| Dering Roll | |
|---|---|
 An excerpt from the Dering Roll | |
| Material | Paint on vellum |
| Size | 264.5 centimetres (104.1 in) x 21 centimetres (8.3 in) |
| Present location | The British Library |
The Dering Roll[1] is the oldest English roll of arms surviving in its original form. It was made between 1270 and 1280 and contains the coat of arms of 324 knights, starting with two illegitimate children of King John. Sir Edward Dering[2] acquired the roll during the 17th century and modified it to include a fictitious ancestor of his own.[3] It was eventually purchased by the British Library (as Add. Roll 77720) following fundraising involving a number of other charities and individuals.
Glover's Roll, made in 1586, is a copy of a now lost roll dating from even earlier, from the reign of King Henry III (1216–1272).[4]
- ^ British Library Digitised Manuscripts, ref. Add. Roll 77720.
- ^ Salt, S. P. (2010) [2004]. "Dering, Sir Edward, first Baronet (1598–1644)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/7531. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
- ^ Wagner, A. R. (1960). English Genealogy. Oxford: Clarendon Press. p. 310.
- ^ Planché, J. R. (1873). The Pursuivant of Arms; or Heraldry Founded on Facts. London. p. 30.
Our earliest heraldic information is derived, at present (1852), from a copy made in 1586 by Glover, Somerset Herald, of a roll of arms of the reign of Henry III
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)