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 188 HISTORY OF BISHOP AUCKLAND. the desire of claiming descent from a remote ancestry having existed in the earliest ages of history. Heraldic insignia have been the means by which the history of many of our nobility have been traced to the earliest times. It has been said that the figures painted on the bodies of the ancient Britons were the distinguishing blazonries of their families. The Romans had banners, the Saxons and Danes had their standards, and William the Conqueror and the •Norman invaders introduced their shields of arms, many of the devices of which are retained in the arms of our ancient families to the present day. Various modes of preserving genealogical annals have been adopted, such as monastic records, ancient charters and deeds, monumental inscriptions, &c. The ecclesiastics were formerly the chief conservators of genealogical facts, but at the dissolution of the monasteries most of the valuable labours of those recluses were destroyed ; hence it became necessary to adopt some more general means of collecting and transmitting to posterity materials of this kind. The diflSculty was met by the establishment of the Heraldic College, or College of Arms, by Richard IH., the members of which held visitations in various parts of England for the purpose of transcribing and entering the arms of the various families. The first visitation held in the north took place in August, 1530, and was called Tongue's visitation. In it we find none of our immediate local families mentioned. In the second, in 1575, which was called Flower's visitation, and which sat at Auckland on Friday, July the 29th, when James Pilkington was Bishop of Durham, we find the following, viz. :— George Tongue, of West Thickley ; Robert Eden, of West Auckland ; Anthony Wren, of Billy Hall; Anthony Hutton, of Hunwick, Esquire; Lionel Heron, East Thickley. At Auckland, Thursday, Sept. 8th, Gregory Butler, of Bishop Auckland. The next visitation was held in 1 6 1 5, at " Darneto wne," when Michael Atkinson was bailiff. Sir Charles Wren, of Binchester, Eaiight, is the first on the list. We also find Richard Hutton, Hunwick ; Francis Wren, Henknowle ; William Eden, St. Helen's Auckland ; George Dixon, Ramshaw ; George Brabanti, Pedge Bank ; William Claxton, Water Houses ; William Conyers, Woolley ; William Trotter, Helmedon ; Henry Bayles, Newton Cap ; Bryan Belte, Escomb; Anthony Craddock, Woodhouses ; Henry FoUansby, Witton ; Francis Green, of Beachbum. In the next visitation, which was made about half a century later by Sir William Dugdale, the historian of St. Paul's Cathedral, and author of the " Baronetage of England," we find Bierley, of Middridge Grange ; Carr, of St. Helen's Auckland ; Cosin, Bishop of Durham ; Eden, of West Auckland ; Eure, of Bradley ; Harrison^ of Bishop Auckland; Wharton, of Old Park ; Wright, of Middlestone ; and also Wren, of Binchester. In a list of the Masters of Sherbum Hospital, given by Surtees, we find Geoffrey Wren, " one of Henry the VIL's chaplains, presented to the Rectory of Boldon, in this county, 27 June, 1502; Prebendary of South Cave, in the Cathedral of York, 1508, which he exchanged for the Prebend of Knaresborough-cum-Bickhill, 16 Dec, 1512; admitted Prebendary of Curborough, in the Cathedral of Lichfield, 4 April, 1511, which he resigned, and was re-admitted 7 Dec., 1512 ; then Rector of St. Margaret's, Fish Street, London, and of Hanslop, county Bucks; and installed Canon of Windsor, 1515." The name of Wren as Master of Sherbum occurs in a lease of waste lands in Ebchester from Cardinal Wolsey, Bishop of Durham, to the Master and Brethren, 17 Dec, 1524. He died in 1527, and was buried in St. George's Chapel at Windsor, under a slab stone, with the following inscription on a ledge of brass : — ''|)u iotet (amatam coqiatf Heneraiilut Hiri inajptftri (Salftttii GISBrea taonHam ium CoIIeffti €anontta» necnoa ilItttft):uE0 qui okttt qaiato Hie meaciitf SptilUt 9[aao Damtao mUlmmn q[ttiaj[eate«inio liiceaimi fieptimo. €ttia« aaimae propicietar Z)ea«* aimem On the middle of the stone is his image, inlaid in brass, with the mantle of St George ; and beneath his feet,  ibvth «aro yonar tt tomaiiiut itltiaio Honor, ®t flicat poaor ponitar oaraitf (oaor*'' Digitized by Google