Ancient funerall monuments within the vnited monarchie of Great Britaine, Ireland, and the islands adiacent with the dissolued monasteries therein contained: their founders, and what eminent persons haue beene in the same interred. As also the death and buriall of certaine of the bloud royall; the nobilitie and gentrie of these kingdomes entombed in forraine nations. A worke reuiuing the dead memory of the royall progenie, the nobilitie, gentrie, and communaltie, of these his Maiesties dominions. Intermixed and illustrated with variety of historicall obseruations, annotations, and briefe notes, extracted out of approued authors ... Whereunto is prefixed a discourse of funerall monuments ... Composed by the studie and trauels of Iohn Weeuer.

A Succession of the Prouinciall Kings of Armes.

Prouinciall Kings of Armes are, at this day, onely two, Clarentieux, and Norrey. Clarentieux was ordained by Edward the fourth: for he obtaining the Dukedome of Clarence by the death of George his brother, who was se∣cretly murdered in the Tower of London, made the Herauld which pro∣perly belonged to the Duke of Clarence, a King at Armes, and called him

Clarentius, or Clarentieux: but in whose time, or vpon what occasion this name, and Office of Clarencieux began, I do not finde, saith Sir Henry Spel∣man, Glosslit H. but certainly it was of greater Antiquitie then from Ed∣ward the fourth, and might be called South-Roy, of his Prouince of South, as North-Roy or Norroy of the North parts. His proper Office is to Mar∣shall and dispose the Funeralls of all the lesser Nobilitie, as Knights and Esquires, thorow the Realme on the South side of Trent.

The office of Norrey (the time nor the reason of his Creation and Title I do not know) is the same on the North side of Trent, that Clarentieux hath on this side, as may well appeare by his name, signifying the Nor∣therne King, or King of the North parts.

These two (saith Milles) haue by Charter power to visite the Noble∣mens Families, to set downe their Pedegrees, to distinguish their Armes, and in the open Market place to reproue such as falsely take vpon them Nobilitie or Gentrie. And to order euery mans Exequies and Funeralls, ac∣cording to their dignitie, and to appoint vnto them their Armes or En∣signes.