Sir Richard St. George's three Manuscript Volumes - interim report

Frank Smallwood's 'interim report' examines the three volumes often referred to as the Grandison Books, that were were compiled in the early 17th century by the herald and professional genealogist Sir Richard St.George, brother in law to the new Viscount Grandison.

Mr Smallwood describes the purpose of all three volumes as being 'to demonstrate the good sense of Oliver, second son of Nicholas St.John, in reviving the old family name of Grandison as the title of his peerage, when he became a Viscount in the peerage of Ireland on 3 January 1620/1.'

Note: Volume 2 is now held in the Wiltshire and Swindon History Centre and Volume 3 was purchased from Mr Robert Hatchwell by Mr Smallwood and presented to Thamesdown Borough Council (now known as Swindon Borough Council) and is displayed in Lydiard House.

As the article points out, Sir Richard St.George was responsible for the original heraldry on the St.John family Polyptych in St. Mary's Lydiard Tregoze.