Harley MS 1178

Miscellaneous heraldic book in the hand of Sampson Lennard, Bluemantle, officer of arms.

ff. 1-17r: Various documents relating to the Fenis, or Fienes family and the barons of Gillesland and Dacres, including:

• Claim and title of Margaret Fenis, wife of Sampson Lennard, to the Barony of Dacres, 1596, with other papers related to the barony of Gillesland, the monumental inscription for Margaret, Lady Dacre, in Chevening Church, Kent, and the inscription to be put on the said monument for Sampson Lennard, her husband.
• Papers relating to the Fednes or Fienes family.
• Descent of the barons of Gillesland, with arms and other proofs.

ff. 17v-18v: Extracts from the register of Ramsey Abbey bought at the auction of Sir Henry Spelman’s manuscripts by Walter Clavel.

ff. 19-26: Order and usage how to keep Parliament in England, collected by John Vowell, alias Hooker, 1571.

ff. 27- 59: Papers relating to nobility, letters patent, pedigrees, etc.

ff. 60v-82: Various notes on English nobility names, succession, precedence, etc.:

• f. 60v: Names of English dukes, marquesses, earls, and viscounts made during the reign of King Henry VIII.
• f. 61v: Notes on the creation of various viscounts by King Henry VIII.
• f. 62: Succession of the dukes of Norfolk, York, Suffolk, Bedford, Gloucester, etc.
• f. 63: True copy of two rolls of proceeding to Parliament, 1572 and 1584.
• f. 65v: Placing of great officers, according to the Act of 31 Hen. VIII.
• f. 66: Precedence among certain officers, 1584.
• f. 67: Succession of Kings of Isle of Man.
• ff. 67v-82: Succession of English and Scottish nobles of: Ormond, Kildare, Desmond, Clare, Richmond, Warwick, Arundel, Derby, Northumberland, Kendal, Dorset, Salisbury, Devon, Buckingham, Somerset, Leicester, Norfolk, Wiltshire, Lancaster, York, Worcester, Ripon, Kent, Suffolk, Pembroke, Essex, Huntingdon, Carlisle, Cumbria, Northampton, Rutland, Lincoln, Shropshire, Herefordshire, , Albemarle, Stafford, March, Cambridge, Nottingham, Bedford, Ulton, Chester, Surrey, Westmary, Bath, Oxford, Hertford, Winton, Exeter, Cornwall, Southampton, Sussex, Gloucester.

ff. 83-106: Miscellaneous heraldic papers, including:

• Summary of arguments as to the title of Richard Bartie to the style of Lord Willoughby of Willoughby and Eresby, in the right of Lady Katherine Duchess of Suffolk, his wife.
• Trick of Lord Grey of Werk’s achievement.
• Documents relating to the foundation of the monastery of Ford, Devon.
• Names of the English barons, from 23 Edward I to 49. Henry VI.

ff. 107-126r: Descents, including those of Gascoigne, Huddleston, Neville Earl of Westmorland, Humphrey Hill, Bromlye of Cheshire, Wilbram of Woodhay, Barker, Leigh, etc., Fines, descents from Edward Lord Abergavenny, Wightman, Marbury, Wentworth, Vavassor, Larder, Pigot, descent from King Edward III to Pole, Hastings, Gate, Knevit and Stafford, descent from King Edward I to Holland, Charlton and Grey, etc., Picot or Pigot, descents from King Henry III to George Cary, Baron of Hunsdon, Walter Covert, Joan Nevil, Berkeley, Egerton, Hert, Maynwaring. Including seals of John Vavassor, Eusemia Clavering, Hugh de Moleton, and others.

ff. 126v-127r: Glossary of obscure English words from the laws of the Kings of England, Canute, Alfred, Ine, Athelstan, Godrun, Edward, Edmund and Ethelred.

ff. 127v-130r: List of contents.

ff. 130v-132v: Chester miscellanies.

f. 132: Creations of the English nobility under the title: ‘The severall Creations of the Nobility of England’.

ff. 134-139: Index of surnames in this volume.

ff. 140-141: Excerpts from the record of a legal dispute between Richard Le Scroope and Sir Robert Grosvenor, headed ‘In causa Armoru[m] inter Scroope et Grosvenour incipiente Ano 9 RIci 2 et a 13 firmiente’ French.