Preface

PREFACE

In 1952 the London Survey Committee had reluctantly to relinquish its partnership with the London County Council in the preparation of the Survey of London, of which twenty-seven parish volumes had been published, but it still had one of its series of Monographs on particular buildings incomplete and owing to its members. This was no. 16 and was to be devoted to the College of Arms in Queen Victoria Street. In accordance with the Agreement between the Council and the Committee the selection of this subject had already been submitted to and approved by the Council.

The College of Arms was most co-operative and put at the Committee's disposal not only their own manuscript collections but also some notes already made from this source by Mr J. G. Noppen, F.S.A. Sir John Summerson, a member of the Committee, did some work in interpreting the material. For some time the completion of the volume was held up through the long illness of the Editor. Eventually the College buildings were surveyed by Miss Anne Splaine of the National Buildings Record, which has kindly put the drawings at the disposal of the Committee for this volume.

The historical account of the College was then completed by Sir Anthony Wagner, Garter King of Arms, an active member of the Committee, and the architectural description by the Editor. The late Mr H. Stanford London, Norfolk Herald Extraordinary, made a lavish contribution to the book by providing lists of all the known officers of arms, with biographical notes, a work he had just completed before his lamented death, and Mr C. W. Scott-Giles, Fitzalan Pursuivant Extraordinary, very kindly consented to draw their shields of arms to adorn the margins of the pages and complete the record. We are also indebted to Sir Anthony Wagner for his invaluable help in reading the proofs and checking Mr London's manuscript.

The Committee's thanks are due to Dr C. H. Josten, Curator of the Old Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, for drawing their attention to certain passages in the Ashmole MSS. of which Mr Peter Spencer Spokes most kindly furnished transcripts, and also to Sir William Dugdale, Bt, for permission to see and utilize valuable memoranda and accounts of Sir William Dugdale, Garter. Further acknowledgement is due to the Architectural Association for kind permission to reproduce the measured drawings of the Court Room from the A. A. Sketchbook, and to the Sunday Times for similar permission in regard to the late Mr Hanslip Fletcher's drawing of the same subject.

The Editor wishes also to thank his daughter, Lucy Godfrey, on whose help he has depended owing to his illness.

W.H.G.