W. Harvey, Alphabet of arms; R. Glover, rules of heraldry

Scope and Content

Heraldic miscellany, begun, as 'The Armes of diverse gentilmen alphabetically', by William Harvey, c.1560, and continued as the same by Gibbon Goddard, c.1595; then Regula aurea, notes on heraldry, precedents, etc., by Robert Glover, c.1600. William Harvey (d.1567), herald, was Norroy King of Arms, 1550-57, Clarenceux King of Arms, 1557-67. Gibbon (or Guibon) Goddard was Recorder of Lyme. Robert Glover (1543/4-88) was Somerset Herald, 1570-88. -1 volume (probably originally 2) in a modern cloth binding. [fos. 1-40] The Armes of diverse gentilmen alphabetically, i.e., family names alphabet- ically, flanked by their counties and a description of their arms; annotated and expanded by Guibon Goddard, including, on fo. 1, apparently in his hand, 'Harvey Clarenx scripsit'. Before fo. 1, a slip cut from a later paper cover has an inscription 'I believe Harvey Clarenciex began this book and Guibon Goddard Recorder of Lynn continu'd it', initialled (possibly) 'FM' or 'MF'. [fo. 41] A slip describing the contents of Regula aurea (part the 2d) 'collected out of a booke of presedentes of Mr Jo: Glover Somerset Herald'. This note, which it is suggested in an 18C hand might have been written by John Bagford, almost certainly has 'John' in error for 'Robert Glover'. [fos. 42-70] Regula aurea, heraldic rules and notes in Latin, French and English; precedents for creation of peers, Knights of the Garter, Knights Banneret, etc., and funerals of nobility and gentry. Inside front board, catalogue description and classmark 'MS. ARM. I, Parts I and II', in the hand of a 20C collector, and a reference to Sotheby's sale, 28 JUL 1964, in which the MS was lot 441, and was sold to 'Sanders'. There is also a cutting from another, unidentified, sale, at which the MS was lot 124.

Access Information

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Acquisition Information

purchased 1998

Other Finding Aids

A catalogue of the collection can be found on ArchiveSearch.