Harley MS 6592

This heraldic manuscript predominantly contains pedigrees and arms of families in Durham, Derbyshire, Northumberland and Nottinghamshire. The main part (ff. 2r-67v) was written by William Wyrley (b. 1565, d. 1613) between 1590 and 1592; the additions (ff. 68r-116r) appear to have been made a few years later as f. 69v states that ‘it is nowe 1596’.

Contents:

ff. 1r-1v: Pedigrees of Cheshire and Staffordshire families; the first is said to have been received in 1578 from ‘William Brereton’ [‘Wilihelmi Brereton’], Esquire; Brereton, in turn, had received it from ‘Master Talbot of Grafton’ [magistro Talbotto de Graffton’].

f. 2r: A table of contents: ‘This ffollowinge Contayneth the visitacion made by william fflower Esquier otherwise caled norroy King of Armes of the East west and north parts of England from the River of Trent northward: In the yeare of our lord god 1575 and in the sevententh yere of the reigne of our most gratious sovereigne ladie Elizabeth Queene of England ffrance and Ireland etcaetera’; This includes ‘The visitacion of the Countrie of northumberland begune by william fflower the same yere 1575’ and ‘The visitacion of the Countie of Darb[ie] made by william flower Esquier alias Norroy King of Armes in Anno 1569 Elizabeth anno undecimo’; with additions of ‘Anno 1575 Elizabeth 17’; ‘In this boke is Contayned the visitacion of the Countie of Darbie made the year 1569 by William fflower alias Norroy King of Armes and in his Companie Robert Glover alias portcullis then pursuvant of Armes And now herault in anno 1570 by the name of Somerset’; also including memorandi: ‘Hic Liber inchoatus est a Roberto Glovero Armor Prosequitor Vulgatiori nomine Purtcullis nuncupaur anno illustrissimae Reginae Angliae Elizabethae unde[cimae] Humanae salutis 1569’; ‘Be it Remembred that Thomas Toung alias Norroy King of Armes made this Visitacion in the north parts Anno domini 1530’.

f. 2v: Three letters by William Flower.

ff. 3r-29r: English pedigrees, mainly from Derbyshire and Northumberland.

ff. 29v-36r: A list of ‘The Gentlemen of name and Armes in the Countie of Darbie’.

f. 36v: A letter in French, beginning: ‘A tous presens et advenire qui ces presentes tres verront ou orront Thomas Wryothesley aultrement dit Jarretiere Roy darmes des Anglois et John Yonge aultrement dit Norroy Roy darmes des parties du northe en ces tuy Royme dangleterre Salut avec humble Recommandacion’.

ff. 37r-39r: English pedigrees, mainly from Northumberland and Nottinghamshire.

ff. 39v-40v: A tract in English, Latin and French: ‘Amonge the antique wrytings of the late dissolved monasteri of St Maries neeve the Citie of yorke ther was wryten in an ancyent boke of their foundation these wordes followinge: Alanus niger Comes Richmond unus fundatorum huius Monasterij’.

ff. 40v-41v: English pedigrees from Northumberland.

f. 42r: A tract on the origins of heraldry, beginning ‘To all etcaetera Because the valiant and vertuous act of noble wise and act [...] should be commended to the world’.

f. 42r: A note in Latin: ‘Nota quod uxor mea Elizabetha nata fuit in Rederosstrete in parochia Sancti Egidii 5 die Maij anno 1552 – Hoc scriptum fuit per somersettum ipsum De uxore sua’.

ff. 42v-43v: Nomina castrorum et fortaliciorum infra Comitatum Northumbria.

ff. 44r: Two English letters concerning heraldry.

ff. 44v-67v: English pedigrees from Durham, Northumberland, Nottinghamshire, and Yorkshire.

ff. 68r-68v, 69v-72v, 73v, 77v, 81v, 85v, 87v-88v, 89v, 93v, 95v, 99v, 108v-109r: Descriptions of the locations of towns and monasteries in Derbyshire, including copies of epitaphs, and arms in church windows; these additions are dated up to 1596.

ff. 101r-103r: An index of surnames.

f. 112v: A folio reference: ‘A Callender to this booke in fol: 102’.

ff. 113r-114r: An index of surnames

ff. 114v-116r: Pedigrees and arms from Derbyshire.

The manuscript contains a later addition:

f. 1*recto: A title-page: ‘William Wyrley’s Copy, in 1592, of the Visitation of Derbyshire etcaetara : made by W. Flower and Robert Glover in 1569. With Calendars by Sir Henry St George, etcaetera’; added in the 17th century

Decoration:

Coats of arms (many with crests) in brown ink, tricked, throughout the manuscript. A full-page drawing of ‘A Countesse’ in brown ink on f. 49r.