"Arms devised without authority"

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2 total messages Started by Lorne Gray Wed, 27 Jan 1993 21:11

#363

Author: Lorne Gray
Date: Wed, 27 Jan 1993 21:11

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   Henry VIII, in his commission to his Heralds authorizing
them to start the Visitations, gave them the power to
"reform all false armory and arms devised without authority"

   What is meant by "arms devised without authority"?
I have read that this shows the Royal intent that
only arms granted or confirmed by the Royal Heralds were lawful.

   I remain sceptical.  I prefer the reading that the 
Heralds were to weed out arms assumed by social climbers trying
to pass themselves off as members of the Gentry without being
up to snuff.  I think Rodney Dennys, on page 146 of "Heraldry
and the Heralds" bears this out.  Arms assumed by real 
"Gentlemen" were in theory, OK, though the Heralds would
want to check their credentials.  Does anyone have anything
that would support or demolish either interpretation?
-- 
Lorne Gray, Ottawa, Canada. aa565@freenet.carleton.ca

Re: "Arms devised without authority"

#367

Author: Pegasus
Date: Wed, 27 Jan 1993 22:10

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In article <1993Jan27.211131.18846@freenet.carleton.ca>,
aa565@Freenet.carleton.ca (Lorne Gray) wrote:
> 
> 
>    Henry VIII, in his commission to his Heralds authorizing
> them to start the Visitations, gave them the power to
> "reform all false armory and arms devised without authority"
> 
This would be the letters patent issued by Henry VIII to Thomas Benolt,
Clerenceux, on April 19th of April 1530. which can be found in .State
Letter and Papers of . . . England.
 See also .Heralds and Heraldry in the Middle Ages, An Inquiry into the
Growth of the Armorial Fuinction of Heralds. by Anthony R. Wagner, Oxford 
University Press, 1960 second ed. chapter XI "Visitations before 1530."
which may contain the answers to your querries.

Pegasus

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