by Harry Purvis
An audible ‘wow’ echoed around the archive as the Society’s library assistant carefully unravelled an old scroll, revealing a beautifully detailed pedigree hidden within. Intrigued, a nearby researcher was lured to take a look. Moments later, they were joined by a third… and then a fourth… and before you knew it, everyone in the archive was huddled around the parchment. While some focused on the beautiful, yet almost illegible medieval calligraphy, others marvelled at how the vibrant crests changed through the generations. The shared mood: awestruck.
Combining genealogy with art, the Grey/Graie Pedigree Roll tracks, among others, the descent of the Earls or Arundel, one of the oldest extant English nobility titles. As a result of the illustrious peerage and powerful figures, the creator of this document aimed to provide more than just knowledge, they wanted to instil awe. Considering that centuries after its creation, the design continued to cause a crowd to gather, it is safe to say that this goal was achieved.
After hours of scrolling through lists on a computer screen, it is easy for names to become detached from the individual. As words without identity, they feel closer to a record than a human. Charles Dickens offered powerful advice when he said: “A wonderful fact to reflect upon, that every human creature is constituted to be that profound secret and mystery to every other.” Certain genealogical documents have the power to evoke mystery, altering perspectives from researching dates in a record, to viewing a life.
With the Grey/Graie Pedigree Roll unravelled before you, the intricate calligraphy causes you to almost bow as you discern what is written. Already in a humbled posture, the complicated handwriting ensures that each name, through the time spent deciphering it, receives the respect they deserve. Only after this process, the name reveals itself. Finally, you meet, contained within a crown-topped circle, above a crest rich in heraldic history, the person you hoped to find.