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A Noate of some few Coates and Creasts lately come to my hands. Geuen by William Dethick...
early
17th century
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Record MS Dethick's Grants X, folio 1 recto

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Record MS Dethick's Grants X, folio 1 recto
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The College of Arms has graciously contributed images from their collections to Shakespeare Documented, and retains sole ownership of said images. Visitors may link to and cite the images within Shakespeare Documented in personal research only. Any further use, including, but not limited to, unauthorized downloading or distribution of the images is strictly prohibited. Visitors must contact the College of Arms to request additional use: by email at: enquiries@college-of-arms.gov.uk; by telephone: (+44)20 7248 2762; or by post at: Officer in Waiting, College of Arms, 130 Queen Victoria Street, London, UK, EC4V 4BT

Document-specific information
Creator: Ralph Brooke, York Herald (1553-1625), with additions by Mercury Patten, Bluemantle Pursuivant
Title: A Noate of some few Coates and Creasts lately come to my hands. Geuen by William Dethick...
Date: early 17th century 
Repository: College of Arms, London, UK
Call number and opening: Record MS Dethick's Grants X, fols. 1r, 28r, 29r-v & 30r

Item Creator
Ralph Brooke, York Herald, with additions by Mercury Patten, Bluemantle Pursuivant
Item Title
A Noate of some few Coates and Creasts lately come to my hands. Geuen by William Dethick...
Item Date
early 17th century
Repository
College of Arms, London, UK
Call Number
Record MS Dethick's Grants X, fol. 1 recto

Record MS Dethick's Grants X, folio 28 recto

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Record MS Dethick's Grants X, folio 28 recto
Click image to enlarge

Institution Rights and Document Citation

Terms of use
The College of Arms has graciously contributed images from their collections to Shakespeare Documented, and retains sole ownership of said images. Visitors may link to and cite the images within Shakespeare Documented in personal research only. Any further use, including, but not limited to, unauthorized downloading or distribution of the images is strictly prohibited. Visitors must contact the College of Arms to request additional use: by email at: enquiries@college-of-arms.gov.uk; by telephone: (+44)20 7248 2762; or by post at: Officer in Waiting, College of Arms, 130 Queen Victoria Street, London, UK, EC4V 4BT

Document-specific information
Creator: Ralph Brooke, York Herald (1553-1625), with additions by Mercury Patten, Bluemantle Pursuivant
Title: A Noate of some few Coates and Creasts lately come to my hands. Geuen by William Dethick...
Date: early 17th century 
Repository: College of Arms, London, UK
Call number and opening: Record MS Dethick's Grants X, fols. 1r, 28r, 29r-v & 30r

Item Creator
Ralph Brooke, York Herald, with additions by Mercury Patten, Bluemantle Pursuivant
Item Title
A Noate of some few Coates and Creasts lately come to my hands. Geuen by William Dethick...
Item Date
early 17th century
Repository
College of Arms, London, UK
Call Number
Record MS Dethick's Grants X, fol. 28 recto

Record MS Dethick's Grants X, folio 29 recto

View Image Assets
Record MS Dethick's Grants X, folio 29 recto
Click image to enlarge

Institution Rights and Document Citation

Terms of use
The College of Arms has graciously contributed images from their collections to Shakespeare Documented, and retains sole ownership of said images. Visitors may link to and cite the images within Shakespeare Documented in personal research only. Any further use, including, but not limited to, unauthorized downloading or distribution of the images is strictly prohibited. Visitors must contact the College of Arms to request additional use: by email at: enquiries@college-of-arms.gov.uk; by telephone: (+44)20 7248 2762; or by post at: Officer in Waiting, College of Arms, 130 Queen Victoria Street, London, UK, EC4V 4BT

Document-specific information
Creator: Ralph Brooke, York Herald (1553-1625), with additions by Mercury Patten, Bluemantle Pursuivant
Title: A Noate of some few Coates and Creasts lately come to my hands. Geuen by William Dethick...
Date: early 17th century 
Repository: College of Arms, London, UK
Call number and opening: Record MS Dethick's Grants X, fols. 1r, 28r, 29r-v & 30r

