Augustine Vincent facts for kids

Augustine Vincent (born around 1584, died 1626) was an English expert on family histories and coats of arms, known as a herald. He was also an antiquary, someone who studied old things and history. He became famous for a disagreement with another historian, Ralph Brooke, and was good friends with William Camden, a well-known historian of his time.

A Life of History and Heralds

Augustine Vincent was likely born in Northamptonshire around 1584. He was the youngest of three sons. His father was William Vincent, and his mother was Elizabeth Mabbott.

Working at the Tower of London

Early in his life, Vincent got a job at the Tower of London. This was a great opportunity because he could access many old and important documents kept there. He spent his time carefully reading these papers and writing down important facts. This work helped him become known as an expert in old records and history.

Joining the College of Arms

Because of his knowledge, Vincent was given a special role on 22 February 1616. He became a Rouge Rose pursuivant extraordinary. This was a junior position at the College of Arms. The College of Arms is where heralds work, managing coats of arms and family histories.

At this time, the College of Arms had some disagreements among its members. Vincent was good friends with William Camden, a very respected herald. In 1618, Camden chose Vincent to help him with official visits to Northamptonshire and Rutland. These visits, called heraldic visitations, were when heralds checked and recorded family coats of arms and genealogies. This choice upset some older heralds who felt they should have been picked instead of a younger man like Vincent.

Rising Through the Ranks

Despite the complaints, Camden supported Vincent. Vincent continued to advance in his career. On 29 May 1621, he became a Rouge Croix pursuivant. Then, on 5 June 1624, he was promoted to Windsor herald. This showed how much his skills were valued.

Augustine Vincent passed away on 11 January 1626. He was buried at the church of St Benet, Paul's Wharf in London.

His Important Works

Augustine Vincent's main published work came from a disagreement between his friend William Camden and another herald, Ralph Brooke.

The Dispute with Ralph Brooke

Ralph Brooke had written a book in 1599 that criticized Camden. Camden replied in his own book in 1600. The argument continued when Brooke published another book in 1619, called Catalogue of Kings, Princes.

To defend his friend Camden, Vincent wrote his own book. It was titled Discoverie of Errours in the first edition of Catalogue of Nobility published by Ralfe Brooke, Yorke Herald... at the end whereof is annexed a Review of a later edition by him Stolne into the World, 1621. This book was published in London in 1622.

Working with William Jaggard

Vincent's book was printed by William Jaggard. Interestingly, Ralph Brooke had blamed Jaggard for some mistakes in his own book. In Vincent's Discoverie, Jaggard was given space to explain his side of the story.

A cool fact is that in 1623, Jaggard finished printing the very first collection of William Shakespeare's plays, known as the First Folio. He gave one of the first copies to Augustine Vincent as a gift.

Other Historical Collections

Vincent also gathered a lot of information for a book about the noble families of England. He called this collection the Herωologia Anglica. His son, John Vincent, continued to work on this project after his father's death.

Other famous historians, like William Burton and John Weever, mentioned that Augustine Vincent helped them with their own historical research. Vincent's valuable collections eventually ended up at the College of Arms, where they are still used today.

His Family

On 30 June 1614, Augustine Vincent married Elizabeth Primount. She was from Canterbury but her family originally came from Normandy, France. After Vincent died, Elizabeth married Eusebius Catesby in 1630. She passed away on 6 August 1667. Augustine and Elizabeth had a son who also became an antiquary, following in his father's footsteps.