Commission of Visitation by James I to William Camden, Clarenceux King of Arms (1603).

JAMES, by the grace of God King of England, Scotland, Fraunce, and Ireland, Defendor of the Fayth, &c. To our trusty and welbeloved servaunt William Camden, Esquire, surnamed Clarencieulx, Kinge of Armes of the east west, and south parts of our realme of England, from the ryver of Trent southward, and to all other our loving subjects, greeting. Forasmuch as God of his great clemency and goodness hath subjected to our empire and governaunce the Nobility, People and Commons of this Realme of England, wee mynding of our royall and absolute power to us comytted to visite, survey, and view throughout all our ralme of England, and other our dominions, as well for a due order to be kept and observed in all things touching the office and duetyes appertayning to Armes, as also for reformation of dyvers and sondrie abuses and disorders daily arising and growing for want of ordinarie Visitations, Surveis, and Views in tymes convenient, according to the auncient forme and laudable custome of the lawes of Armes; and that the nobility of this realme may bee preserved in everie degree as appertayneth as well in honour as in worship; and that every person and persons, bodyes politique, corporate, and others may bee the better knowne in his and thier estate, degree, and misterye, without confusion or disorder, have therefore constituted, deputed, ordayned, and appointed for us and in our names our sayd welbeloved servaunt William Camden, Esquier, alias Clarencieulx, King of Armes in the sayd east, west, and south parts of our Realme of England, from the sayd ryver of Trent southward, to visite all the sayd Province, and the parts and members thereof, appertayning to the offyce and charge of the said Clarencieulx Kinge of Armes, from tyme to tyme, as often and when as he shall thinke most necessarie and convenient for the same; and not only to enter into all churches, castles, houses, and other places at his discretion, to persue and take knowledge, survey, and viewe of all manner of armes, cognizances, crests, and other devyeses of Armes of all and singular our subjects, as well bodyes politique as others, within the sayd Province, of what dignity or degree, estate, or misterie soever they bee, lawfully authorized to have, use, or bears any such armes, cognizaunces, crests, and other like devyses, with the notes of their discents, pedigrees, and mariages; and the same to enter of record in a Register Books of Armes, accoring to such order as it prescribed and sett forth in the offyce, charge, and oathe taken by our said servaunt at his creation and coronation; but also to correct, comptroll, and reforme all manner of armes, crests, cognizances, and devyses, unlawfull or unlawfully usurped, borne, or taken by any manner person or pesons within the same Province, contrary to the due order of the lawe of Armes; and the same to reverse, pull downe, or otherwise deface, at his discretion, as well in cote armes, helme, standards, pennons, and hatchments of tent and pavillons, as also in plate, jewells, paper, parchment, windowes, gravestones, and monuments, or elsewhere wheresoever they bee sett or placed, wheter they bee in shield, scutcheon, lozenge, square, rondell, or otherwise howsoever, contrary to the antiquity and auncyent lawes, customes, rules, priviledges, and orders of armes; and further, Wee by theise presents doe give and graunt to the sayd Clarencieulx full power and authority to reprove, comptroll, and make infamous by proclamation to be made at the Assizes or generall Sessions within the same his Province to bee had and kepte, or at such other place or places as hee or they shall thinke most meete and convenient, all and all manner of person or persons that unlawfully and without just authoritie, vocation, or due calling, doe or have, or shall usurpe, to take uppon him or them any manner of title of honor or dignitie, as esquier, gentleman, or other; and likewise to reforme and comptroll all such as at any funeralls or interrements shall use or weare any mournyng apparell, as gownes, hoodes, tippetts, or such like, contrary to the order lymitted and prescribed in the tyme of the Most Noble Prince King Henry, of famous memory, the Seaventh, our grand father, otherwise or in any other sort then to their estates and degrees doth appertayne. And furthermore, by these presents wee prohibit and forbid that no paynter, glasyer, gouldsmyth, graver, or any other artyficer, whatsoever hee or they bee, within the sayd province of the sayd Clarencieulx, shall take uppon them to paynte, grave, glase, devyse, or sett forth by any wayes or meanes anye manner of armes, otherwise or in any other fourme or manner then they may lawfully doe and shalbee allowed by the sayed Clarencieulx, his deputy or deputies, according to the auncient lawes and statutes of armes; and wee forbyd and straightly comaunde all our sheriffs, comissioners, archdeacons, offycialls, scryvenours, clarks, wryters, or other whatsoever they bee, to call, name, or write in any assize, sessyons, court, or other open place or places, or else to use in any writing the addition of esquyre or gentleman, unless they bee able to stand unto and justifie the same by the lawe of Armes of our realme, or else bee ascerteyned thereof by advertysement in writing from the sayd Clarencieulx King of Armes, or his deputye or deputyes, attorney or attorneys; and further wee straightly charge and comaunde that no other person or persons shall intromytt or meddle with any thinge or thinges touching and concerning the office of Armes within the sayd Province, without speciall lycence and authoritie of the sayd Clarencieulx, in writing, under the seale of the sayd offyce first had and obtayned from the sayd Clarencieulx; all the which sayd power, prehemynence, jurisdiciton, and authoritie above specifyed, for us, our heyres, and successors, wee doe give and graunt by theise presents to the sayd William Camden, alias Clrencieulx, during his naturall lyfe, in as large and ample manner and formes in everie thinge and things as any his predecessors, or anye other bearing the name or tytle of Clarencieulx, have or had, dyd or might doe by force of any letters patents graunted by any of our predecessors, or as of right hee or they ought or might have used to doe and exercise by force of his sayd office, with all manner of profytts, advantages, and emoluments thereunto belonging: wherefore wee will and straightly charge and comaunde all and singluar our justices, sheryffs, mayors, bayliffs, and all other our offycers, mynisters, and constables, and all and everie our loving subjets, that in the execution of the premisses they effectually employe their best ayde, assistaunce, furtherance, and counsayle to our sayd servaunt, his deputye or deputyes, so often and when as hee or any of them shall require the same, in all that they conveniently may,as they tender our favour, and will aunswere the contrary at their perill; and further, by theise presents wee doe authorize our sayd servaunt to nominate and appoint, under the seale of his sayd office, so many deputyes or atturneys as shalbe taught to him expedient, for the better execution of all and singlular the premisses; and if there fortune to fall out in this Visitation any manner of scruple, doubte, question, or any misdemeanor of any person or persons whatsoever that cannnot bee conveniently bee decided or ended by our sayd servaunt, or by such deputye or deputyes, or attorneys, as hee under the seale of his sayd offyce shall name and appoint, then our mynde and pleasurs is that our sayd searvaunt, his deputye, deputyes, or atturneyes named as if aforesayd, shall comaund such persons or persons whome the sayd question, scruple, or misdemeanor shall concerne, under a certeine payne, and at a certen daye, to appeare before the Earl Marshall of England for the tyme, before whome the sayd scruple, question, or misdemeanour shalbe heard and ordered, accoring to the lawes and custome of Armes in that case provieded, and of auncient tyme used, any statute, lawe proclamation, custome or usage to the contrary in any wise notwithstanding. in witnes whereof, wee have caused these our letters to bee made patents. Witnes ourselfe, at Harfeild, the fyfth day of August, in the fyrst yere of our raigne of England, Fraunce, and Ireland, and of Scotland the seaven and thirtyeth.