The Heralds' Visitations part 7
There is considerable evidence in the Visitations of Rutland as to how reasonable the Heralds were in dealing with persons who had some claim to gentility. The Busbys of Barlithorpe used arms which had been described and entered in the Visitation in 1618. they are entered again in the Visitation of 1681 with a note to the effect that they were so very near the arms of Sir John Busby of Addington in Buckinghamshire that there was hardly “ a sufficient difference between them, especially no relation appearing between the families.” In the case of the Matthews of Oakham only a red wax seal was produced by the family as proof of the Coat of Arms and the Herald was...