Item Creator
Ralph Brooke, York Herald (1553-1625), with additions by Mercury Patten, Bluemantle Pursuivant
Item Title
A Noate of some few Coates and Creasts lately come to my hands. Geuen by William Dethick...
Item Date
early 17th century
Repository
College of Arms, London, UK
Call Number
Record MS Dethick's Grants X, fol. 29r

Record MS Dethick's Grants X, folio 29 verso

View Image Assets
Record MS Dethick's Grants X, folio 29 verso
Click image to enlarge

Institution Rights and Document Citation

Terms of use
The College of Arms has graciously contributed images from their collections to Shakespeare Documented, and retains sole ownership of said images. Visitors may link to and cite the images within Shakespeare Documented in personal research only. Any further use, including, but not limited to, unauthorized downloading or distribution of the images is strictly prohibited. Visitors must contact the College of Arms to request additional use: by email at: enquiries@college-of-arms.gov.uk; by telephone: (+44)20 7248 2762; or by post at: Officer in Waiting, College of Arms, 130 Queen Victoria Street, London, UK, EC4V 4BT

Document-specific information
Creator: Ralph Brooke, York Herald (1553-1625), with additions by Mercury Patten, Bluemantle Pursuivant
Title: A Noate of some few Coates and Creasts lately come to my hands. Geuen by William Dethick...
Date: early 17th century 
Repository: College of Arms, London, UK
Call number and opening: Record MS Dethick's Grants X, fols. 1r, 28r, 29r-v & 30r

Item Creator
Ralph Brooke, York Herald, with additions by Mercury Patten, Bluemantle Pursuivant
Item Title
A Noate of some few Coates and Creasts lately come to my hands. Geuen by William Dethick...
Item Date
early 17th century
Repository
College of Arms, London, UK
Call Number
Record MS Dethick's Grants X, fol. 29 verso

Record MS Dethick's Grants X, folio 30 recto

View Image Assets
Record MS Dethick's Grants X, folio 30 recto
Click image to enlarge

Institution Rights and Document Citation

Terms of use
The College of Arms has graciously contributed images from their collections to Shakespeare Documented, and retains sole ownership of said images. Visitors may link to and cite the images within Shakespeare Documented in personal research only. Any further use, including, but not limited to, unauthorized downloading or distribution of the images is strictly prohibited. Visitors must contact the College of Arms to request additional use: by email at: enquiries@college-of-arms.gov.uk; by telephone: (+44)20 7248 2762; or by post at: Officer in Waiting, College of Arms, 130 Queen Victoria Street, London, UK, EC4V 4BT

Document-specific information
Creator: Ralph Brooke, York Herald (1553-1625), with additions by Mercury Patten, Bluemantle Pursuivant
Title: A Noate of some few Coates and Creasts lately come to my hands. Geuen by William Dethick...
Date: early 17th century 
Repository: College of Arms, London, UK
Call number and opening: Record MS Dethick's Grants X, fols. 1r, 28r, 29r-v & 30r

Item Creator
Ralph Brooke, York Herald, with additions by Mercury Patten, Bluemantle Pursuivant
Item Title
A Noate of some few Coates and Creasts lately come to my hands. Geuen by William Dethick...
Item Date
early 17th century
Repository
College of Arms, London, UK
Call Number
Record MS Dethick's Grants X, fol. 30r

Institution Rights and Document Citation

Terms of use
The College of Arms has graciously contributed images from their collections to Shakespeare Documented, and retains sole ownership of said images. Visitors may link to and cite the images within Shakespeare Documented in personal research only. Any further use, including, but not limited to, unauthorized downloading or distribution of the images is strictly prohibited. Visitors must contact the College of Arms to request additional use: by email at: enquiries@college-of-arms.gov.uk; by telephone: (+44)20 7248 2762; or by post at: Officer in Waiting, College of Arms, 130 Queen Victoria Street, London, UK, EC4V 4BT

