Harley MS 1922

Contents:

ff. 1r-4v, 6r-14v, 16r-18v, 20r-26v, 29r-35v, 37r-42v, 45r-50v, 52r-57v, 62r-62v, 64r-65v: Coats of arms of English nobility and gentry, with names written in French, many of which seem to originate from Kent and Lancashire (as indicated by the cropped rubricated Latin headers in the upper margins of ff. 4r, 4v, 16r, 54r, 55r, 57r, 57v, 64v); including mostly personal coats of arms, many of their owners were alive in the 14th century. Featuring European kings and dukes, including the kings of France and Lithuania, and the Duke of Milan (f. 52r); the arms of John Harewell, Bishop of Bath and Wells (f. 52v); Archbishops of Canterbury Simon Islip, Simon Langham, Simon Sudbury, William Courtenay, Roger Walden, and Thomas Arundel (f. 57v); and the arms of Earls of Hereford and Derby (f. 65v). The selection and order of the Lancashire coats of arms are similar to an Elizabethan Lancashire roll of arms that is described in Rylands, ‘Two Lancashire Rolls of Arms; (1885), pp. 151-156, According to Rylands, the roll, which is entitled: ‘Taken out of an old Booke of armes, Anno Domini 1568’, was probably compiled towards the close of the reign of King Edward III (Rylands, ‘Two Lancashire Rolls of Arms’ (1885), p. 150).

The manuscript contains various later additions:

ff. 5r-6v: Lists of payments, entitled: ‘Northwich pyonerres wages from Munday the 8 of May to Saturday the 13th’; ‘Northwich Carpenters wages the weeke before Whitsunday for worke done at the fortification’; and ‘Northwich – The dawbers wages for the Gentrie house Chimney at Hawbridge’; written in the 17th century.

f. 15r: A fragment of a letter in English, which reads: ‘Sir, I have receaved your letter and am very sorry that any thinge in my last letter should give you occasion of distast, the fault was not myne only I left it to a frend of myne, and it seemes hee writt what hee thought good himself contrary to my mynde, but as concerninge my daughter I hope sir you will soe farr beleeve mee that what I sent you word of is truth for shee is dead and the next retourne I will send you downe a Cirtificate under the Mans hand who caryed her over and hee shall certefie asmuch which I hope will give you satisfaccion shee dyed it seemes within 4. dayes [...] in the Island of Barbadoes [...]’; written in the 17th century.

ff. 19r-19v: ‘Brittan Carrier the truth is I cannot take my Journey to my Lord ffairfax without this monie to buy that with [...] I tould you of no thing else at present but committinge you to God and mee to your good regard I re[...]t your servant in what I can – William Sunderland Manchester the 5th of May 1643’; followed by a list of payments; and another fragmentary entry dated 15 May 1643’; and ‘Nortwich 19 January 1642 – Laborers wages for work done at the fortifications the weeke before Whitsunday’.

ff. 27r-28v, 43r-44v, 58r-61v, [65a]recto-[65verso]: Additional coats of arms, drawn and tricked in brown ink, 4 or 12 per page; added in the 17th century.

ff. 36r-36v: A list of payments with the dates 20 May 1643 and 22 May 1643; short entries: ‘I acknowledge that I have received of John Ellams 24 pounds of Bullets and Carthages [sic] which is [...] – John Daniell’; ‘Sir, I have received from John Ellams 200 and half a hundred waight of Muskett Bulletts half a hundred waight of Carbine and [...]’; two more lists of payments, the last one is headed: ‘1643 – Nortwich – Pyoneeers wages from he 22th of May to the 27th’.

ff. 51r-51v: A list of payments for wages to labourers, untitled, written in the 17th century.

ff. 63r-63v: A collection of letters, begining: ‘Captain Gerard, Captain Booths Quarter Master hath received noe pay thies manie Monthes [...] William Brereton June 3 1643’; followed by accounts dated 3 June 1643; probably related to the English Civil War.

ff. 66v-67v: Blazons in French heraldic terminology.

ff. 68r-69v: A collection of certificates and accounts, dated 1647-1649, probably related to the English Civil War, beginning: ‘May the 10th – 1649 – Roger Streete – These are to Certify whom it may concerne that Roger Streete of Reringham in the Counte of Cheshire hath served of troop under my comaund for the Parliament of England until the twenyth day of January one thousand sixe hondred fourtie three until the twentyth daie of march one thousend sixe hundred ffourth’.

Decoration:

Coats of arms in colours, many with names written above their shields, 9 or 12 per page.