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.

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.

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.

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.

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:

"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."

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.