Some Feudal Coats of Arms
Introduction
As part of my intention to make the sources of medieval coats of arms for accessible, I have begun a study of
Some Feudal Coats of Arms, Joseph Foster, 1901.
subtitled
from heraldic coats of arms 1298-1418
The shield will be published in blocks of fifty. There are about 750 illustrations of shields in Fos
The book contains facsimile black and white illustrations from various manuscripts, and this section of the site will reproduce these, adding tinctures and a commentary.
The sections are arranged in columns: 1 The fascimile illustration from Foster's work; 2 the bearer's name, with variations if he appears in other rolls already researched on this site; 3 reference to these rolls; 4 the blazon, with the original, where appropriate; and 5 general comments.
Foster's nomenclature of the rolls is now largely outdated, and I have used the more accepted names where appropriate. The rolls generally include those which appear in the section on European Rolls of Arms, although two in particular need a further description.
William Jenyn's Ordinary, WJ
c1380; College of Arms, London. 1611 painted coats. Owned by William Jenyns, who was Lancaster Herald, 1516-27.
The Shirley Roll, SHY
Fifteenth Century. More than 500 shields, mostly painted some tricked and others indecipherable. In addition the pages have been cut, so that many of the names and parts of the shield are no longer visible. Owned by Philip le Neve, 1656, and by Evelyn Philip Shirley, d1882.
In my version here, I have reproduced the shields in the order that Foster shows them, identified by the bearer's original name. If he appears in other rolls, there is the appropriate reference. Finally, I have added some sort of gloss if necessary. These entries are not intended to be an accurate representation of the arms: they are as Foster published them. The same observation, of course, may be made be made about all of the pages in European Rolls of Arms.
I would appreciate comments and suggested corrections, and in particular an indication of the interest in the pages. The research is sometimes complicated, and I do not wish to spend time on it, when other areas of the site might be of more use. Please write to me with your comments.