( 24 )
JOHN PHILIPOT, M.P., SOMERSET HERALD, 1624-1645.
BY H. STANFORD LONDON, F.S.A.
I F one considers the Enghsh heralds with an eye to theh county
associations one cannot fail to be struck by the prominent place taken
by the county of Kent in the 16th and 17th centuries. During the
eighty years from 1565 to 1645 no less than eight of the heralds, and
these by no means the least eminent, were connected with Kent, to
wit: Sh John Borough of Sandwich, Garter 1633-43 ; WiUiam Camden
of Chiselhurst, Clarenceux 1597-1623 ; Robert Glover of Ashford,
Somerset 1570-1588; John Phihpot of Folkestone and Eltham,
Somerset 1624-1645 ; Humphrey Hales of Canterbury, York 1587-
1591 ; Ralph Broke, York 1592-1625, buried at Reculver; Francis
Thynne, Lancaster 1602-1608, born in Kent and educated at Tonbridge ;
and Sampson Lennard of Chevening, Bluemantle 1616-1633. In the
latter half of the 17th century the heralds' connexion with Kent is
less remarkable, but even then the names of John Gibbon of Rolvenden,
Bluemantle 1671-1718, and Robert Plot of Sutton Barne in Borden,
Mowbray 1695-1696, wiU certainly catch the eye. Of these ten men
only Hales has not been deemed worthy of a place in the D.N.B.
Whatever may be true of the others the existing accounts of
Phihpot leave much to be desired. The best is the " Memoir of John
Phihpot the Herald " by Canon Scott Robertson,1 but that needed
some corrections, and it has been largely supplemented from other
sources, both printed and manuscript. SpeciaUy valuable material
has been obtained from MSS. in the CoUege of Arms, for the use of which
I tender my warm thanks to Sh Algar Howard and the Chapter of the
CoUege. I have also to thank Mr. R. H. D'Elboux and Mr. A. R.
Wagner, Richmond Herald, for valuable criticisms and suggestions.
The usual form of the family name in Somerset's day was PHILPOT,
but he himself revived and habituaUy used the older trisyUable
PHILIPOT, in token no doubt of his alleged descent from a younger
son of Sh John PhUipot, Mayor of London at the time of the peasants'
revolt. This descent is set out by Somerset2 as in Pedigree A.
1 Arch. Cant. Vol. X (1876) pp. lxxxvi-xov. This is cited hereafter as SB.
Thompson Cooper's memoir of Philipot in the D.N.B. is little more than an
abridgement of Scott Kobertson's paper.
2 College of Arms MS. Ph. 1:81 © ff. 27b-29. This is a very elaborate draft
for a roll pedigree following female arid other lines. Only a small portion is given
here. According to the heading it was prepared by Philipot, then Rouge Dragon,
in 1620 and presented as a " simbolum amititito et amoris perpetui tesseram
inclitissimo cognato suo D. Johanni Philipott de Compton in Com. Southamton ".
A pedigree of the Compton Philpots was recorded at the 1622 Visitation of
Hampshire, 0/A MS. C 19 f. 16, but it does not appear in the Harleian Society's
edition (Vol. 64) which was printed from one of Riohard Mundy's MSS., Brit.
Mus. MS. Harl. 1644. (Note. The contraction C/A is used hereinafter for
College of Arms.)
PEDIGREE A.
Extracted from College of Arms MS. Ph. I ; SI- ®, f. 27b seq., a pedigree
compiled by John Philipot, Rouge Dragon, in 1620, for his kinsman Sir John
Philipot of Compton.
. . Philipott (Sa. a bend erm.)
. . Philipott = ..
(Sa., a bend erm, impaling Gu. a cross arg. between 4 swords arg.)
. . Philipott = ..
(Sa. a bend erm. impaling .. on a bend .. a chevron between three
billets . .). I
John Philipott =
(Sa. a bend erm. impaling Arg. on a chevron between 3 eagles gu. 3
roundels arg.) • I
Sir John Philipot, knight, Mayor = Margaret d. & h. of Sir Wm. Stoddey,
of London [1378-79]. j Mayor of London.
Sir John Philipot,
of London, s. & h.,
ob. 15 H . VI.
. -.d. & h. of
. . Harecourt.
Thomas Philipot
John Philipot of Compton,
Sheriff of Hants 38 H.VI;
ob. 2 R . I I I.
Agnes d.
of Sir ob. at Gillingham,
John Lisle. Kent, 1415.
John Philipott arm., — Idonia
" d. of ..
Barne.
John Philipot, of = Alice d. of
Compton ; Sheriff William Lord
of Hants 16 H. VII Stourton.
Thomas Philipot, bought the
manor of Upton Court " in
Guildford " temp. H.VI.
Sir Peter = Agnes eldest Thomas Philipot = .. William
Philipot K.B., d. & coh. of of Downe, Kent. I Philipot
Sheriff of Tho. Troys of j of Upton
Hants 27 H. V I I I Hants. f Court
Thomas
Philipot
of Thruxton
. . d.
of . . Petley
Moore J
of Devon
William
d. & h. Philipot
of Upton
Court
Sir George
Philipot of
Thruxton
living 1620.
Henry Philipot
of Folkestone
= Judith d. & coh. of
David Leigh.
Sir John
Philipot of
Compton
Thomas Philipot
of Upton
Court, elder son.
= Elizabeth
d. & coh.
of Thomas
Longe.
Judith
" Johannes Philipott, 2d
Alius, unus ex minimis in
officio Armorum. Uxor
Susan filia et unica haeres
Willm Glouere."
Thomas Philipott.
•f John Petley, ob. 9 H.8. married Christiana d. & h. of Tho. Philpot Arm.
(Howard and Hovenden. Visitation of Kent 1663, p. 28).
PEDIGREE B.
William Marsh
of Conway co.
Carnarvon
(Barry w a |y
arg. & az.
liongu.
crowned or.)
Richard
Marsh of
Conway
. . d.
of
John
Jones.
Katherine
d. of Rich.
Sherman
WiUiam Philpott of Sibertswold, Kent =
Thomas Philpot
of Upton Court
. . d. of Cloke
of Elmeated.
1. Sampson
Philpot
(Cross betw.
4 swords).
. . d. & h. of
. . Nethershall of
Wimingswould co.
Kent. (Per pale, 3
griffins erect.)
2. John
Philpot
slain in
Ireland.
(»)
"I
William Philpot of Ringwould
in East Kent.
3 daughters.
3. Henry Philpott of Folkestone
& Sibertswold, K e n t ; thrice Mayor
of Folkestone ; ob. 15 Juno 1603
aged 59 ; bur. in Folkestone church
M.I. (Cross betw. 4 swords.)
Judith d. & coh. of =
David Leigh, servant
to tho A'b'p of Canterbury.
(2 bars
with bend rountergobony
over all.)
(see
text
. . Swift of
Harbledowne
(Anchor erect
with dolphin
twined about
stock.)
Margaret
d. &h.
1. Thomas Philpott;
captain ; of Folkestone
& Sibertswold ;
mayor of Folkestone
1620 (Cross betw. 4
swords.)
Elizabeth d. & h.
of Tho. Long of Allhallows,
Canterbury
(Semy of crosses
crosslet, a lion.)
2. John Philipot
of Eltham, Somerset
Herald
1024-45.
Susan U. & h. of
William Glover &
niece of Robert
Glovor, Homersot
Heruld. Ob. 1004,
M.I. a t Eltham.
Gabryell Marsh; Captain
of one of HJVI. Ships in
the action, a t Calais ; in
1634 Groom of the Privy
Chamber & Marshal of the
Adm'ty of Eng'd.
Judith 2d d. &
h. Mar. Lie.
London 12 Aug.
1626, she then
about 20 spinster
Elizabeth
l s t d . ,
ob. v.p.
1. Thomas Philpott ; admitted
Fellow Commoner at Clare
Col., Camb., 10 Feb. 1633/4,
M.A. 1635/6 ; incorporated at
Oxford 1640 ; bur. at Greenwich
30 Sept. 1682 ; will dat.
11 Sept. 1680
2. Jolui
Philipot.
1. Susan buried
with her mother
at Eltham.
2. Ma
Thomas Starsh
onlv son j
living 1634.
Judith. Edward Robert Henry William David Nicholas Tilghman of Paverob
s.p. ob. s.p. living ob. s.p. hving sham (Per fess© sa. & arg.,
1602 1602 a lion rere regard., tail forked
ob. s.p. ob. s.p. in saltire eV'ti, frownpd or).
Elizabeth,
Mar. Lie.
15 Jum*
1009.
Julia
died
young
Judith.
JOHN PHILIPOT, M.P., SOMERSET HERALD, 1624-1645 25
Somerset himself recorded short pedigrees at the 1619 Visitation of
Kent1 and at the 1634 Visitation of London.2 Other pedigrees are
to be found in the PhUipot and Townsend coUections in the CoUege
of Arms.3 Pedigree B has been compiled from these MSS. with the
addition of some details given in the course of this paper.
The Philpots were a respectable family long settled in Kent, and
seem to have been allied to the Oxendens, for Henry Oxenden of
Barham aUudes to Somerset as " my Cozin Philpot the Herald ",4 and
Somerset addresses Sir James Oxenden as " Noble Cosen ".5 Philipot's
jealousy for what Mrs. Dorothy Gardiner caUs the magic ring of the
East Kent gentry6 is amusingly revealed in a letter written in 16397,
in which after referring to Thomas Marsh of Brandreth, he adds:
" I n the meane tyme I here that his Sonne that did marry Henry
Saunders daughter hath bin with Sir John Borough Garter King of
Armes to get himselfe adorned with a coate ; they say it is don, but
I am no wayes partie to it I thank God."8
Somerset was born at Folkestone in 1588 or 1589.9 He was the
second son of Henry Philpot of Folkestone and Sibertswold, by his
wife Judith Leigh.10
Henry Phihpot was thrice Mayor of Folkestone. He possessed
considerable property there and was lessee of the rectorial tithes.
