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Archiver > CORNISH > 2000-05 > 0959183953
From:
Subject: Re: CORNISH-D Digest V00 #318
Date: Wed, 24 May 2000 11:59:13 EDT
In a message dated 05/24/2000 7:58:56 AM Pacific Daylight Time,
writes:
<< From: "JohnO" <>
To:
Message-ID: <000501bfc58c$f8deaf60$>
Subject: Visitations
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From time to time the subject of the Heralds' Visitations and the
printed pedigrees based upon them arises. Warnings have been
given that these printed pedigrees (many published by the Harleian
Society) are not to be treated as "gospel" but as an aid, rather like
the IGI.
To reinforce this warning perhaps I might quote in part from the
preface written by F.W.Weaver, a noted antiquarian, to his
1885 "Visitations of the County of Somerset (1531 and 1573).
"A word of caution is perhaps necessary as to the reliance to be
placed on all Heralds' Visitations; it is constantly found when information
is obtainable from other sources (such as wills,&c.) that the Visitations
are full of errors, generations being missed out, a father and son
representated
brothers,&c. And perhaps it is not too much to say that they cannot be
relied upon beyond the grandfather of the "Armiger" who was cited to
the Visitation; but when all is said, they still remain a valuable (and
sometimes
the inly) clue to a gentle family, whose name now perhaps only exists
as that of a remote farm house".
To this might be added that printed pedigrees, such as those published
by Vivian for Cornwall and Devon, are not necessarily themselves even
accurate records of the recorded Visitations. Vivian and others (even more
respected) were not above "gilding the lily" for whatever purpose.
It might be of interest that my copy of Weaver was once owned by
G.E.Cokayne (1825-1911) who was a barrister by training, a noted genealogist,
Clarenceux king of arms and author of The Complete Peerage and The Complete
Baronetage.He has added pencil annotations to many of the pedigrees in the
book.
John Overholt
Kingston upon Thames,Eng. >>
Dear John,
I am fascinated to hear about some of the more interesting notations in
your copy of Weaver, especially anything regarding BOND which is a wild goose
chase at times. To have a book such as that at your disposal must push the
limits of "hard to put down."
Warmest regards,
Elizabeth
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