The Heralds' Visitations of Wiltshire. 357 



stated in the " Penny Cyclopaedia," 1 a very accurate work, (Tit. 

 Herald) that the earliest mention of a Herald in England is in a 

 Pell-roll of 12 Edw. III., and I am further informed by the Rev. 

 Mark Noble, in his "History of the College of Arms 2 " that "Dukes, 

 Marquises, and Earls were allowed an Herald and Pursuivant; 

 Viscounts and Barons, and others not ennobled, even Knights 

 Bannerets might retain one of the latter," but that the practice 

 gradually ceased, there being none so late as the reign of Queen 

 Elizabeth ; and he also informs us that noblemen's funerals were 

 attended by their own Herald in a Tabard of his arms reversed. 

 The Lord Mayor seems also to have had a Herald who, till very 

 recently, rode in the city procession on Lord Mayors' Day, as well 

 as the "men in armour," who probably were persons who had to 

 do military service for the Knight's fees held of the Crown by the 

 Corporation of London. 



The present Heralds in England consist of Garter King-of-Arms, 

 (the head of the College) ; Clarenceux King-of-Arms, whose juris- 

 diction is South of the Trent ; Norroy King-of-Arms, whose juris- 

 diction is north of the Trent ; six Heralds, and four Pursuivants. 



The Heralds were incorporated by King Richard the Third in 

 the first year of his reign, by a charter dated the 2nd of March, 

 1483, by which he also granted them a house called Cold Arbor in 

 the Parish of All Hallows the Less, in the city of London. They 

 were re-incorporated in 1554, by King Philip and Queen Mary, 

 who also granted them Derby House, which was destroyed by the 

 great fire of London, but stood on the site of the present Herald's 

 College. At the time of the fire the books and MSS. were pre- 

 served, and are now in the present College. 



This most valuable collection is described by Sir Charles Young, 

 Garter King-of-Arms, the present head of the College, 3 who states 

 that they have the Visitations from that of Thomas Benolt Claren- 

 ceux, taken under a Commission dated 20 Henry VIII., to that of 

 Sir Henry St. George Clarenceux, taken under a Commission 



1 The articles on Heraldry in this work were written by Mr. Planob.6. 



2 p. 46. 

 » ltecord Hep. of 1K:J7, app. (c. 8.), p. 106. 



8 i 