He died in 1603 and was buried in Folkestone parish church, where
1 C/A MS. C 16 f. 281. There is no Philipot pedigree in the printed versions
of this Visitation.
3 C/A MS. C 24 f. 458 ; Harl. Soe. vol. 17, pp. 82, 163.
" C/A MSS. Ph. 27 f. 70v; Ph. 24 f. 57 and FT. 11 ff. 94-95. The first of
these is in Somerset's own hand and gives various details not found elsewhere.
The first two generations of Pedigree B are taken from i t ; it will be noticed that
they differ from the corresponding part of the MS. copied in Pedigree A.
* Genealogist, N.S. Vol. 31, p. 131.
6 Oxinden Letters 1607-42, edited by Dorothy Gardiner, London, 1933, p. 47,
letter dated 1 Oct. 1632.
0 Ibid., Introduction, p. xv.
7 Ibid., p. 156.
8 For the Marshes of Brandreth see " Some Notice of Various Families of the
name of Marsh " by G.E.C. (Supplement to the Genealogist, N.S. Vols. 16 and 17,
pp. 13 seq.) If G.E.C. is right in thinking that Thomas Marsh of Langdon to
whom arms were confirmed by Segar, Garter, was grandfather of the Thomas
of Brandreth to whom Philipot alludes, it is difficult to understand why this
Thomas's son should have thought it necessary to approach Borough " to get
himself adorned with a coate ".
0 Mr. Percival Boyd, F.S.A., suggests 1688, as 16 was the usual age for
apprenticeship and- Philipot was bound apprentice in June 1604 (see below).
R. R. C. Gregory in The Story of Royal Eltham (London 1909, p. 265) says that
he was born in 1589, but he gives no authority for that date.
10 1634 Visitation of London, see Pedigree B.
26 JOHN PHILIPOT, M.P., SOMERSET HERALD, 1624-1645
he was commemorated by a brass plate in the south chancel aisle with
this inscription:
HERE LYETH BVRIED THE BODY OF HENRY PHILPOT
GENT: WHO WAS THRICE MAIOR OF THIS TOWNE
HE HAD TO WIFE IUDITH BY WHOM HE HAD 7. SOKES
AND 2. DAUGHTERS & HE DYED THE 15TH DAY OF IVNE
A0 DNI 1603. AETATIS SVAE .59.
VOTUM DVM VIXIT, PHLLIPP. 1. 23.
HANC ANLMAM CUPIO DE CORPORE MORTE RESOLVI
VNVS APVD CHRISTUM SEMPER VT ESSE QVEAM.1
From his wiU, dated in 1602,2 we learn that John was then a boy at
school. His mother and the executors were directed to keep him at
school and to pay for his education out of the proceeds of eighteen
acres of land in Romney Marsh. When his education was completed
he was to be apprenticed to such trade as the executors thought most
fit. On attaining his majority he was to receive a sum of money
equivalent to five years' profits of the said land. So long as his
mother hved he was to be paid £10 a year, but on her death the houses
and lands in Folkestone which had been bequeathed to her were to
pass to him. To his eldest brother, Thomas, was left a house in which
he hved and leases of the rectorial tithes and parsonages of Coldred
and Folkestone. To the two younger brothers, David and Henry,
sums of money were left, payable on theh majority. In addition
to these four sons the wiU mentions one daughter, Ehzabeth, who
married Nicholas TUghman of Faversham and had a daughter named
Judith.8 The other four children evidently died before theh father ;
they were three sons, Edward, Robert and WUham, and one daughter,
Juha.
Judith Philpot survived her husband, and may probably be
identified with the Judith Philpott of Old Romney, widow, licence
for whose marriage to Thomas Stock of Milsington, yeoman, was
issued on 21 September 1611.* She is certainly identical with the
Judith PhUpott of Bekesbourne, widow, about 50, rehct of Henry
PhUlpott late of Folkestone gent., deceased, who married Robert
Deering of Egerton. Licence for this marriage, to be solemnized at
Bekesbourne, is dated 20 April 1622.6 Deering is described in the
licence as a widower; he had in fact been married twice before.6
1 W. D. Belcher, Kentish Brasses, Vol. I I , 1905, p. 48, No. 149.
8 SB p. Ixxxvi; Arch. Oant., Vol. X, p. lxviii.
3 C/A MS. Ph. 27, f. 70v. Marriage licence dated 15 June 1609, Nioholas
Tilghman of Faversham and Elizabeth Philpot of Folkestone virgin, to be married
at Newington (Canterbury Mar. Licences, edited by J. M. Cowper).
4 Oant. Mar. Lie.
5 Ibid.
* Berry's Pedigrees, Kent, p. 400.
JOHN PHILIPOT, M.P., SOMERSET HERALD, 1624-1645 27
He was an uncle of Sir Edward Dering, the antiquary.1 I have not
found when Judith died, nor has it been possible to trace her pedigree.
Her father, David Leigh, was servant or secretary to the Archbishop
of Canterbury, and her mother was an heiress of Hide.2 David Leigh
is said to be descended from Leigh of Adlington in Cheshire,3 and
theh arms were quartered by Somerset and his elder brother. Mr.
D'Elboux suggests that David Lye of Bridge, whose wUl was proved
in 15574 might be Judith's grandfather, but proof is lacking. It may,
however, be noted that Bridge is the next vUlage to Bekesbourne where
Judith was in 1622.
Thomas Philpot, Somerset's elder brother, is described in the 1620
pedigree as of Upton Court; in the 1634 Visitation of London he is of
" Sheperswould "5. By his wife Elizabeth, daughter and sole heiress
of Thomas Long of AUhaUows, Canterbury, he had an only chUd,
Judith, who married Gabriel Marsh and had issue hving in 1634.6 He
was Mayor of Folkestone in 1620.7
John, the future herald, left school about a year after his father's
death, and on 20 June 1604 he was bound apprentice to Edmund
Houghton, citizen and draper of London. He paid quarterage in 1610
and 1611, and was made free of the Draper's Company on 26 June
1611. On 1 AprU 1612 he. bound John Langworth apprentice for
eight years, and on 12 May 1613 he bound John Sheaffe for seven years.8
Those facts, when read in conjunction with the direction in his father's
wiU and his description in his marriage licence (see below) suggest
1 L. B. Larking says that Somerset helped Dering in his collection of materials
for a history of Kent, and that his, Somerset's, hand is evident throughout
Dering's Kent Church Notes (Arch. Oant. Vol. I p. 51). The latter statement
seems to be quite unwarranted, and I have found nothing to corroborate the
former.
2 C/A MS. Ph. 27, f. 70v. The arms of Hide are tricked as three lozenges,
presumably sable on argent.
3 Ibid.
* Canterbury Probates A, Vol. 32, f. 179.
6 I.e. Sibertswold or Shepherdswell, the parish in which Upton Court is
situated (see Weever, Funeral Monuments, ed. 1787, p. 64). But in the 1620
pedigree (see Ped. A) when Upton Court is first mentioned it is said to be in
Guildford. Hasted on the other hand (Vol. IV, p. 3) says that the Philipotts
after residing at Upton Court (in the manor of " Shebbertswell ") sold it " before
K. Henry VTI's reign " to Guldeford, who alienated it soon after to Boys. Nor
did the manor return to the Philipots down to Hasted's own day. He goes on
to say (p. 4) that at the time of writing, c. 1790, " the Manor House together
with some of the demesne lands " belonged to the Earl of Guildford. This
suggests that the original property had not been kept intact, and it is conceivable
that the Philpotts had retained a portion in their own possession.
6 SB, p. Ixxxvi.
7 Arch. Oant., Vol. X, p. cxxiv.
8 Information of Mr. P. Boyd. For the Sheafes of Cranbrook, etc., see
Howard and Hovenden, Visitation of Kent 1663, p. 16 seq.
28 JOHN PHILIPOT, M.P., SOMERSET HERALD, 1624-1645
that he did " use the trade of a wooUen-draper."1 He must, however,
have soon ceased'to take any active part in that business. Wood
indeed says that he had " a geny from his chUdhood to heraldry and
antiquities."2 Noble'5 also aUudes to his early bent to heraldry,
although a httle lower down he opines that the fact that his wife was
Glover's niece was the cause of his bending his genius to the service
of arms.
The Drapers' Company records mention three addresses for
PhUipot: Aldersgate Street, Doctors' Commons, and " a herrold of
armes by Sh Thomas Smythes in PhUpott Lane." AU three entries
are undated, but the two former were probably made in 1612 and 1613.4
Apart from this there is evidence that Somerset was hving in
Aldersgate Street in 1634,5 and we can hardly question his identity
with the " Mr. John PhUpott" who rented a house in the parish of
St. Botolph, Aldersgate, in 1638.6 By 1639 he also had a house at
Eltham,7 and he refers in his wUl to his capital messuage at Southend,
a vUlage about a mile outside Eltham on the road to Maidstone. I
have not found how or when Phihpot acquired that, but Hasted
states that the principal house at Southend belonged to the famUy
of Wythens,8 and Somerset's wiU mentions the mortgaged lands of
Christopher Withins. It may be a mere coincidence, but it is perhaps
worth noting that Shooters' HiU, only two mUes or so away, was the
loading place for the Sandwich carriers9 and Somerset was bailiff of
Sandwich.
Whatever the influences which induced Phihpot to make heraldry
his profession, he secured a nomination as Blanch Lyon Pursuivant
Extraordinary when he was about 25. He himself relates that he was
so created on 10th December 1613 by the Commissioners of the Office
of Earl Marshal,10 WiUiam Penson being created Lancaster Herald
and John GuiUim Rouge Croix Pursuivant at the same time. A
1 Collections of John Anstis, Garter 1715-45, on Officers of Arms, MS. in C/A
hereinafter cited as OA, Vol. II, f. 604.
