4. Three piles gu., meeting in point. Wishart; over all on an escutcheon or, a lion rampant sa., within a double tressure flory counterflory of the second. Buchanan.
5. Or, a lion rampant sa., a chief gu. Beauchamp (?).
6. Az., a cross flory between 4 martlets or. King Edward the Confessor.
[Breviary of the Diocese of Salisbury. Parisiis, 1499.]
Variety, with four quarterings only.
[Papeburg. Comment. Basileae, 1551.]
[Sir W. Worsley, Hovingham Hall, York.]
Robert Bruce Cotton (born 22nd January 1570, died 6th May 1631) was the eldest son of Thomas Cotton of Connington, Huntingdon. At an early age he began to collect manuscripts, especially English ones, and the dissolution of the monasteries in the earlier half of the sixteenth century afforded him excellent opportunity of acquiring invaluable examples. So valuable was Cotton's collections, much of it containing official documents, that twice it was sequestrated by the Government; some of it, however, was restored to him. He was made a Baronet in 1611, having previously received the honour of Knighthood. The part of the collection of manuscripts which had been retained by the Government of the day was eventually restored to his son Sir Thomas Cotton.