XV. THE FIRST GRANT OF ARMS (1480). (fn. 1)
To all true Christian people these present letters reading,
hearing, or seeing, I, Thomas Clarenceux, Principal Herald and
King of Arms of the south parts of this Realm of England, send
due and humble recommendation and greeting in Our Lord
God everlasting.
For so much as I understand for certain that every craft
within this the King's most royal City of London, called his
Chamber, study, devise, and imagine in it with all their busy
cares and diligences, and specially such persons as be lineally
descended from gentle and noble blood (by very course of
nature thereunto compelled), the most honourable, excellent,
laudable, virtuous, and convenient ways and means to them
possible for the exaltation of the same City, and preferment of
their fraternities to nobles, and to as excellent renown, land,
and recommendation as by them can be goodly devised to the
intent that every person entering into the same crafts and
fraternities, hearing of their laudable and virtuous opinions,
should enforce and apply themselves with all possible diligence
by policy, wisdom, and sadness towards the maintenance,
supportation, and long continuance of the same to the honour,
laud, and praising of God, the King our Sovereign Lord, this
his said Realm, and the said Noble City and the same crafts
and fraternities.
The first grant of arms, 1480
Amongst whom I, the said King of Arms, remember and
note specially at this time the laudable and right honourable
craft of Taylors and Linge Armourers of the Fraternity of
St. John Baptist, within this said noble City, and the good
and commendable, virtuous, discreet, and honourable persons
Robert Duplege, Master, Ewen Boughton, John Warner, James
Shirwode, and John Potman, Wardens of the same noble craft
for the time being, and all their whole fraternity of Taylors
and Linge Armourers within the said City, which craft hath
continued without reproach in honour and noblesse out of time
of mind.
To whom, therefore, at their special instance by the authority
and power imperial to my said office annexed and attributed, I
have devised, ordained, and granted, and by these presents
devise, ordain, and grant to the said Master, Warden, and
Brethren, of the said noble craft and fraternity for them and
their successors in sign and token of noblesse, the shield,
helm, and timbre hereafter following, that is to say, silver,
a pavilion between two mantles imperial, purple, garnished with
gold in a chief azure, an holy lamb set within a sun; the
crest upon the helm a pavilion, purple, garnished with gold,
being within the same our Blessed Lady St. Mary the Virgin
in a vesture of gold sitting upon a cushion azure, Christ,
her son, standing naked before her, holding between his
hands a vesture called tunica inconsutilis, his said mother
working upon that, one end of the same vesture set within
a wreath gold and azure, the mantle purple, furred with ermine
as in the margin hereof, more plainly it appeareth depicted in
the same. To have and to hold, use, occupy, and rejoice the
same arms peaceably and vowably at their pleasures to the said
Master, Wardens, and whole Fraternity of Taylors and Linge
Armourers within the said noble City of London, and their suc
cessors, without impeachment, interruption, impediment or let,
of any person or persons, whatsomever he or they be, by virtue
of this my grant for evermore. In witness whereof I the said
King of Arms to these presents signed with my hand, have put
my seal of authority. Given at London the 23rd day of
October, in the 21st year of the Reign of our Sovereign Lord
King Edward the Fourth (1480).