2 Fasti Oxonienses in Bliss's edition of Antony a Wood's Ailienae Oxonienses,
Vol. I I , col. 518 and IV, col. 62. Wood was almost a contemporary of Philipot
and should have had access to reliable sources of information on such a point.
3 History of the CoUege of Arms, pp. 245, 246. .
4 Inf'n of Mr. P. Boyd.
6 C/A MS. Heralds, Vol. VIII, p. 299. Cf., p. 33, note 4 below.
0 T. C. Dale, Inhabitants of London in 1638, London, 1931, p. 205, from
Lambeth Palace, MS. 272, p. 344a.
' British Museum MS., Add. 33512, f. 22. He probably had t h e house in 1632,
see p. 39 below.
8 Hasted's Kent, 1778, Vol. I, pp. 69, 60.
0 Villare CanUanum, p. 136.
10 " Upon Friday the Tenth of December 1613 These Lords of the Commission
of the Earl Marshalls office were assembled to settle the same, vidz. The E. of
Northampton, The E. of Nottingham, The E. of Worcester, & t h e duke of lenox,
and there Wm Penson was created Lancaster Herald, Mr John Gwillim Rouge
JOHN PHHJPOT, M.P., SOMERSET HERALD, 1624-1645 29
warrant for tabards for PhUipot and GuUlim was issued in July
1614.1
From Blanch Lyon PhUipot was promoted in 1618 to be Rouge
Dragon Pursuivant in Ordinary. The biU for this appointment was
dated 7th October,2 the Signet foUowed later in the month3 and the
patent on 13th November 1618.4 He was created on 19th November.5
On 14th June 1624, after serving six years as Rouge Dragon,
Phihpot bought the place of Somerset Herald from Robert TresweU,
who was then in embarrassed circumstances.6 He had a Signet .of the
place in June,7 and on the 25th of that month Chapter ordered " That
Mr. PhiUipot Somerset and Mr. Thompson Ruge Dragon, a puny
Herald and Pursuivt have the care of procuring the writt of priviledge
for discharging the Officers of Armes from the Subsidies and
Fifteenths."8 This order is remarkable because neither officer's
Crosse who before was Portsmouth Extraordinary and myself created Blanch
lion the LL. above sayd poureing on the wyne and Investinge me with the Coate
of Armes." This is the opening paragraph of a fragment bound up in Phillipps
MS. 13121 and entitled " A Collection of such things as have happened and bin
don since my first Admittance into the sooyety of Heralds." The fragment is
anonymous but a comparison with MSS. in the Herald's College (I 25, ff. 39, 44
and SML. 49, p . 208) establishes Philipot's authorship. It is important as fixing
the date, otherwise unknown, of the creation of these three officers. The title
of Blanch Lyon had been vacant since Nicholas Charles's promotion to Lancaster
in 1608. After Philipot's promotion it remained vacant again until 1623 when
Thomas Hamelin was so appointed. The new Rouge Croix is well known as the
author of " A Display of Heraldry " ; he had been Portsmouth Pursuivant Extra
since 1603.
1 Extract from the Signet Office books in a volume of Miscellaneous Collections
by Anstis, Garter, in the College of Arms, p . 3540b.
2 C/A MS. I 25, f. 44; this is the minute of a meeting of the Commissioners
of the Earl Marshalship. There were two candidates for Philipot's tabard as
Blanch Lyon, John Bradshaw and Jacob Chaloner, but the Commissioners
declined to recommend any appointment at the time. Bradshaw became Rouge
Rose Purst. Ext. in 1624 and eventually Windsor Herald. Chaloner never did
obtain a place in the College. He was son of Thomas Chaloner, the well known
herald-painter, who was for a time deputy of the Office of Arms in Cheshire and
N. Wales. Some of Thomas and Jacob Chaloner's genealogical collections are
among the Harley MSS. in the British Museum.
3 OA. IH, f. 145 : " Lib. Signet Oct. 1618. The place of Rouge Dragon for
John Philpot in the place of William Smith deceased, subscribed by the Knights
of the Garter, procured by the Lord Marquis of Buckingham."
4 Pat. 16, Jac. I., p . 16, 13 N o v . ; Calendar of State Papers, Domestic, 1611-18,
p. 594.
0 Fasti Oxon.; Noble, p. 218 ; etc.
0 Noble, p..211.
' OA. I I , p. 607 and Anstis's Misc. Collns. p . 3542c : " E libro Signet June
1624. Thoffice of one bf the Heralds of Armes by the name of Somerset with
the fee of 40 marks per annum graunted to John Philpot now one of the Pursuivants
of Arms so long as he shall behave himself well in t h e same office in the roome
of Rob. Treswell who is to surrender before this passes the Great Seal b y order of
the Erie Marshall and by him subscribed and procured."
8 Heralds' Chapter Book, p. 2. The Officers of Arms were exempt from
taxation under a charter granted them by Edward VI.
30 JOHN PHILIPOT, M.P., SOMERSET HERALD, 1624-1645
patent had yet passed and neither had been created to his new post.
It is the more noteworthy inasmuch as less than two years later
Chapter insisted that George Owen had no right to any fees as Rouge
Croix until he had been ceremoniaUy created to that place.1 Philipot's
patent issued on June 28th,2 he and the new Rouge Dragon, Thomas
Thompson, being created on 8th July foUowing at Arundel House
in the Strand.3 The ceremony was performed by Thomas Earl of
Arundel, Earl Marshal, under warrant from King James.4
On his appointment as Somerset PhUipot took over two rooms
which had been buUt by his predecessor over the CoUege kitchen.
Chapter, however, held that these feU to the Company on Treswell's
surrender, and on 8th September 1624 they ordered Phihpot to give
them up in order to provide lodgings for PhUip HoUand, Portcullis,
and John Bradshaw, Rouge Croix, two pursuivants who had no
chambers in the CoUege.5
James I died less than a year after Philipot's promotion, and
Somerset took part in aU the elaborate ceremonies connected with
his funeral,6 as also in the Coronation of Charles I.7 Other ceremonies
in which he played his part are the funeral of'Queen Anne,8 Prince
Charles's Fhst Tilt in March 1619/20,9 the degradation from knighthood
of Sh Francis Michel in June 1621,10 the funeral of Princess Anne,
King Charles's third daughter, in January 1640/1,11 the marriage of
Princess Mary to WiUiam of Orange on Low Sunday, 2nd May 1641,12
and the proclamation of peace with Portugal in 1642.13 The funeral
of Dr. Thomas Nevill, Dean of Canterbury, may also be mentioned;
1 See " George Owen, York Herald" by H. S. London, in Transactions of
the Hon. Society of Oymmrodorion, 1946, and separate offprint, p. 5.
2 Pat. 22 Jac. I., p. 4, 28 Junij; docquet dat. 23 June 1624, and warrant for
delivery of his tabard same date ; Oal. S.P. Dom. 1623-5, p. 280.
8 Fasti Oxon.
4 C/A MS. WK, p. 58.
6 Chapter Book L3, f. 3.
0 The ceremonies were spread out through March, April and May 1625.
Philipot's allowance of blacks was 9 yds for himself and 3 yds each for 2 servants.
He was one of the four Officers of Arms who met the funeral cortege at Theobalds
and accompanied the body thence to London (Nichols, Progresses of James I,
1828, Vol. IH, pp. 1034, 1037).
7 SB. p. xc, xci.
8 The Queen died on 2 March 1618/9 and was buried in Westminster Abbey
on 13 May following (Nichols op. cit. Vol. I l l , pp. 630, 538, 542).
0 Ibid., pp. 626, 692. Apart from the Prince's participation the ceremony
was memorable because the King ventured, not without hesitation, to invite all
the foreign Ambassadors together with the natural result that there were great
disputes as to precedence.
10 Ibid., p. 666; SB. p. lxxxviii.
11 Heralds' Partition Book IV, p. 6b.
12 Leland, Collectanea, editio altera 1774, Vol. V, p. 337 seq. This is an account
of the ceremony drawn up by Garter Anstis in 1733,
" Partition Book IV, p. 33.
JOHN PHEUPOT, M.P., SOMERSET HERALD, 1624-1645 31
PhUipot, officiating at it as Camden's deputy, was caUed on to sign a
certificate as to certain decisions then taken in regard to the question
who was entitled to take the paU after the ceremony. This certificate
was dated at the Office of Arms on 29th April 1633,1 With regard
to Queen Anne's funeral it may be noted that when the hearse was
dismantled and the materials divided among the Officers of Arms,
each of the pursuivants had a stool and a cushion " except John
PhUipot Rougedragon being absent and took no pains had none."
It is not said on what particular occasion Phihpot was absent and took
no pains, but whenever it was he had a share of the velvet hke aU his
coUeagues.2
In 1627 Somerset was nominated to attend Sh WUham Segar,
Garter King at Arms, on the Garter Mission to the Prince of Orange.3
For some reason he did not go on that journey,4 but a few years later
he was twice sent to the Low Countries.
