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The Blaker Society © L. In parma argentea tignum nigrum albicantibus mustulinis maculis respersum

40
inter tria Maurorum Capita ad collum plane secta & auri-comata
D’argent au chevron d’+count’+hermines acompagne de trois têtes de Mores
F.
41
coupées au naturel & chevelées d’Or
To Edward Blaker of Portslade in Com’ Sussex son of Edward B— of y said place .
. . . . . . of y abovesaid Arms & Crest. viz . Out of a Wreath an horses head S bridled
42
& mained O. e t e
43 44
Feb 19 Anno Dom’ 1616 .

Apparently William Segar left considerable records of his time as
Garter: Mark Noble in 1804 (History of the College of Arms) refers to sir
William Segar’s ‘voluminous and accurate collections’. However, in
1800 the College of Arms, in response to an order of the House of
Commons, made a return of the official records in their possession.
Although they had registers of visitations, there were no registers of
grants of arms. They also had manuscripts ‘comprehending the
accumulated labors of Glover, Camden, Vincent, Philipot, Dugdale, le
Neve, Walker, and other distinguished and skilful Members of the
College.’ There is no mention of Segar.
Simon Segar’s Aspidora Segariana came, in a collection of
unrelated heraldic manuscripts, to the British Museum in 1841. He may
be the Segar who was referred to by Noble — ‘One of [sir William
Segar’s] male descendants became very troublesome to the College [of
Arms]: presuming upon the situation of his ancestor, Garter, he thought
he could “demand” some post of consequence.’ William Segar’s
grandson, Simon Segar, butler and librarian of Gray’s Inn compiled an
extensive work, including a register of admissions to Gray’s Inn from
1521 to 1674. Simon may have been in possession of all sir William
Segar’s papers. But his work on Gray’s Inn also came eventually to the
British Museum. ‘The MS. seems to have been sold or given by him to
Humphrey Wanley, who transferred it to Lord Harley.’ It is now Harleian
45
MS. 1912.
The antiquarian Joseph Foster set about collecting details of all
surviving grants of arms or references to such grants from manuscripts

39 here the conventional mark for an ermine spot is inserted
40 on a silver shield, a black chevron sprinkled with the white spots of a weasel, between the heads of
three moors, cut off straight at the neck, and with hair of gold
41 of silver, with a chevron of +counter+ermine, together with three moors’ heads cut off naturally and
with hair of gold
42 sic
43 Old Style
44 19 February 1617
45 It is also claimed that Aspidora Segariana was not the work of William’s great-grandson Simon, but
of William’s son, Thomas Segar, Bluemantle Poursuivant: and that the original manuscript is in the
possession of the College of Arms (MS. E.D.N. 57). The copy in the British Library has spaces for, but
is missing, actual paintings of the shields. The College of Arms copy may have them.