Arms.—Quarterly, first and fourth argent, second and third gules, a fret or, over all a bend sable charged with three escallops of the first. This coat, which is differenced from the ancient baronial arms by the three escallop shells, was used by Henry Spencer of Badby, who sealed his will with it. In 1504 another coat was granted, viz. Azure, a fess ermine between six sea-mew's heads erased argent, but the more ancient arms have been generally borne by the Spencers.
Present Representative, John Poyntz Spencer, 5th Earl Spencer.
Rokeby of Arthingworth.
This is a junior branch of the Rokebys of Rokeby in Yorkshire, a knightly race immortalized by Scott. The principal line has been long extinct. Sir Thomas Rokeby was Sheriff of Yorkshire in the eighth of Henry IV. The family was seated in the parish of Ecclesfield, and also at Sandal-Parva, in South Yorkshire, where William Rokeby was Rector in the reign of Henry VII. In 1512 he became Archbishop of Dublin. His brother Ralph wrote the history of the family, now in possession of Mr. Rokeby of Arthingworth, and which is printed in Whitaker's Richmondshire, vol. i. p. 158. The present family acquired Arthingworth from the Langhams by marriage in the end of the seventeenth century.
See Hunter's South Yorkshire, i. p. 199.
Arms.—Argent, a chevron between three rooks sable, borne by Mons. Thomas de Rokeby in the reigns of Edward III. and Richard II. (Rolls of the dates.)
Present Representative, the Rev. Henry Ralph Rokeby.
Maunsell of Thorpe-Malsor.