Frederick, Count Palatine and King of Bohemia, died in November
1632 and at the end of December King Charles sent Lord Arundel to the
Hague to try (bootlessly in the event) to persuade the widowed queen,
his sister Elizabeth, to return to England. Phihpot and Edward
Norgate, afterwards Windsor Herald, were in Lord Arundel's suite,
and when Lord Arundel returned home in February PhUipot was left
behind for a few weeks to help the Queen.5
Not long after the Garter was to be sent to Frederick's son, the
Elector Charles Louis, Count Palatine of the Rhine and Duke of
Bavaria. Segar being sick (he died in the following September)
PhUipot was chosen as his deputy and was appointed co-envoy with
WiUiam BosweU, the Enghsh Agent in the Low Countries. The
warrant for the dehvery of the insignia is dated at York on 28th May
1633. It expressly describes PhUipot as deputizing for Segar owing
to the latter's illness: " Johannis PhUipoti Armigeri Sommerset
unius ex heraldis nostris in hisce mysteriis eruditi (jam vice & munere
Garterii Armorum Regis propter ejus debihtatem & invalitudinem
fungentis)."6 The Elector was invested on 25th July of that year,
1633, in his camp at Bokstal, near Bois-le-Duc, and Philipot's
1 Brydges Restituta, 1814, Vol. I, p. 467.
2 Partition Book IV, pp. 212, 213,
3 Signet Books May 1627. Warrant to the Exchequer to pay Sir Wm. Segar,
Garter, who is to carry the Garter to the Prince of Orange 15s. a day for diets and
16s. a day for reward, and to John Phihpot or another herald appointed for that
service 7s. 6d. a day diets and 7s. 6d. a day reward.
1 OA. Vol. II, p. 603.
6 Mary Hervey, Life of Thomas Earl of Arundel, Cambridge 1921, p. 344 note :
cf. pp. 312-3.
6 Ashmole, Institution of the Order of the Garter, London 1672, p. 393 and
Appendix hariv ; Anstis, Register of the Garter, 1724, Vol. I p. 399 ; OA. II, p. 605.
32 JOHN PHELD?OT, M.P., SOMERSET HERALD, 1624-1645
co-envoy, BosweU, was knighted at the same time.l PhUipot did not
get back to England untU the middle of September.2 It appears that
he was detained at the Hague by Queen Elizabeth who wrote to Lady
Arundel on 29th August: " . . . this bearer, Mr. PhUpot, can tell
you aU the newes heere, I have stayed him of purpose to carie the
King my Brother some newes of it. By him you wiU have aU, &
I hope he wiU not faUe to make as great a relation of it as he is himself
in breadth. But I must say this for him, that he is a verie honest man,
and done aU the right that can be to his place and his masters honnour
in that he was imployd in . . ."3 PhUipot refers to this mission
in a letter of dedication to the Elector which he prefixed to the 5th
edition of Camden's " Remaines." He was aUowed fifteen shillings
a day for his " dyet " and a hke sum for his " reward," together with
the usual out of pocket expenses as from 30th April 1633.4 It was
probably on this occasion that Queen Ehzabeth commissioned from
him an Armorial of Enghsh Peers which she intended for her son.
Dated in 1635 this contains 66 coats emblazoned two on a page. It
is now in the Earl of Crawford's Bibhotheca Lindesiana.5
Whilst PhUipot was away the Earl Marshal signed, on 5th August
1633, a warrant for new tabards for him and the thirteen other officers.6
This was perhaps connected with King Charles's Coronation at
Edinburgh in the previous June. The herald's tabards were
" embroydered with clouth of gould uppon Satten and the quarter
of Scotland uppon cloath of gould."
On 8th August 1635 Somerset was admitted a member of Lincoln's
Inn at the request of Robert Mason, Recorder of London and Reader.7
He does not seem to have been caUed to the Bar.
1 Metcalfe, Book of Knights, London 1885, p. 192. See also Oal. S.P. Dom.
1633-34, p. 73 and Hist. MSS. Commission's 12th Report, part ii, p. 20 (Melbourne
Hall MSS.). Scott Robertson (p. xciii) splits this mission into two and says that
Philipot visited the Continent in 1633 to knight BosweU and in 1635 to invest
the Elector. He was evidently misled by the fact that a sum of £100 which
Philipot received for his expenses was only paid on 17 July 1635 (Oal. S.P. Dom.
1635, p. 281).
2 In a letter dated London 18 Sept. 1633, John Dineley says : " Mr. Philipot
the Herald is returned and speaks much to the honour of his new Knight " (Oal.
S.P. Dom. 1633-34, p. 211). Phihpot himself, writing to Secretary Windebank
in November 1634 says that he was at Dunkirk on 20 Sept. 1633 on his way back
from that mission (ibid. 1634-35, p. 279). The discrepancy in the dates is probably
due to Philipot having followed the new style while on the Continent, while Dineley
used the old style which was still in force in England.
3 Hervey, op. cit., p. 344.
4 Warrant to the Exchequer dated May 1633 ; Anstis's Misc. Collns. p. 3646b.
6 Ex Libris Journal, Vol. VIII, p. 131.
• C/A MS. Heralds, Vol. IV, p. 32.
7 Lincoln's Inn Admission Registers, Vol. I, p. 227. Foster in Alumni
Oxonienses says Somerset was a member of Gray's Inn, although he had duly
noted his admission to Lincoln's Inn in his calendar of Admissions to the Inns
of Court (MS. in C/A.).
JOHN PHTUPOT, M.F., SOMERSET HERALD, 1624-1645 33
In 1637 he was appointed Registrar of the CoUege of Arms and he
continued as such until the Civil War.1
As a herald Phihpot was closely associated with Camden, for whom
he entertained profound respect. Camden on his side evidently thought
highly of Phihpot for he appointed him his deputy for several
visitations, as did also his successor, St. George. The foUowing are
the Visitations on which he was engaged: 1619-21 Kent,2 1622-23
Hampshire,3 1623 Berkshire and Gloucestershire, 1633-34 Sussex in
company with George Owen, York,4 1634 Berkshire alone and Bucks
and Oxon5 with the assistance of WiUiam Ryley, Bluemantle. AU
the originals are in the Heralds' CoUege. All eight Visitations have
been printed by the Harleian Society from more or less trustworthy
copies, of which there are many in the British Museum and other
hbraries. Phihpot is said by Noble and others to have made a
Visitation of Rutland in 1634 but there is no trace of this in the CoUege.
Camden's deputation for the Visitation of Kent was given to
Phihpot within a few weeks of his appointment as Rouge Dragon.
He had been highly recommended by various county personalities,
but apart from that Camden must have been influenced by the fact
that he was a man of Kent, just as he had dehberately chosen Vincent,
a Northamptonshire man, a year before to visit that county, although
Vincent was only Rouge Rose Extraordinary, and not yet a member
of the CoUege. The choice of these two officers displeased theh feUows
and Garter and Norroy (Segar and R. St. George) first protested to
Camden and then complained to the Commissioners of the Earl
Marshalship. Camden's letter to the Earl of Arundel, one of the
Commissioners, shows that his action was perfectly regular and that
his feUow-kings had no right to interfere. The Commissioners accepted
1 List of Registrars in T. W. King's " Officers of Arms " (MS. in C/A), p. 257.
In MS. I 26, f. 73 is a document signed by Philipot as Registrar on 18 July 1637.
2 The Canterbury Corporation accounts record that Philipot was paid 40s.
as a " gratuity from the Citty " for registering the City Arms on this occasion
(Hist. MSS. Comm. 9th Rep. pt. i, p. 162b). The Maidstone records note that
Philipot entered the borough's patents, seals and arms on 17 Aug. 1619 (Burghmote
book 3, f. 45, quoted in Records of Maidstone, 1926, p. 74).
3 On 5 June 1626 Chapter ordered : That Mr. Philipot Somerset should bring
into the Office of Armes the Visitacion made and taken by him of Hampshire
on the 6th day of June being the next daie foUowing the makeing of this order
(Chapter Book, p. 8).
4 One. of the counts against Sir Edward Bysshe in the 1660's was that he had
caused his pedigree to be inserted irregularly in the 1634 Visitation of Sussex.
John Withie, who was employed as painter and clerk on that Visitation, deposed
that he entered the pedigree by direction of either Philipot or Owen, and that it
was done before the book was completed. He added that to the best of his
recollection this was done at " Mr. Philpotts howse in Aldersgate street " (C/A
MS. Heralds, Vol. VHI, pp. 299, 301). Owen, however, swore that neither Sir
Edward nor his father entered their pedigree at the Visitation and that the
Bysshe pedigree in the Office copy (MS. C 27, f. 143b) was entered after the
Visitation was ended and without his, Owen's, knowledge (Heralds VIH, p. 224).
6 There is a good deal of correspondence about these in the State Papers.
34 JOHN PHDLEPOT, M.P., SOMERSET HERALD, 1624-1645
his explanation and the matter was dropped. In the course of his
letter to Segar and St. George Camden expressed the intention of
spending the vacation in Kent and said that he would supervise
Philipot's work on the Visitation, a promise which he renewed a few
weeks later in a letter to Lord Arundel's secretary.1
It is, I think, quite clear that the prime, if not the only, cause for
the opposition to Camden's nominees was jealousy, and disgust on the
part of the older officers that such juniors should be given so lucrative
a task. It has, however, been suggested that there was some graver .
motive in Philipot's case. I can see nothing whatever in Camden's
letters to support that idea, but it must be admitted that subsequent
events do' seem to show that he was rather a tricky customer. In the
first place there is this letter from Camden to Henry St. George,
Richmond Herald (son of the above-mentioned Norroy) :2
" It hath beene brymly tould mee from the mouth of our
honorable Earle MarshaU, that my office of Clarenceux is conferred
and invested upon Mr. Kniveton (or) Mr. Boulton, or some other,
not for any fault committed by mee, but by you Mr. St. George
or Mr. Philpott. I pray you confess ingeniously wherin you have
offended, that I may not bee punished for your delinquency, for
they purpose to leave mee 600£ presently, and an hundred-mark
a yeere. I pray you come unto mee if you can possible to informe
me of the verity of this matter, for you best can, and soe I rest
Your lovinge friend
WiU'm Camden
Chiselh. 26th.
of Octob." '
The date of the letter is incomplete, the year being omitted. The
reference to " our honorable Earle MarshaU " points to a date after
29th August 1621, when Lord Arundel was appointed in place of the
Commissioners who had executed the office for the previous five years.
