'Insignia Anglarum' of John Colley

MSS/0498

'Insignia Anglarum' of John Colley

1640

Item

Paper; ff. ii + 85.
Folio.
Leather spine, russet, with red cloth. Bookplate of (Sir) W. H. St John Hope, fol. i.

'Insignia Anglarum (sic) armorum illustrium: or the severall beareings of the auncient and famous famelies of the renouned Kingdome of England Together with a breife description of the severall shires and counties.. of England Scotland and Ireland and the auncient ffamelies..' 'Collected by John Colley, Cittizen and ffishmonger of London Anno 1640' (fol. 1). Possibly autograph. Titlepage with decorated penwork border including royal badges and the shields of Colley and his wife (top border) and of the Fishmongers Company (lower border), fol. 1. On fol. 1v an epistle 'To the generous --' beg. 'When I first made entrance upon this worke I exspected it would not have bin so difficult', saying that he had resolved to complete it 'for my selfe contentment, and private recreation'. Contents, as now preserved:- (1) Descriptions of counties in England and Wales beginning imperfectly with Herefordshire (fol. 2, formerly p. 56) and ending imperfectly (fol. 40v) with Whitehall. Consists of detailed historical and topographical notes and accounts of the chief families in each county. Followed by an index including references to missing pages. fols. 2-44v;- (2) Blazons, followed by a note of 'Certaine eminent Tenures'. fol. 45r, v;- (3) Alphabet of arms, in trick, Ab-T. Mostly six rows of four shields. Arms of Colley, fol. 51v. fols. 47-70;- (4) Arms, in trick, begun as an alphabet but mixed after letter C. Five rows of four shields. Blazons given in the last few pages. Includes some unusual and unattributed arms. fols. 75-84v.

SAL/MS/498