Heraldry probably began in England in the 12th century, possibly
to help identify important individuals when their faces were
obscured by armour. The College of Arms was instituted in 1483 and
was empowered to make occasional visits to parts of the country, to
establish whether coats of arms were being used without permission.
The records of these visits, called heraldic visitations, are of
great interest to genealogists as they give pedigrees of noble
lines.
The College of Arms is still empowered to make grants of arms.
If you think you have a right to a coat of arms, or if you think
that someone is using arms incorrectly, you must contact the
College:
Queen Victoria Street
London
EC4V 4BT
The published 'local' county visitations are as follows:
- The Visitations of Northamptonshire made in 1564 and
1618/19 [etc] edited by WC Metcalfe (Mitchell & Hughes
1887).
- The Visitation of the County of Northampton in the year
1681 edited by HI Longden.
- Visitation of Huntingdonshire 1613 edited by Henry Ellis
(Camden Society 1848).
- Visitation of Huntingdonshire 1684 edited by John Bedalls
(Harleian Society 1994; corrected edition, 2000).
- Visitation of Lincolnshire 1666 edited by Everard Green
(Lincs Record Society, 1917).
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