Apart from that, to judge from the shakiness of the signature, on
which Sir Henry Ellis comments, the letter was probably written a
good deal nearer Camden's death in November 1623.3 In any case,
whatever the date of that letter and whatever it was that St. George
and PhUipot had done, the latter was in trouble in 1621 and on several
1 See the full text of Camden's letters to Garter and Norroy 3 June, to Lord
Arundel 7 'July and to the latter's secretary 16 July 1619 in Camdeni Epistolac,
p. 352, Noble, p. 204, and in Sir Henry Ellis's introduction to his edition of the
1613 Visitation of Hunts. (Camden Soe, Vol. 43), p. vii,
2 Op. cit. (1613 Visitation of Hunts.), p. x. The original letter is in the
British Museum, Cotton MS. Faustina E. i, f. 131.
8 I am tempted to see Ralph Brooke's hand in this. He was Camden's
inveterate enemy. He was embroiled with St. George in controversies over fees
in 1613 or 1614 and again in 1621, and he brought suits against PhUipot in 1621
and 1622. O BV
JOHN PHEUPOT, M.P., SOMERSET HERALD, 1624-1645 35
subsequent occasions, while both men were suspended for a time in
1639-40.
On 6th June 1621 at a meeting of the Commissioners for the office
of Earl Marshal, Ralph Brooke, York Herald, was ordered to drop aU
lawsuits against his feUow officers except one against Phihpot for
forgery.1 Brooke was suoh a notorious barrator that one's first inclination
is to dismiss this as an instance of his vexatious litigafion, but
the fact that the Commissioners aUowed the suit to proceed suggests
that there was at least a prima facie case against PhUipot. No
further aUusion to this case has been found, and it is impossible to say
to what it refers.
Next year, 1622, Brooke was imprisoned in the Marshalsea, but
in spite of that he brought sundry actions in the Court of Common
Pleas in respect of fees which he claimed as York Herald. One of these
was against Phihpot for a share of the fees at Prince Charles's First
TUt and at the funeral of Queen Anne. These actions appear to have
been quashed, the Privy CouncU ruling that they belonged to the
Earl Marshal's jurisdiction.2 York's fees had probably been withheld
by order either of the Earl Marshal or of Chapter, for he was
constantly at loggerheads with both.
Be that as it may Phihpot was fined a couple of years later for
keeping back fees which he had received on behalf of the whole
office.3 And again, about May 1629 it is noted that " Somerset owned
to have receeved the InstaUation Fees of Garter and the Office of
[i.e. from] the E. of Northampton 13£. 6s. 8d. each, not yet divided
as it ought to be."4
On 24th November 1630 Somerset was fined for non-attendance
at a meeting of Chapter, and the next day he was charged by Sh R.
St. George with " compounding the funeral of Sh Thomas Lake without
his consent and giving order for Quartering of Coats by Ryder without
sufficient Warrant in the Funeral Scocheons." Chapter ordered him
1 C/A MS. SML, 64, f. 70.
2 Oal. S.P. Dom. 1619-23, p. 399 ; paper by R. Plot on the Earl Marshal's
Court in Hearne's Curious Discourses, Vol. II, p. 264; SB. p. Ixxxviii.
3 Partition Book II, f. 336b, " I t is generaUy agreed by the Kings, Heralds
and Pursuivants of Armes that John Philhpot- Somersett Herauld for his offence
in keeping back divers Fees generaUy belonging to the Office shall by way of
fyne pay five pounds heretofore allowed to an officer Imployed for discovery of
the said offence And also shall loose his proffits for the last month of October,
And shall discover the name & dwelling of the paynter or paynters imployd for
working of the Hatohments and Escooheons at the Funeral of Sr Thos Escourt.
And further the said Mr. Somerset to confesse his fault and to make a true & just
Aooount & payment of all the monies by him heretofore received at or before
New Years day next, or else upon ye discovery of any further Sum or Summes
of Money by him so receeved the said John PMUipot to be lyable to the severest
Censure, And that he shaU bring into the Office all the Certificates of all such
whose Money he so received betwixt this and Christmas next." Cf. ibid. ff.
335a, b.
4 Ibid, n i , f. 72.
6
36 JOHN PHHJPOT, M.P., SOMERSET HERALD, 1624-1645
to bring in the Funeral Certificate and to prove the quartered coats
before the end of the month.1 He evidently did not do so, for on
8th March foUowing Chapter gave him until " the 2d Thursday in the
next term " to bring in his proofs of the quartered coats.2
His most serious offence, however, came some eight years later.
I t appears3 that he was given thirty pounds to procure a coat of arms
for " some meane man." The signature of a King of Arms being
requisite PhUipot " dealt with " Sh Henry St. George to forge his
father's signature as though the grant had been made in Sir Richard's
lifetime. Garter (Sh J. Borough) learning of this informed the Earl
Marshal, who on 19th March 1638/9 suspended both the culprits and
fined them in a round sum.4 A year later the Earl Marshal moved
the King on theh behalf and on 6th April 1640 Royal Letters Patent
were issued pardoning both officers for aU offences and misdemeanours
committed in theh official capacities and restoring them to theh
respective offices.5 It is interesting to observe that the patent
expressly approves the Earl Marshal's action.6
In addition to his appointment at the Heralds' CoUege, Phihpot
held several other official posts. On 10th July 1623 the King
appointed him Land and Water Bailiff of Sandwich.7 This office
had been held since 1579 by Mrs. Philipot's cousin Thomas MiUes
of Davington,8 who was persuaded to resign. The post was evidently
lucrative, for there were a number of other candidates, some of whom
had to be bought off before Phihpot could secure the place.9 A few
years later, on 17th July 1628, the bailiwick was regranted to him
1 Chapter Book, ff. 23b, 24.
» Ibid., f. 26.
3 Cat. S.P. Dom., 1639, p. 2 ; a news letter from Edmund Rossingham to
Lord Conway, dated'1 April 1639.
4 Officially their offence was described as " unduly assigning new Armes to
one WilUam Peere without the Assent of the Earl Marshal contrary to the Lawes
and Customes of Armes and Courts Military & Orders of Tho. Duke of Norfolk,
E.M."
6 Pat. 16, Ch. I, p. 6, 6 Aprilis j OA. I, ff. 269, 272d.
0 " Which sentence and decree his Majesty doth approve of as Just and of
Example to others for the Future." Scott Robertson was aware of Rossingham's
news letter (SB. p. xciv ; Arch. GanL Vol. X, p. 68), but does not seem to have heard
of the pardon. The incident is also alluded to in a letter from Sir W. Dugdale,
then Rouge Croix, to Sir Simon D'Ewes, dated 27 Feb. 1639/40 : " I see no
doubt of Sr Henr. St. George his restoracion, but the stop (for ought I heare) is.
upon Mr. Philpott, ells had I bin dispacht ere this " (W. Hamper, Life of Dugdale,
p. 195). There is no hint of the incident in the Chapter Book or in the Partition
Book. The latter indeed (Book i n , pp. 266b, 257) shows that Philipot signed
for his share in partitions on 18 March 1638/9 and 20 April 1639, but those must
have been partitions of fees which had accrued prior to the Earl Marshal's
sentence.
' Col. S.P. Dom., 1623-35, p. 12.
8 D.N.B., memoir of MiUes.
8 Oal. S.P. Dom,, 1619-23, p. 616 and 1623-25, pp. 7 etc.; SB. p. lxxxix.
JOHN PHHIPOT, M.P., SOMERSET HERALD, 1624-1645 37
jointly with Gabriel Marsh,1 and in 1642 Somerset obtained the
inclusion of his younger son's name together with his own in a regrant
of the office for their joint lives.2 The State Papers contain sundry
references to Phihpot as Bailiff. In July 1625 a warrant issued for the
payment to him of £250 for the repah of Sandwich gaol.3 Apparently
about the same time, again as bailiff, he wrote to the CouncU stating
that some London watermen had lately brought two boat-loads of
chUdren to Tilbury Hope where a ketch waited to take them to
Flanders.4 The children were being sent away to be educated in
Roman Cathohc schools and coUeges. Another such case is mentioned
in a long letter to Secretary Windebank dated 3rd November 1634;
this case had come to Somerset's notice when he was at Dunkirk on his
way back from the Garter Mission to Bokstal.5 In 1639 he seems to
have bestirred himself on behalf of the town of Sandwich whose Mayor
and Jurats had petitioned for rehef from the payment of shipmoney.6
Yet another instance of Philipot's activities as bailiff is reported in a
letter dated 19th March 1639/40 in which he told Sh Edward Nicholas
of the efforts he had made to secure his, Sh Edward's, election as
M.P. for Sandwich.7
It was, I suppose, to Phihpot the Bailiff that Sh Thomas Peyton
referred when he asked Henry Oxenden to " make a terrible report "
of the proceedings in Parliament " to fright the Maltman Viceroy of
Sandwich, for soe his authority and place denominate him ".8
The mention of Tilbury Hope in the above report and Philipot's
knowledge of the events then recounted probably came from his holding
the office of Lieutenant or Chief Gunner of the Fort of Tilbury. In
1632 his tenure of this place was threatened by one Captain Lorde,
1 Cal. S.P. Dom., 1628-29, p. 215. This is no doubt the Gabriel Marsh who
married Philipot's niece Judith. He was buried at St. Anne's, Blackfriars,
London, on 1 December 1635 (G.E.C., " Notice of Various Families of the name
of Marsh " p. 6).
2 Rymer, Foedera, Vol. XX, p. 543 ; Pat. 18, Ch. I, p. 2, n. 3, 19 Julij.
3 Oal. S.P. Dom., 1625-26, p. 63.
4 Ibid., p. 196.
6 Oal. S.P. Dom., 1634-35, p. 279. See Notes and Queries, 2 s., Vol. IX, p. 97
for some particulars about the clandestine transport of British subjects abroad
for admission to Roman Catholio institutions. Philipot's Tilbury case is one of
the instances there mentioned.
