356 



Clje $m\W WwMim of HJiltsfiw, 



AND THE 



^rtiigms nf 8?ilt#t fwilm. 



By F. A. Cabeington, Esq. 



In the following paper I purpose to give lists of the names and 

 residences of all those Wiltshire families which are to be found 

 in the Heraldic Visitations of this county from 1533 to 1677, and 

 references to all such Pedigrees of Wiltshire families as are extant 

 as well unpublished as published, so far as I am cognizant of them ; 

 and to show with what care and solemnity all the Visitations, ex- 

 cept the last, were made, and how much importance was attached 

 to them. I shall treat of 

 I. The Heralds. 

 II. Heraldic Visitations and the procedure thereon. 

 III. The Visitation Books relating to Wiltshire : — 



1. General List of Wilts Visitation Books. 



2. The Visitation of 1533. 



3. The Visitation of 1565, and the additions to it. 



4. The Visitation of 1623. 



5. The Withie MS., comprising the Visitations of 1565 



and 1623 conjoined. 



6. The Visitation of 1677. 



IV. Miscellaneous Wiltshire Pedigrees. 



I. The Heralds. 

 There is no doubt that the Heralds existed in very ancient 

 times, but it is stated by M. Planche, in his " Pursuivant of Arms" 1 

 that the word Heraldus as applied to an officer of Arms, has not 

 yet been discovered in an earlier document than the " Imperial 

 Constitutions of Frederick Barbarossa" a. d. 1132, it being also 



i p. 16. 



