Printed from Woolley & Wallis

Description

A very fine family pair of Tudor Grants of Arms to Thomas Fleetwood, senior official at the London Mints and later a Member of Parliament, and to his first wife Barbara (neé Francis), granted by Thomas Hawley, Clarenceux King of Arms (1536-57): illuminated manuscripts on velum, the arms emblazoned and blazoned, Hawley depicted in the initial 'T' of each, each with two pendant seals in turned wooden skippets, one displaying Hawley's personal arms and the other the arms of the Clarenceux King of Arms.

Thomas Fleetwood's arms granted in London on the 4th of July 1548 in the following terms, after a formulaic preamble:

"...Thomas Ffletewood of London gentylman, comptroller of the Mynte of Southwarke and Surveyour of the Kyngs Majesties possessions within the Countie of Chester has of longe tyme used him self so worthy to be in all placys of honour accepted and taken in the nombre and company of other nobles and gentles. And for the remembrance of the same by the ... power annexed given and granted to me...by the Kynge our Soveraiyne Lord Highness...[I have] granted to the saide Thomas Ffletewood [arms] as hereafter followeth...Asure and golde [undee] per pale, six Martletts interchanged on the felde, upon his helme on a torse golde and asure a woolffe hedd...about his neck a gemel golde, open mouthed langued guyles...granted at London the fourthe day of July in the seconde yere of the reigne of our sovereigne Lord Edward the sixt by the grace of god Kynge..."

Barbara Frances's arms granted in London on the 1st of February 1549 in the following terms:

"[I] am credably enformed by divers and sundry psonnes worthy to be taken of word and Credence that Barbara Ffrauncys gentillwoman pte enherito[r] to Andrew Ffrauncys gentleman & Citezen of London and wyfe to Thomas Ffletewood gent and Comptroller of the Kings Majesties mynte in South werke... is well worthy to be in all placys of worship accepted nombred and taken in the nombre and company of other nobles and gentles and for the remebrance of the same by the [powers granted by the king I have]... granted to the saide Barbara Ffrauncys a Lozenge with Armes as herafter folowith that is to saye Silver and sable endented fesse three [cocks heads] about every neck a gemett enterchanged of the felde barbed and Crested geules in Chef holding in their becks a barbarye branche... the berys geules as more plainly apperith depicted in this margent ... granted at London the ffirste daye of ffebruary in the Thirde yereof the reign of [Edward VI]..."

Thomas Fleetwood, Mint Official and Member of Parliament: Fleetwood was born around 1517 in Lancashire. He became auditor of crown lands in Cheshire and Flintshire in 1544 and teller of the Tower Mint in 1545, under Henry VIII. In the reign of Edward VI he served as comptroller and assayer at the Southwark mint from 1547 to 1551. He was appointed commissioner of the new coinage in December 1550, and served as under-treasurer of the Tower Mint from 1560-62. He was M.P for Preston (1553) and Buckinghamshire (1563), and High Sheriff of Bedforshire and Buckinghamshire (1564-65). He bought an estate called The Vache in Chalfont St Giles in 1564, and this became the Fleetwood family seat.

Thomas Hawley, Officer of Arms: Hawley served as a groom porter to Queen Margaret of Scotland (1503-08). He was appointed Rouge Croix Pursuivant of Arms in Ordinary by King Henry VIII in 1509, and accompanied the military campaign of 1513 against King James IV of Scotland, being taken a prisoner and released prior to the Battle of Flodden. He was made Carlisle Herald in the following year. Later, as deputy to the Clarenceux King of Arms Thomas Benolt (from 1530) he made a Heraldic Visitation to London to tackle the problem of spurious and unauthorised arms. He was made Norroy King of arms in 1534, and Clarenceux King of Arms in 1536. He held this position until his death in 1557.