0 Brit. Mus. MS. Add. 33512, ff. 22, 24, 36, three holograph letters from
Philipot to the Mayor and Jurats dated respectively 10 and 13 June 1639 and
22 January 1639/40. In the first of these Philipot speaks of having been at his
house in Eltham the week before.
' Oal. S.P. Dom., 1639/40, p . 561.
8 Letter dated 20 April 1640, Oxinden Letters, p. 162. I am at a loss to account
for the " maltman " unless i t be an allusion to the fact that the Court of Shepway
had the assize of bread and ale ; Philipot as bailiff of Sandwich might have had
certain delegated powers therein. Or did he add the business of maltster to his
other avocations ? Some years later Edward Norgate, Windsor Herald, was a
Commissioner of Brewing.
38 JOHN PHHJIPOT, M.P., SOMERSET HERALD, 1624-1645
and on 1st December he wrote begging Nicholas not to let him be
displaced and citing precedents for the exercise of such offices by
deputy.1
In the Parliament of 3 Chas. I. Somerset was one of the two M.P.'s
for Sandwich. He is described in the return as " John PhiUipott esq.
Somersett." His feUow-member was Peter Peke. The Parliament
was summoned to meet on 17th March 1627/8 and was dissolved on
10th March of the next year.2
PhUipot was also Steward of the royal manors of Gillingham and
Grain, but it does not appear when he was appointed, nor how or when
he relinquished the appointments. Among the State Papers are some
letters addressed by and to him in this capacity in 1630 and 1631.
In one letter he suggested that the Admiralty should take steps to
preserve the timber on the manor of Gillingham as it was so convenient
for the use of the Navy. Other letters refer to the preservation of the
game.3
Another instance of Philipot's versatiUty appears from a letter
addressed to Sh Edward Nicholas by one John Jacob on 30th January
1628. Jacob then complained that PhUipot was keeping an Admiralty
Court at Faversham and thereby depriving the Lord Warden4 of the
salvage brought in by the fishermen. He wished to know whether
he might execute his commission as Serjeant of the Admiralty of the
Cinque Ports notwithstanding that Court.6 As Faversham is a limb
of Dover6 Phihpot can hardly have been acting as Bailiff of Sandwich
in this case. Perhaps he was acting under some delegation from the
Lord Warden.
About 1627 Phihpot attested a certificate touching the case of
Robert Davenport, churchwarden of Davington, who had been
condemned to be hanged for killing a man who came to arrest him
without a warrant, in his own orchard, on a Sunday.7 The dispute
concerned the right to possession of the parish church of Davington
and Philipot's intervention is probably accounted for by his relationship
1 Oal. S.P. Dom., 1631-33, p. 451.
s Official Returns of M.P.'s, 1878, part I, p. 479 ; Hasted's Kent, 1799, Vol.
TV, p. 263. Among the Sandwich Corporation archives are (1) a letter from
Philipot dated 1627 offering himself as a burgess for Sandwich, and (2) another
letter from him dated in 1631 giving an account of his servioes. (Hist. MSS.
Comm., 6th Report, 1877, p. 570.)
3 Oal. S.P. Dom., 1622-31, pp. 276, 423 and 1631-33, p. 81. Is it a mere
coincidence that the manor of Gillingham had belonged to Sir John Philipot,
the Mayor of London, who left it to his younger son from whom Somerset claimed
descent ? (Hasted, Vol. II, p. 84; cf. Guillim, Display, 4th ed., 1660, p. 336.)
* The Duke of Buckingham,
6 Oal. S.P. Dom., 1627-28, p. 634. See also 1629-31, p. 122 concerning disputes
between Sir Thomas Walsingham and " John PhUpot " respecting the Admiralty
jurisdiction at Faversham.
* V.O.H. Sussex, Vol. IX, p. 38.
' Oal. S.P. Dom., 1625-49, Addenda, p. 247.
JOHN PHTEJPOT, M.P., SOMERSET HERALD, 1624-1645 39
to Thomas -MUles; the matter does not seem relevant to any of his
official appointments. In 1629 his help was sought on behalf of certain
poor prisoners confined in the Westgate, Canterbury, and he was
asked to expedite the despatch of theh pardon.1 In 1632 he asked
Nicholas to move the Admiralty to settle one Norris in one of the new
ships ; he intervened on behalf of the churchwardens and parishioners
of Eltham in connexion with certain timber feUed on the parish lands ;
and he supported a petition from some men of Sandwich who wished
to export 1,500 quarters of wheat, certifying to the congested state
of the local market.2 Later we read of his sitting at Sellinge with
Thomas Godfrey, delegated no doubt by the Lord Warden, as a Court
to decide the case of Series Marsh, gentleman porter of Deal Castle,
who had been grievously insulted on Christmas Eve by Joshua Coppyng
of Canterbury. The case proved too hard for Phihpot and his coUeague.
It was stUl in dispute in November 1635 when Marsh petitioned for a
rehearing.3
As for the John PhUpot who was sub-coUector of the subsidy in
1641, 16 Chas. I., in the upper half-hundred of Stowting, where he was
himself assessed to pay £1 8s., I can only say with Scott Robertson,
" This may have been our herald, or it may not."4
On the outbreak of CivU War PhUipot remained faithful to the
King, and accompanied his Majesty to Oxford where on 18th July
1643 he received the degree of D.C.L.5 Shortly afterwards he attended
King Charles at the siege of Gloucester, and on 10th August he and
George Owen, York,6 carried to the city the King's summons to
surrender.7 The two heralds were received courteously and in due
course they conducted back to the royal camp two lean-visaged envoys
who dehvered theh feUows' refusal to surrender the city.8
After leaving Gloucester PhUipot took up his quarters at Chawley,
in the parish of Cumnor, some two miles from Oxford. There he was
captured by soldiers from the Parhamentary garrison at Abingdon
and was sent prisoner to London. Wood dates his capture in 1644 or
i Ibid., p. 345.
2 Ibid., 1631-33, pp. 272, 423, 479.
3 Ibid., 1635, p . 488. No Series Marsh is mentioned in any of the Marsh
pedigrees printed by G.E.C. (op. cit.).
4 SB. p. xciv citing Lay Subsidy Roll 16 Chas. I , in P.R.O.
6 Fasti Oxon.; Alumni Oxonienses ; OA. H, p. 607 ; etc.
11 Owen afterwards joined the Parhamentary party, see H. S. London, op.cit.,
p. 7.
7 The Royal Warrant directing Philipot to carry the message and to bring back
the reply was dated at " The Court at Painswick " 10 August 1643. A copy is at
Welbeck Abbey (Hist. MSS. Comm., Portland MSS. Vol. I I , p. 134).
8 Clarendon, History of the Rebellion, 1826, Vol. IV, p . 177 seq.; Rushworth,
Historical OoUections, 1692, Vol. JH, part ii, p. 286, seq.; Washboum,
Bibliotheca Gloucestrensis, 1825, pp. 43, 44, 210 and Introduction p . Iii; Warburton,
Memoirs of Pr. Rupert . . ., 1849, Vol. n , p. 2 8 1 ; N. & Q. 4 s., Vol. I , p . 426 ;
etc.
40 JOHN PHILIPOT, M.P., SOMERSET HERALD, 1624-1645
thereabouts, and adds that being soon after set at hberty, he spent the
short remainder of his days in London in great obscurity.1 Streatfield
also dates his capture in 1644 but suggests that he retired to Eltham.2
It seems, however, that Somerset's capture by the Roundheads cannot
have been earher than May 1645. On 26th February 1644/5 Sh
WiUiam Le Neve, Clarenceux, who was then at Bristol awaiting an
opportunity to go overseas, wrote to Lord Mowbray and Maltravers
empowering Owen, PhUipot and Dugdale to. act as his deputies whUe he
was abroad ;3 and Dugdale notes in his Diary that Phihpot attended
the funeral of a Mr. Branthwayt on 1st May 1645.4 In spite of having
left the King he was sequestered and on 26th September 1645 the
Commissioners of Kent certified the Goldsmiths' HaU Committee
that he was sequestered for being in the King's quarters, and that he
was worth £52 19s. a year.5
He did not long survive his capture, but died in London on 22nd
November 1645, " in great obscurity," but adds Wood, " I cannot say
in want." He was buried on the 25th within the precincts of St.
Benet's, Paul's Wharf, the Heralds' parish church.6
In his will, dated 15th November 1645 and proved on 5th March
foUowing, Somerset describes himself as of Eltham " designed Norroy
King of Arms." The foUowing are the main provisions : his wife Susan
to have his lands in Kent for life, to provide portions for theh daughters
Susan and Mary, as weU as out of the mortgaged lands of Christopher
Withins ; remainder to theh two sons John and Thomas, they not to
seU except to each other; remainder to daughters ; remainder to
cousin Thomas Marche ; son Thomas to have his capital messuage at
Southend and a portion of his heraldry books at theh appraised
value ; if he declined then to be offered to son John. John AUen
overseer.7
The description " designed Norroy " calls for some explanation.
I t appears also on his widow's monument. Sh Henry St. George died
in November 1644, a year before Phihpot. Edward Walker was thereupon
promoted Garter and this left the place of Norroy vacant. As
senior herald Phihpot had a certain claim to promotion and Noble
says that the King intended " to reward his just merits, skiU, integrity,
ardent loyalty and fidelity in the worst of times " by giving him the
1 Fasti Oxon.
2 Hasted's Kent, ed. Drake, 1886, p. 203 note.
3 C/A MS. Heralds IV, f. 139.
4 Hamper's Dugdale, p. 79.
6 Calendar of State Papers, Committee for Compounding 1642-1660, p. 25.
6 Dugdale's Diary (ed. Hamper, p. 83), 22 November 1645 : " Mr. Philpot,
Somerset Herauld dyed, in London and was buried at St. Benet's neare Paul's
Wharfe." Burial Register of St. Benet's (ed. Harl. Soo.): 25 November 1645
" Mr. John Fillpott."
