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 Anstis mistake the ardour of the man, or to doubt the complete and very unusual disinterestedness with which he threw himself into all his work.'

Besides the works mentioned above, he wrote a very large number of papers and articles, some signed, some anonymous. Among the former were: 1. 'Lectures on Diseases of the Nervous System ' (Lancet, 1872-73). 2. Articles in Reynolds's 'System of Medi- cine,' vol. ii. 1868: Alcoholism, Neuralgia, and Hypochondriasis the latter jointly with Sir William Gull; ibid. vol. iii. 1871: 'Pleurisy, Pleurodynia, Hydrothorax, Pneumothorax, and Hepatalgia.' 4. 'On the Hereditary Connection between certain Nervous Diseases' (Journal of Mental Science, Jan. 1872). 5. 'Notes on Epidemics, for the use of the Public,' 1866. Several medical papers in the Practitioner.

[Memoir by Dr. Buzzard (his brother-in-law), Practitioner, Jan. 1876; Lancet, 19 Sept. 1874.]  ANSTIS, JOHN, the elder (1669–1745), heraldic writer and Garter king of arms, was born at St. Neots, Cornwall, 28 (or 29) Sept. 1669, entered Exeter College, Oxford, in 1685, and was admitted to the Inner Temple in 1688. Of a good family, and possessed of considerable fortune, Anstis was chosen one of the members for St. Germains in 1702. Although a strong tory, he voted against the bill for the prevention of occasional conformity, which caused his name to appear among the 'tackers' in the prints of the time. In 1703 Anstis was appointed deputy-general to the auditors of the imprest (an office which he never executed), and one of the principal commissioners of prizes. On 2 April 1714 he received a reversionary patent for the office of Garter. In a letter to the lord treasurer, dated 14 March 1711-12, he appears to be referring to the grant: 'I have a certain information it would be ended forthwith if the lord treasurer would honour me by speaking to her majesty at this time, which, in behalf of the Duke of Norfolk, I most earnestly desire, and humbly beg your lordship's assistance therein' ( History of the College of Arms). From 1711 to 1713 Anstis represented St. Maw's, and in the last parliament of Queen Anne was returned for Launceston, or Dunheved, being re-elected at the accession of George I. In 1715 he was suspected of intriguing in the cause of the Pretender, and with other gentlemen was thrown into prison. A pamphleteer of the time states that the 'government had intimation of their designs to raise an insurrection in Cornwall, the rather because their interest was very great amongst the tinners there, of whom Mr. Anstis was hereditary high-steward' (A full and authentick Narrative of the intended horrid Conspiracy, &c, 1715). While Anstis was in prison the office of Garter became vacant by the death of Sir Henry St. George. Sir John Vanbrugh, Clarencieux king-at-arms, was appointed to the vacancy, Anstis's claims being set aside. But Anstis would not submit to this arrangement. He cleared himself of the charge of treasonable practices, and then proceeded to prosecute his claims with the utmost vigour. His opponent urged that in a contest in the time of Charles II the king had given up the right of nomination; but Anstis contended that Charles had merely waived the right. After much delay the controversy was at last terminated, on 20 April 1718, in favour of Anstis, who for some time previously had been residing in the college. In spite of the prejudice that had been raised against him, he succeeded in gaining the respect and favour of the government. On 8 June 1727, shortly before the death of George I, he received a patent under the great seal securing the office to himself and his eldest son and the survivor of them. In the following year Anstis had a dispute with the authorities of All Souls College, Oxford. His son, though of founder's kin, failed to secure a fellowship, the college alleging that he was incapacitated for election by his possession of a patent place and pension under government. The visitor, to whom Anstis appealed, ruled in favour of the college.

Anstis died at Mortlake on 4 March 1744-45, and was buried at Dulo, in Cornwall. He married Elizabeth, daughter and heiress of Richard Cudlipp, of Tavistock, Devonshire, by whom he had three sons and three daughters.

Anstis was a man of the greatest learning and industry. His published works were considerable, but his manuscript collections were still more extensive. In 1706 he published 'A Letter concerning the Honour of Earl Marshal;' in 1720 'The Form of the Installation of the Garter;' in 1724 'The Register of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, from its cover in black velvet usually called the Black Book; with Notes placed at the bottom of the pages, and an Introduction prefixed by the Editor,' a work in two folio volumes, published at the editor's expense; in 1725 'Observations introductory to an Historical Essay on the Knighthood of the Bath.' 'Sixty-four pages,' says Noble, 'of his Latin Answer "to the case of Founders' Kinsmen" were printed in 4to, with many coats of arms;' and Watt