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© 2004 - 2025 Paul Copleston

These pages represent the Original Visitations of the County of Devon comprising The Heralds’ Visitations of 1531, 1564 and 1620, with additions by Lieutenant-Colonel J.L. Vivian.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heraldic_visitation

Heraldic visitations were tours of inspection undertaken by Kings of Arms (or alternatively by heralds, or junior officers of arms, acting as the kings' deputies) throughout England, Wales and Ireland. Their purpose was to register and regulate the coats of arms of nobility, gentry and boroughs, and to record pedigrees. They took place from 1530 to 1688, and their records (akin to an upper class census) provide important source material for historians and genealogists.

The pedigrees, here, have been reproduced from the original drafts contained in the Harleian Collection preserved in the British Museum, the College of Arms, and other sources. The authorities for each pedigree are given either in the pedigree itself or in the foot notes appended to each.

Vivian compiled the pedigrees 22nd October 1895.

The extra “typed” notes are copies of the original notes made by Muriel Reson, as part of her research into the family up to 2003, providing corrections and additions to the original visitations.

Some of the original visitations have been edited either by Muriel Reson, or by myself.

Tree A is a combination of the Visitations and further research undertaken to take the Family Tree back to 1200 AD. It is shown here, for that purpose, and is not to distract the reader from the value of the Visitations.

Note: The Visitations are our invaluable extension to the census returns which go back as far as 1841, which enable us to trace our family back as far as 1200 AD.

The dates of the censuses were as follows:

 1841 – 6 June

 1851 – 30 March

 1861 – 7 April

 1871 – 2 April

 1881 – 3 April

 1891 – 5 April

 1901 – 31 March

 1911 – 2 April

 1921 – 19 June

The intended date for the 1921 census was 24 April, but was postponed due to industrial unrest, which the GRO decided would have made it impossible to collect accurate information in some areas.