Thomas Northland, 1482

To alle trewe Cristen people these present tres Redinge hering or seeing Thomas Clarensew Principall Heraulde and kyng of Armes of the Southe parties of this Realme of Ingland send due and humble recomendacon and greting as it apparteyneth in oure Lord god everlasting Equite wol and Reason ordeyneth that vertuouse men and of noble courage be by there merites Renounned and Rewarded And not oonly in theire psones in this mortall liffe so breef and transitory but also in theire good name and fame to be of noble memory after theire departing out of liffe and to be in euery place of honour before other persones euermore Reuerenced and Recomendid for shewing of certaine signes and tokenes of honour and gentilnes to thentent that by theire ensample other psones may the sonner and the more enforce and and applye theyme theymeself to dispend theire lyves in honourable worke and vertuous dede for to purchace and gete therby the Renome of Auncyen gentilnesse in theire ligne and posterite for euermore And therfore I the said King of Armes not oonly by comon Renome but also by myne owne knowlache and the report of manny other credeble and noble persones am vervily ascertayned that Thomas Northland of the countie of Sussex gentilman hath long contynued in vertu And in alle his Actes and demeanyng hath weel sadly and honourably guided and gouerned hymself se that he hath desrued and is right worthy he and his posterite to be in alle place of worship admitted Renomed accompted nombred accepted and Receyued in to the nombre and of the company of other Auncion gentill and noble men ppetually frome hensforth And for remembrannce and consideracion of the same his gentilnes vertu and habilite by the Auctorite and power to myn office Annexed and Attributed I the said King of Armes have devised ordeigned unto and for the same Thoms Northland for hym and his posterite the Armys herafter folowying That is to say he bereth Siluer betwene iij lyonseux vpon a Cheveron Sable iij besaunte The creast vpon the helme half a lyon sable sett withynne a wrethe goold and gowlis The mantel Sable furved with hermyn As more playnly it appeareth in the mergen depicte. To haue and to hold the same Armes to the same Thomas Northland and his Posterite theyme to vse and therinne to be revested at theire pleasure to theire hono peasebly and without challenge or interuption foreumore In wittenesse wherof I the said King of Armes haue signed these psente with myn owne hande and sealed the same with my Seall of Auctorite at London the x Day of Nouembr the xxii yere of the Regne of King Edward the iiijth. Clarenceux Roy Darmes

Grant of Arms to Thomas Northland by Frederick Arthur Crisp in Fragmenta Genealogica Volume 10 (London, 1904)

[Source: Fifteenth Century Patents of Arms]