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scroll over her head is written :-khu mercy & lady helpe. And beneath her feet the following inscription :

Er bestra caritate Orate p' a’i’a Johan’e Addirley quo’d’m uxor Joh'is Addirley quo’d'm Maioris Civitatis london' et nup' uxor Will’i Brokes armigeri patroni istius eccl’ie qe quid'm Johan'a obiit xviiio die Nove'br' Aa D'ni M° CCCC' lxxxviio cuis a'i'e p'picie...

1455. (33 Hen. VI.) The first notice in the Ironmongers' books of the wardens of the Company, under that distinct appellation, occurs in this year, in an order relative to their keeping the principal feast.

In the xxxiii. yere of the regne of King henry the VIth Richard Flemmyng and Nich'as Marchale stode wardeyns of the ffelaship of Iremongers, having than nor long before no maister, but ij. wardeyns.*

The Ironmongers, we may presume, although not yet incorporated, had become a powerful and influential body, as we find in the following year that they obtained a grant of armorial bearings from Lancaster King of Arms. This document, of which I have given a copy, also confers the privilege of using a tabard upon all state occasions.

* Ancient Book of Orders, fol. 25. This volume is of vellum, and one of the oldest which the Company possesses: it contains a variety of matters, amongst which we may notice the directions for keeping the obit of John Guyva, p. 1. The "compremyse between the person of Alhalowen Stayning and ye craft of Iremongers," p. 13. An old calendar, showing the different fasts and festivals of the year, very finely written in black, blue, and red inks, fol. 17. A collection of ancient acts and ordinances of the Company, acts of common council, wills of benefactors, bequests of plate, &c. And at page 74, a petition from the yeomanry to the master, wardens, and court of the livery, dated 13 Dec. 1497, praying their "grete wysdomys" that they may have licence to choose two new "rulars" for themselves annually, and for other privileges.

To all maner people these present tres seying or heryng. We, Lancastre Kyng of Armes, sende gretyng in our lorde God euerlastyng; Know ye us the foresaide Lancastre to haue geven and graunted unto the honurable Crafte and felasship of the ffraunchised men of Iremongers of the citie of London a token of armes, that is to sey-Siluer, a cheueron of Gowles, sitte betwene three Gaddes of Stele of Asure, on the cheueron three swevells of golde; with two lizardes of theire owne kynde, encoupeld with Gowlys, on the helmet. To haue, to holde, and reioyce the forsaide tokyn and armes to the said Craft and felasship thereof, and to their successours enfraunchised men of the same Crafte, in the saide citie, for euermore, to [bear] the said armes, in all maner seruices of our souerayne lorde the Kyng,

and in baners to the honour and [worship] of God, in holy churches, and ellswhere in eyther places conuenient and needfull, and atte all tymes in honor and defence of the said citie of London, yf and whan cause requyre hit. Willyng and grauntyng also, that he which shall bere the Baner of the saide Crafte for the tyme, if such nede, be enarmed in the same armes for the same day and tyme, in delakke or for defaute of his ppre armes, in tokenyng of honour and worship of the saide Crafte and felasship, and att all tymes to haue and reioyce the same in the maner aforesaide, for euermore. In witnesse of which thing, we the saide Lancastre Kyng of Armes to these present tres haue putt our seall of Armes and signe manuell; Wreten atte London, the firste day of the moneth of Septembre, the xxxiiijti yere of the Regne of our souerayne lorde Kynge Henry the sixt.

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These arms were subsequently confirmed by Thomas Benolt, Clarenceux, who inspected the original grant, and added thereto the following note:

I, Thomas Benolt, alias Clarenceux King at Armes, Ratyfie and conferme theis armes in this patent depict, which was graunted by

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William Hervy, Clarenceux, reciting that the arms granted by Lancaster had not been given by good authority, ratified and confirmed the same again in 1560; and in the accounts for that year we find the following entry: Geven to Mayster Clarinsys, King of harōds, and is for a ffarder asuoring of our armes of the hall as apers by Mr. Danes bill, xxxvij; geven to his švant for bringing them hom xijd."

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O all and singular as well kings, heraulds, and offycers of armes, as nobles, gentylmen, and others whiche these presents shall se or here. WILL'M HERVY, esquier, otherwyse called clarencieulx, principall heraulde and King of Armes of the Sowthe East and West parties of this realme of Englond, sendyth due comendacons and greting. Whereas one Lancaster, by the name of Lancaster King of Armes, hathe heretofore assigned unto the worshipfull company and fellashipe of the Iremongers of the citie of London, armes and crest, as aperythe in a patent unto them assigned, And fyndyng the same to be without good auctoryte, I, the sayd clarencieulx, King of Armes, being requyred of Maister Edward Bryght and William Dane, of the said company and fellashipe of Iremongers, to ratefy and confyrme the said armes, helme, and crest vnto the company and felashippe of Iremongers, as they heretofore haue used and borne the same, and so successyvely unto their successors after them, and that they maye use

* Arms of Hervy in the initial letter: Or, a chevron between three leopard's faces gules.

and beare the same without contradyxcyon of any person or persons. In consyderacon whereof, and fyndyng their request so just and law full, I, the said clarencieulx, King of Armes, by power and auctoryte to myn office anexed and graunted, by the quenes mates l'res patents undre the great seale of Englond, haue ratyfyed and confyrmed and by these presents do ratify and cõfyrme the said armes, helme, and crest, in the same manner and forme as in the old patent is depicted. That is to saye, unto Maister Alexander Avenon esquier, and alderman of London, and at this present maister of the corporacon, company, and comynalty of the Iremongers, And to Clement Cornwall and Thomas Browne, wardens of the same corporacon, company, and comynalty of Iremongers aforeseid, within this said citie of London, and to their successors, and to the holle assistants of the said corporaĉon, company, and comynalty, and to their successors for evermore. And they yt to use, beare, and shewe in shylde, banners, standardes, and otherwyse to their worships at their lyberties and pleasures without impedyment or interuption of any parson or parsons. In wytnes wherof, I, the said clarencieulx, Kyng of Armes, haue subscrybed this presents with my hand, and put thereunto the seale of myn offyce and the seale of myn armes. Geven at London the xxviii of Maye, in the yere of our Lord God 1560, and in the seconde yere of our most drade soveraigne lady Elizabethe, by the grace of God, Quene of Englonde, Fraunce, and Irelande, defendor of the faythe, &c.

W. HERVY, als clarencieulx,
King of Armes.

The arms of the Company were again confirmed and ratified at the Visitation of the City of London in 1634, by Sir Henry St. George, Richmond Herald, as appears by a record in the College of Arms, and also by a memorandum subscribed on the confirmation granted by Hervy:

Seene and approved in the visitacon of London made by Sr Henry St. George, anno 1634.

HEN. ST. GEORGE, Richmond.

In the year 1812, the Company applied to the College of Arms respecting their right to supporters, and were in

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