358 The Heralds' Visitations of Wiltshire. 



32 Charles II. ; Compilations deduced from Visitations ; Registers 

 of P.edigrees ; and Arms of Peers and Baronets ; and nearly 1200 

 MS. vols, containing " Copies of Visitations, collections of Pedigrees 

 and Arms, transcripts and abstracts of Charters, Deeds, Inquisitions, 

 and other records applicable to Genealogical, Antiquarian, and 

 Topographical researches, comprehending the labours of Camden, 

 Glover, Vincent, (whose collection alone present upwards of 200 

 vols.) Philipot, Walker, Dugdale, Le Neve, Dale, Brooke, and 

 Townsend, with those of some other distinguished and able mem- 

 bers of the College." 



II. Of Heraldic Visitations, and the Procedure thereon. 



The Rev. Mark Noble in his work before cited 1 says that "Some 

 suppose Heralds held Visitations as early as the reign of Henry IV. 

 In the Harleian collection is a MS. intituled "Visitatio facta 

 per Marischallum de Norroy, ult. ann. R. Henrici. 4ti, 1412." 

 [Visitation made by the Marshal of Norroy in the last year of King 

 Henry IV. 1412.] Perhaps this was not done by virtue of a 

 Royal Commission, but the power which Norroy enjoyed he dele- 

 gated to his marshal, who might have occasion to go into the North 

 relative to the Scotch wars, then so frequent. In after times, when 

 the power of the Heralds was more limited, and the Monarchs more 

 careful of their authority, the provincial Kings-at-Arms sued for 

 and obtained such Commissions to sanction their visitations, per- 

 haps to enforce them. They originated, it is probable, from some 

 skilful and industrious Herald taking minutes of what he coidd 

 obtain respecting Arms and Genealogies, whilst attending Royal 

 progresses on some public Commission in different counties in his 

 Province. The earliest Commission known is that given to Benolt, 

 (Clarenceux King-of-Arms), in 1528-9, empowering him to visit the 

 counties of Gloucester, "Worcester, Oxford, Wilts, Berks, and 

 Stafford. The latest is dated May 13, 1686, but under it some 

 Pedigrees are registered so late as 1700, 1703, and 1704." 



A good account of the mode in which the Heralds' Visitations 

 were made is given in "A Collection of Tracts relating to the 



i Appendix (K), p. 20. 