Document-specific information
Creator: Ralph Brooke, York Herald (1553-1625), with additions by Mercury Patten, Bluemantle Pursuivant
Title: A Noate of some few Coates and Creasts lately come to my hands. Geuen by William Dethick...
Date: early 17th century 
Repository: College of Arms, London, UK
Call number and opening: Record MS Dethick's Grants X, fols. 1r, 28r, 29r-v & 30r

Heather Wolfe, "Ralph Brooke's compilation of arms granted by William Dethick: copy with the arms of 'Shakespeare the player'," Shakespeare Documentedhttps://doi.org/10.37078/540.

College of Arms, Record MS Dethick's Grants X. See hakespeare Documentedhttps://doi.org/10.37078/540.

This manuscript contains a depiction of Shakespeare’s arms that clearly refers to William, rather than to his father, John. The coat of arms is labeled “Shakespeare the player by Garter.” (Garter refers to the heraldic title of William Dethick, who granted the arms to John Shakespeare). The coat of arms and inscription are on folio 28 and are possibly in the handwriting of a later owner of the manuscript, John Lucas, who signs his name to the volume in 1642. The reference to Shakespeare as a player (that is, an actor) is in keeping with the derogatory way in which Brooke, sometimes misleadingly, depicts other holders of coats of arms as tradesmen, rather than honorable and land-holding gentlemen. In fact, it appears that the scribe first wrote "Shakespeare the playes by Garter," and then struck-through the "es" and added an "er" above, to correct it to player.

While the last three pages of the manuscript most likely date from 1642, the remainder of the manuscript is in an earlier, italic, hand, which has not yet been identified. A comparison of each page suggests that the manuscript is a revised copy of a slightly earlier version, Folger MS V.a.156, in Brooke's hand, and that the scribe added additional arms from other notes by Brooke. It also appears that it was the source for a later copy, Folger MS V.a.350, in the handwriting of the herald Peter Le Neve and another, as yet unidentified herald. 

The image of Shakespeare's arms was first reproduced in an essay by Clive Cheesman, Richmond Herald, “Grants and Confirmations of Arms,” in Heralds and Heraldry in Shakespeare’s England (Donington: Shaun Tyas, 2014), p. 90.

Semi-diplomatic transcription

[fol. 1]

A Noate of some few Coates and Creasts

lately come to my hands. Geuen by William

Dethick, when he was York Herald and

sithence he hath executed the Office of

Garter King of Armes:

 

Thwaits about Michaelmas

Last: 1599. after his death

this Armes granted per Garter

and Camden.

[coat of arms]

 

[fol. 28r]

Capull the wife

of Anderley of the

Robes.

[coat of arms]

Wotham of Norffolk

giuen to Sotherton of

London.

[coat of arms]

Seals per Camden

[coat of arms]

Pethouse of Norwich

it is Petit Coate in

Gennings booke fol: 82.

[coat of arms]

Shakespeare the

playeser by Garter

[coat of arms]

Seager gaue to one West

a Crest and had 40s the coate

[small coat of arms]

Peake a Coate and

Crest

Caluert a pattent by Garter

Tey a hosier a patent

Cooley a Marchant in Lymestret

Haward of Surey

Morcatrot Steward

to the Bishop of Canterbury

Hall of Kent

[fol. 28v: blank]

[fol. 29r]

the etemologie

Gerard -- a tall person or vpright

Berard -- free

Ins -- an Iland

Radclife -- a carte wheele sorowe

Balderston -- the quick Lordes Towne

Plessington a Towne of lead mines

Laurance -- Tryvmphant or reioysing

Washington -- a water towne

Butler -- an helper /.

 

Blewmantle .10. feb

.1599.

 

[fol. 29v]

John Lucas his booke

1642

 

[fol. 30r: index of names in volume, including "Sakespeare"]

 

Written by Heather Wolfe

Last updated February 23, 2020