Ms Codex 1070 - Genelogies of the Erles of Lecestre and Chester
What a wonderful manuscript!
This codex features the genealogy of Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, tracing his descent from the earls of Leicester and Chester, beginning with individuals of the 11th and 12th centuries, and providing the heraldic devices of the principal members of these families. Although the genealogy may have been compiled in association with Robert Dudley's appointment as lieutenant of the Order of the Garter in 1572 or the birth of his illegitimate son in 1574, Robert Dudley is mentioned in the introduction and is represented by the final coat of arms, although the lack of his name among those of his siblings is noted in a late 16th- or early 17th-century hand. It is written in a hybrid secretary script, probably in the hand of Robert Cooke, Clarenceux King of Arms. Notice the illuminated border that goes throughout the manuscript and is formed by the family tree that passes through the heraldic shields and roundels with the names of principal family members, painted in a naturalistic style with leaves resembling elm and oak foliage.
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