The oldest surviving English Roll of Arms, containing 324 coats of arms arranged in 54 rows, painted on a green background, six shields to a line, representing about one-quarter of the English baronage at the time of its composition. The knight's name is written above most of the shields. Sir Edward Dering erased the name and arms of Nicholas de Crioll from the 61st shield, and substituted his own arms and the name of a fictitious ancestor, Richard fitz Dering. The roll provides a vital record for the study of knighthood in England, and the Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art gave it a starred rating as being of exceptional importance when imposing a temporary ban on its export.
Item Provenance
Possibly Hugh Fitzwilliam of Sprotborough, mid 16th cent; c. 1590; [Thomas ?] Knevett [of Ashwellthorp, Norfolk, d.1618?]; Sir Edward Dering (d. 1644); Sir Thomas Phillipps (d.1872); Sir Anthony Wagner, Garter King of Arms (d.1995); Sotheby's 4 December 2007, lot 46.