Thanks John, The information you gave below is quite helpful as many of us have never heard of a Heraldic Visitation until recently and your explanation puts it into perspective. It also leads me to believe that where there is a disagreement between the Visitation and Leycester's Antiquities or Ormerod that the latter two are probably more reliable. Would you agree? Dick Dutton ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Wwpcs@aol.com wrote: > > Hello Confused in Ohio and the list in general > > Herald Visitation Pedigrees can be very useful, but the Dutton one for 1580 I > remmeber was particularly confusining. If my memory serves me right I think it > misses out a few generations. > > Duttons in the 16th century it seems were probably just as likely to get > confused, working from memory, and listening to family legend, just as we do > now! Remember that all the Visitation is for is to prove the descent of the > present head of the family from the person the College of Arms had on record > as being the chap entitled to bear arms - (who would not be Odard), or to > prove the right to various quarterings, so all else is peripheral to the main > object, "put down on the form", if you like, for matters of family pride. Also > it is sometimes the case that the Heralds taking the information did not > really care for exact info, if you are taliking to the top notch Dutton in > Cheshire, living on the family estate, his claim and right to the arms is > obvious so it does not really matter. > > All best wishes > > John Wedgwood Pound