' P.C.C. 64 Fines ; Hasted's Kent, ed Drake, p. 210.
JOHN PHHJPOT, M.P., SOMERSET HERALD, 1624-1645 41
place.1 Unfortunately he died without the appointment having been
effected. Whether the delay was due to the exigencies of the Civil
War, or was a consequence of Philipot's withdrawal from the Royal
entourage does not appear.
Somerset married, about a year before he became Blanch Lyon,
•Susan, daughter and sole hehess of WiUiam Glover of Sandwich,2
by his wife Ehzabeth, whose maiden name is variously given as
Johnson, Thompson or Harlakenden. The marriage hcence is dated
24th December 1612 and describes him as woohen-draper of the City
of London.3 WUham Glover was one of the gentleman-ushers daily
waiters at the Court of James I. He was brother of Robert Glover,
Somerset Herald. 1571-88, who was himself son-in-law of WiUiam
Flower, Norroy 1562-88, and uncle of Thomas MiUes (aheady
mentioned more than once) who edited and pubhshed from Glover's
coUections the work commonly known as " MUles's Titles of Honour."
The connexion between these famihes is set out in Pedigree C.
Ehzabeth Glover, Mrs. Philipot's mother, was daughter and coheiress
of a Canterbury gentleman. His paternal surname was Johnson,4
but after his marriage to Ahce, daughter and coheiress of Thomas
Harlakenden, he seems to have taken her name and arms, for he is
caUed " Henry Harlakenden" on Mrs. Philipot's memorial tablet,
and both she and her daughter quartered, according to that tablet,
Glover and Harlakenden without any intervening quarter for Johnson.5
1 Pp. 240, 245. Legally the place of Norroy remained unfilled until the
Restoration when Dugdale was appointed to it. De facto it was held first by
William Ryley and later by George Owen (see H. S. London, op. cit. p. 9). The
place of Somerset also remained legally vacant until Thomas St. George's appointment
in 1660. It was, however, in fact held by Henry Bysshe, brother of the
intruded Garter, from some time before February 1658/9. Henry Bysshe was
ejected at the Restoration but Ryley and Owen were allowed to resume their
old places of Lancaster and York Heralds respectively.
2 I have found nothing as to when or where William Glover died, nor have I
traced his will. That document might throw valuable light on Susan Philipot's
means, for I suspect that it was thanks to her dowry that Somerset was able
to leave the drapery business and devote himself to heraldry.
3 Marriage Licences, Archdeaconry of Canterbury: 24 December 1612.
John Philpot of the City of London, woollen draper, and Susanna Glover of
Sandwich, spinster. Thomas Philpott of Canterbury gent, bondsman.
4 In the 1619 Visitation of Kent (C/A MS. C 16, f. 281) he is called Henry
Thompson, but in MSS. Ph. 26, f. lb and Ph. 24, f. 57 the surname is given as
Johnson, and Francis Townsend, Windsor, follows suit in MS. FT. 11, f. 94-5.
Ph. 25, f. lb is a Glover pedigree in Robert Glover's own handwriting; it should
therefore be authoritative.
6 This answers the question raised in Arch. Cant. XTV, p. 358 in a review of
the Harlakenden pedigree in the Topographer and Genealogist Vol. I, p. 228. The
reviewer there remarks that the pedigree does not enable us to identify William
Glover's son-in-law " Henry Harlakenden ". Henry Harlakenden does figure
in that pedigree (p. 233) but it is as " Henry Thomson." Steinman took that
portion of the pedigree straight from C 16, and identified the Thomas Harlakenden
of C 16 with Thomas Harlakenden of " Warehorn " (but in MS. Ph. 11 <£>fi. lb,
2, he is of " Woodehurch " co. Kent) who married Mary Londenoys, and had by
PEDIGREE C.
Compiled from CoUege of Arms MSS. C 16, ff. 112, 2 8 1 ; C 24, f. 458 ; Ph. 24, f. 57 ; Ph. 25, f. l b ; FT. 11, f. 94, with some details from
other sources cited in this paper.
Hugo Northwood of Callis Court in Thanet, = ..
eldest son of Richard Northwood* I
John Glover, one of the
Barons of the Cinque
Ports at the Coronation
of Henry VTH.
Thomas Harlakenden, of Halden
(aUas of Werthorne) co. Kent.
Died at St. Dunstan's, Canterbury.
Ehzabeth one of
the 7 daughters
and coheirs of
Hugo Northwood
Richard MiUes
of Hothfield
Margaret
d. of ..
Godfrey
(Geffery).
Thomas
Glover
2 1
Margaret = Richard = Johanna, widow
d. of John
Knight of
Hyde.
MiUes of
Ashford.
of John White
of Hyde, who
died s.p.
= MUdred, d. of Robert
Bate & sister of John
Bate who died s.p.
Henry Johnson (or
Thompson) or Harlakenden,
of Canterbury.
1. Robert Glover,
Somerset Herald
1571-88.
Elizabeth d. &
•coh. of WiUiam
Flower, Norroy
1562-88.
Alicia, d. & coh. of
Thomas Harlakenden.
Other
issue Sandwich; Gentle
man Usher daUy
waiter to James I.
2. William Glover, of = Ehzabeth
d. & coh.
Barnabas William William Thomas MiUes, of Dover, of Davington &
and John and John of Norton Court near Faversham, co. Kent;
s.p. died in Esquire of the Body to James I in 1619 ;
infancy. Customer of K e n t ; Bailiff of Sandwich
1579-1623. Edited " Mihes's Titles of
Honour " from the MSS. of his uncle
Robert Glover.
Anna, d. of John
Polley or Polhill
of Otford, & rehct
of Wm. Nott, lawyer.
Susanna, d. & h.,
mar. Uc. 24 Dec.
1612. Died 1664;
bur. at Eltham,
Kent, M.I.
John
PhUipot,
Somerset
Herald.
JOHN PHTLEPOT, M.P., SOMERSET HERALD, 1624-1645 43
Mrs. Phihpot, Somerset's widow, died in 1664 or 1665.1 She and
her elder daughter, Susan, were buried in the chancel of the old church
at Eltham, where they were commemorated by a painted wooden
tablet, with the date " 1664," two lozenges of arms, and the foUowing
inscription : " Neare this place lyeth the body of Susan Philipot late
wife and widdow of John Philipott esq. Som[erset] harold designd
Norroy; she was daughter and sole heir of WiUiam Glover esq. and
Elizabeth his wife daughter and coheire of Henry Harlakenden esq.
As likewise the body of Susan PhUipot her eldest daughter; both
expectinge a glorious resurrection." The larger lozenge was painted
with Mrs. Philipot's arms : a coat of eight quarters for PhUipot (see
below) impaling her own arms : Quarterly, 1 and 4. Glover, Sable a
chevron ermine between three crescents argent; 2 and 3. Harlakenden,
Azure a fesse ermine between three hon's heads erased or. The smaUer
lozenge displayed the daughter's arms : Quarterly, 1. The Phihpot
cross and swords ; 2. The Phihpot bend ; 3. Glover ; 4. Harlakenden.2
Somerset's four children are aU named in theh father's wiU. The
younger son, John, has aheady been mentioned as having been
appointed bailiff of Sandwich jointly with his father in 1642.3
Thomas PhUipot, the elder son,4 was entered as a feUow-commoner
her several sons, of whom one, Roger, was ancestor of the Harlakendens of Earl's
Colne, Essex (Top. & Gen., loc. cit.), and grandfather of Roger Harlakenden who
sailed to New England in the " Defence" in 1633 (New England Historic
Genealog. Register, Vol. XV, p. 319). Steinman gives no grounds for that
identification and it seems to be belied by the description, both in C 16 and in
Ph. 24, of Alice Thomson (or Johnson), Thomas's daughter by Elizabeth
Northwood, as his coheiress.
1 According to Drake's Hasted, p. 212, the Eltham registers record the burial
on 17 Feb. 1665 of " Mrs Susanna Philpot." Does that entry refer to Somerset's
widow 1 or to his daughter ?
2 Thorp, Registrum Roffense, p. 950 ; C/A MS. RBG. 26, p. 6 ; Lysons,
Environs of London, 1811, Vol. I, part ii, p. 482 ; Drake's Hasted, p. 203. Noble,
p. 246-6, says nothing of any tablet in the church, but quotes an inscription,
identical with the above save that it begins " Neare this stone," as being on a
gravestone. He says that no date appeared on the stone, and a MS. note in the
late G. E. Cokayne's copy (penes Mr. A. R. Wagner, Richmond Herald) says that
H. Gwyn was unable to find it when he visited the church in 1845.
3 The Registers (ed. Harl. Soe.) of S. Peter's and S. Benet's, Paul's Wharf
(the boundary between these two parishes ran through the College) contain a
number of Philpot entries, but there is nothing to connect any of them with the
herald. Nevertheless one is tempted to wonder whether the John Philpott who
was married to Anne Wainwrite at St. Peter's on 24 February 1668/9 and the
John Philpot junior who was buried at St. Benet's on 23 September 1701 may
not have been Somerset's son and grandson respectively.
4 See SB., p. xciii ; Alumni Oantabrigienses ; Alumni Oxonienses ; Brydges,
Oensura Literaria, Vol. V, p. 67 and VI, p. 333 ; Clare College 1326-1926 (the
two volumes commemorating the 6th centenary of the College's foundation),
pp. 78, 229-232; DaUaway, Inquiries into the Origin of Heraldry, p. 345 etc. ;
D.N.B.; Gent. Mag., 1792, Vol. 62, p. 522 ; Gough's British Topography, 1780,
Vol. I, p. 442 ; Drake's Hasted, p. 197 ; Lowndes, Bibliographer's Manual, ed.
