The Dictionary is the result of a 1926 bequest to the Society of Antiquaries for the production of a new edition of Papworth's Ordinary which has remained, since its publication in 1874, the principal tool for the identification of British coats of arms. An Ordinary, in this context, is a collection of arms arranged alphabetically according to their designs, as opposed to an armory which is arranged alphabetically by surname. Now complete, the Dictionary covers the period before the beginning of the heraldic visitations in 1530. The publication of its fourth and final volume means that the...
The Dictionary is the result of a 1926 bequest to the Society of Antiquaries for the production of a new edition of Papworth's Ordinary which has rema...