place as
well as
some others. Many, I know, have, and do labour for the Offices of Clarencieux
and
Norroy; of whom I am not to speak, altho' I know who they are; what they can do;
how learned they be; how meet for those Places; how able to serve their Prince
and
Country; and of how great Continuance in Heraldry. But yet, if it like your
Lordship to
cast a favourable Liking to him, who hath wholly tied himself to you and to your
House; it may be that he which cometh last, may be preferred before the
first."
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His Application to the L. Treasurer.
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A late Author mentioneth several other of his Works, some printed, and some in
MS.
Of the former sort are the Annals of Scotland, continued where Hollingshed left
off,
viz. to the Year 1586. He was a great Catalogist: For besides the Catalogue of
the Lord
Treasurers of England, before mentioned, he drew up a Catalogue of the English
Cardinals, which is printed in Hollingshed, at the End of Queen Mary. Likewise
a
Catalogue of the Lord Chancellors in MS. A Catalogue also (alphabetically
disposed)
of such as had wrote purposely of the English History, whether Englishmen, or
Foreigners: Which is printed at the End of Hollingshed's History. There be also
remaining in MS. Thynne's Discourses of Arms; Collections of Antiquities;
Sepulchral
Inscriptions, collected by him as well in the Churches of England, as other
Parts; Notes
on Chaucer's Works, with which he intended to put out that Author with a
Comment,
tho' he performed it not. But he assisted Speght with his Notes and Directions,
and
with considerable Materials for writing Chaucer's Life.
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Writings of Thynne.
Ath. Oxon.
Hollingsh. Hist. p. 1165.
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