Bohn, p. 1850; Lyson's Environs of London, 1811, Vol. I, part ii, pp. 481, 490,
535 ; Moule, Bibliotheca Heraldica, p. 181 seq. ; Noble, Hist. Col. Arm., p. 246.
44 JOHN PHILIPOT, M.P., SOMERSET HERALD, 1624-1645
at Clare HaU, Cambridge, 10th February 1633/4, matriculated on
29th March foUowing, was made M.A. " htteris regiis " 4th February
1635/6, and was incorporated at Oxford in July 1640. He was buried
at Greenwich 30th September 1682. He founded two " Philpott"
(the present spelling) FeUowships at Clare HaU, open only to natives
of Kent, with a preference to persons born in the Hundred of
Blackheath, the moneys deriving from lands and tenements at Eltham
and Foots Cray. OriginaUy Bye-FeUowships (the holders had no
voice in CoUege affairs), these were later altered into scholarships of
value not less than £40 a year. He also founded almshouses for six
poor persons, four from Eltham and two from Chiselhurst; these are
a familiar feature at Eltham.1 It seems possible that he was employed
for a time in the CoUege of Arms, for a certified copy of a confirmation
of arms by Segar to John Browne of Brenchley, 12th December 1626,
is signed " W. Watson Regr'rius. Thomas Philipott."2 He pubhshed
a number of books of verse,3 and volumes on other subjects of which
it wiU suffice to mention here the ViUare Cantianum and his Brief
Historical Discourse of the Original and Growth of Heraldry, demonstrating
upon what rational Foundations that noble and heroic Science
is established: London, 1672, 8vo. The former has often been
attributed to his father (see below). The latter is devoted to an attempt
to trace heraldry back to classical ages.
Ehzabeth of Bavaria's testimonial to Somerset's character and
ability has aheady been quoted. He was an active and useful officer
and Weever gratefuUy acknowledges his help.4 As to his moral
standards certain incidents aheady related suggest that these might
have been stricter in financial matters, but we must not forget that
in no case do we know the whole story.
As a genealogist he suffered from the handicaps of his day, and his
critical faculty was, by modem standards, undeveloped. It follows
that his pedigrees are not to be accepted without careful examination.
Round indeed goes much farther, charges him with carrying on " the
evU work of the Elizabethan heralds," and stigmatizes him as an adept
at constructing spurious pedigrees that rested on garbled versions of
genuine documents.5 Three pedigrees signed by PhUipot came under
1 Anstis (OA. II, p. 607) erroneously attributes the foundation of these almshouses
to Somerset. See also E. A. Webb etc., The History of Ohiselhurst, 1899,
p. 193 and cf. pp. 183, 186.
s C/A MS. 2 H 15, f. 21 ; Mise. Gen. & Her., 2 s., Vol. I, p. 126.
3 Glare College, pp. 229-231 are mainly devoted to extracts from and comments
on his verse, which is typical of the euphuistic and lascivious taste of the time.
4 Funeral Monuments, Epistle to the Reader.
6 J. H. Round, Family Origins, London, 1930, pp. 103, 170; and " The
Origin of the Finches " in Sussex Archceological OoUections, Vol. 70, pp. 19-31.
JOHN PHHJPOT, M.P., SOMERSET HERALD, 1624-1645 45
Round's scrutiny, those of Finch, Pelham and Herbert.1 Of the two
former families Round says that PhUipot invented for them a distinguished
descent from a date far antecedent to the actual documents,
and that he bolstered this up by tampering with the evidence of the
pubhc records. The case against Phihpot as it is stated by Round
is very strong, but are his strictures altogether deserved ? I think
not. The Fitzherbert descent attributed to the Herbert Earls of
Pembroke is equaUy fictitious, but this seems to have been not Phihpot's
work, but a much earher concoction,2 and if that be. the case for
Herbert, may it not be so also for Finch and Pelham ? True, the
Fitzherbert figment was accepted by Phihpot and incorporated in the
Finch pedigree, but that is a very different matter from the dehberate
faking with which Round charged him.
The Pelham pedigree has also been roughly handled by Mr. L. F.
Salzman,3 who goes on to suggest that it was PhUipot who invented
the famous story that King John of France was taken prisoner by
John Pelham and Roger La Warr at the Battle of Poitiers in 1356,
and that he then gave them the buckle of his belt and the crampet
of his scabbard. The two famihes have certainly used those objects
as badges for long past, but the Poitiers incident seems to have been
totaUy unknown until its appearance in the pedigree put out by
Phihpot in 1632. Moreover, although the use of the buckle as a seal
device can be traced back at least to 1408, it is not until about 1620
that it was used as a quartering to the arms.4 Mr. Salzman suggests
that that too may have been Phihpot's work.
Another pedigree which bears Philipot's name is that of Norton of
Sharpenhoe.5 As it stands this is patently inacceptable, but the
heading suggests that this too, hke the Herbert pedigree, merely copies
a pre-existing Tudor production.
Whatever his shortcomings as a genealogist, Somerset was rated
by the 19th century heralds as one distinguished for his literary
attainments before 1750, and as such his shield is among those set. up
in 1844 in the Record Room of the CoUege of Arms. His pubhcations,
1 Sussex Arch. Collns, loc. cit. Round seems to have written a separate paper
on the Pelham pedigree, but this has not come to light. The Finch-Herbert
pedigree is printed at length in Misc. Gen. dk Her., Vol. H, p. 325.
2 See G.E.C.'s Complete Peerage, Vol. VI (1895), p. 213 note c.; Sir R. Meyrick,
Visitations of Wales by Lewis Dwnn, Vol. I, p. 196. The fiction seems to date from
1468 when William Herbert was created Earl of Pembroke.
3 " The Early Heraldry of Pelham " in Sussex Arch. OoUns., Vol. 69, p. 53,
seq.
4 Ibid., p. 70, citing a letter from Sir Thomas Pelham to his cousin Sir WiUiam,
dated 10 July 1620. The letter is quoted by M. A. Lower in Historical Notices
of the Pelham Family, from British Museum MS. Add. 5681, f. 426.
5 New England Genealogist and Antiquarian Register, Vol. 13 (1859), p. 226 ;
cf. Herald and Genealogist, Vol. HI, p. 276.
46 JOHN PHILIPOT, M.P., SOMERSET HERALD, 1624-1645
however, although of practical value, are not of great literary merit.
They are:
" An Historical Catalogue of the High-Sheriffs of Kent," printed
at the end of the Villare.
" The Catalogue of the ChanceUors of England, the Lord Keepers
of the Great Seal, and the Lord Treasurers of England. With a
CoUection of divers that have been Masters of the RoUes. By J. P.
Summersett Herald." London, 1636. These catalogues were compUed
from Glover's MSS. and theh continuation by Francis Thynne,
Lancaster, and Thomas Talbot, Clerk of the Records in the Tower, to
whom Philipot acknowledges his indebtedness. The work is dedicated
to the Earl of Arundel and Surrey.1
" A Perfect CoUection or Catalogue of aU Knights Bachelaurs made
by King James since his coming to the Crown of England, faithfully
extracted out of the Records by John PhUipot Esq. Somerset Herald,
a devout servant of the Royal line." This was pubhshed by Humphrey
Moseley in 1660.2
Some verses prefixed to Vincent's Discovery of Errors, 1627.
Somerset edited and made useful additions to the 5th, 1637, edition
of Camden's Remaines.z
According to FuUer4 he contributed not a httle to the setting forth
of Glover's Catalogue of Honour, the work more commonly known as
MiUes's Titles of Honour.
Hasted5 attributes to him A Perspective Glasse for Gamesters, 4to,
1646.
He was for long said to be the author of an anonymous tract
pubhshed in London in 1629 as " The Cities Advocate, in this Case or
Question of Honor or Armes, whether Apprenticeship extinguisheth
gentry ? ", and republished in 1675 under a shghtly different title.6
That, however, is a mistake. The tract was written by Edmund
Bolton, author of the Elements of Armorie.7
1 Fasti Oxon. ; Moule, Bibliotheca Herald, p. 119 : Lowndes, Bibl. Manual,
p. 1860.
2 Fasti Oxon ; Moule op. cit., p. 157 ; Brydges, Oenrnra Liter., 1815, Vol. IV,
p. 250; Lowndes loc. cit.
3 Fasti Oxon.; OA. II, p. 607 ; Moule op. cit., p. 119 ; etc.
4 Fuller, Worthies of England, 1811, Vol. I, p. 508.
6 Drake's Hasted, p. 203, note 7; Lowndes loc. cit.
0 Fasti Oxon.; Fuller loo. cit.; Hasted loo. cit. ; Moule, p. 193, 194; OA.
II, p. 607 j Gough op. cit., Vol. II, p. 285 note ; Brydges op. oit., Vol. VI, p. 333 j
Lowndes, loo. cit. For a description of the book see Beloe's Anecdotes, Vol. VI,
p. 317 seq.
7 See a letter written by Bolton himself on 26 March 1631 to Sir W. Segar
and the other Officers of Arms. The original is in the Bodleian (MS. Ashm. 837,
ff. 228-9) and it was printed at length in the Gent. Mag., Vol. 102 (1832), p. 499
seq. Joseph Hunter refers to this in his Ohorus Vaiwm Anglicanorum (Brit. Mus.
MS. Add. 24488, p. 119 ; cf. MS. 24490, p. 430).
I p t h e moQ. Xuuftvteu.1 1?vmcc
George 3>ulc e£
'Buck mo ham Sue.
ijrharii pitjllcJeurgxte/Ttntt
{/*jcr*in*
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