Adam A. Bierling delin.
North View of Arundel House in London 1646.
From a print published by J. Thane, London, Feb. 1, 1792.
The Visitation of London (1633–1635), published in 1880 by the Harleian Society, contains the genealogies and shields of over 900 City families. If we assume that these shields were honestly examined and allowed, we have the very remarkable fact that in the seventeenth century there were 900 City families within the walls of the City who were descended from the country gentry, and had preserved proof of their descent. The trade or calling of those whose names are given in the genealogy does not always appear; the great majority seem to be in trade of some kind. Thus we find Goldsmith, Draper, Grocer, Fishmonger, Haberdasher, Mercer, Gentleman, Skinner, “of the Temple,” Doctor of Physic, Merchant Tailor, Merchant, Doctor of Divinity, Vintner, Barber, Surgeon, “of Clifford’s Inn,” Attorney in the office of the Pleas on the Exchequer Court, Cordwayner, “Searcher and Trier and Sealer of Madder,” Dyer, Scryvener, Sadler, “Silman to Prince Charles,” Merchant of the Staple, “One of His Majesty’s Auditors,” “One of the Commissioners for the Royal Navy,” “Surveyor of Customs,” Joyner, Stationer, Brewer, etc. Here are enough to show that every kind of trade was represented, but not every kind of craft. It is rare to find a craft at all, and then the person concerned was evidently an employer of working-men, a master craftsman. The names themselves have quite lost the mediæval aspect which they presented in the wills and memorials. There is hardly a name which might not belong to the London Directory of the present year. The name of Pepys is among them, but not that of Samuel, who was not yet born. “Yet I never thought we were of much account,” he said thirty years afterwards. The family came from South Creake, in the county of Norfolk. The name of Milton is there, with a confusion of Mitton and Milton, but not the name of John. As for the origin of these families, it was from every part of the country. It is, however, noticeable that, whereas in the fourteenth century the names of Mayor and Sheriffs in office were frequently—nay, generally—those of men who came up from their fathers’ manors young, in these lists most of them are London citizens of the second, third, and fourth generations.
Referring to the lists in the “Stow” of 1633, the following Mayors have marks of cadency on their arms. The arms, therefore, are not newly granted but hereditary:—
“Adam Bamme, 1390. Ermine, on a chief indented, sable, two trefoils, argent: an annulet for difference, being the mark of cadency for a fifth son.
John Froyshe, 1394. A fess engrailed: an annulet.
Richard Whittington, 1397. A fess checky: an annulet.
Drew Barentyn, 1397. Three eagles, displayed: an annulet.
Ralf Jocelyn, 1464. Azure, a wreath, argent and sable, with four bells, or: a mullet for difference, third son.
[Sir John] Young, 1466. Lozengy, two unicorns’ heads, erased, on a bend: an annulet.
[Sir Thomas] Mirfine, 1518. Argent, a chevron sable: a mullet, and in dexter chief a crescent: perhaps third son of a second son.
[Sir John] Bruges, 1520. Argent, a cross sable, a leopard’s face, or: a crescent.
Dodmer, 1529. A crescent.
Lambert, 1531. An annulet.
Dormer, 1541. A crescent.
Amcoates, 1548. A crescent.
White, 1553. An annulet.
Curteis, 1557. A crescent.
[Sir Thomas] Rowe, 1568. A crescent.
Ducket, 1572. A mullet.
Harvey, 1581. A crescent.
Bond, 1587. A crescent, thereon a mullet.
Calthrop, 1588. A crescent.
[Sir William] Rowe, 1592. A crescent.
Some, 1598. A crescent.”
The following have quartered coats:—
“Chalton, 1449.
Clopton, 1491.
Bradbury, 1509.
Rudstone, 1528.
Amcoates, 1548, eight coats.
Jud, 1550.
Martin, 1567.
Heyward, 1570, six coats.
Ducket, 1572.
Woodroffe, 1579.
Branche, 1580.
Osborne, 1583, three coats.
Dixie, 1585.
Barne, 1586.
Calthrop, 1588, five coats.
Heyward, 1590.
Billingsley, 1596.
Mosley, 1599.
The following is the list in full already referred to, of the nobility and gentry living in and about London in 1673. I have omitted those names whose rank was lower than that of Baronet so as not to include the City and law knights:—
Lord Berkeley of Berkeley Castle.
Lord Berkeley of Stratton.
Sir William Boyer, Bart.
The Earl of Bridgwater, Barbican.
Baron Brooke of Beauchampe Court and Hackney.
The Earl of Buckingham and Earl of Coventry.
The Earl of Burlington, Burlington House.
Clarenceaux, Knight at Arms.
The Viscount Campden, Kensington.
Sir Robert Carr, Bart.
Sir Nicholas Crisp, Bart.
Earl of Clare, Clare House, Drury Lane.
Earl of Clarendon.
Lord Clifford.
The Viscount Courtney, Clarendon Street.
Earl of Craven.
Sir John Cutler, Bart.
Earl of Devonshire, Devonshire Square.
Marquis of Dorchester, Charter-House Yard.
Earl of Dorset.
Sir Heneage Finch, Bart.
Sir Reginald Foster, Bart.
Sir F. Everard, Bart.
Lord Grey.
Sir Harbottle Grimston, Bart., Rolls.
Viscount Halifax.
Lord Hatton.
Sir William Hicks, Bart.
Earl of Holland.
Sir Francis Holles, Bart.
Sir James Langham, Bart.
Earl of Leicester.
Earl of Lindsay.
Sir Thomas Littleton, Bart.
Sir Philip Mathews.
Viscount Mordaunt.
The Earl of Mulgrave.
Sir Herbert Price, Bart.
The Earl of Salisbury, Salisbury House.
Sir John Shaw, Bart.
Sir William Smith, Bart.
Viscount Stafford.
The Earl of Thanet at Thanet House, Aldersgate Street.
Sir Robert Vyner, Bart.
The Earl of Warwick, Holborn.
Sir Jervis Whitchott, Bart.
Sir William Wild, Bart.
Sir Thomas Wolstenholme, Bart.
The Earl of Worcester, Worcester House.