14th October 1988

Dear Mr. Hinshaw,

I write to give you my report on research carried out amongst our Official Records of the College of Arms for the name and Arms of Hinshaw/Henshaw and variants.

Research amongst our Official Records of Grants of Arms, made by the English King of Arms from approximately 1530 until 1880, produced no references for Hinshaw, but two for variant spellings as follows:-

1) Misc. Grants VIII-47. This refers to the Confirmation to John Heynshaw of Chichester in 1565 of the following Arms and Crest:-

Arms: Quarterly Argent and Azure a cross charged wth [sic] five crescents all countercharged in the dexter chief and sinister base a dolphin embowed of the first.

Crest: A griffin's head couped per pale Argent and Azure charged on the neck with three bars countercharged, in the beak an olive branch Vert, fructed Or.

Arms: Argent a chevron Ermine between three Moore cocks Sable beaked and legged Gules.

Crest: A falcon seasing on a wing Gold with a crown about the neck Gules beak and legs Sable with bells of the first.

A separate series of Grants made since 1800 was checked for Hinshaw but without result.

Our official Records of the Herald's Visitations were then examined. These records cover the period between 1530 and 1686 and were compiled by the heralds as they visited each county checking that the Arms being used by the gentry were correct and also recording their pedigrees. Once again I was unable to find any entries for Hinshaw but the following were found for Henshaw(e):-

1) C21-14 (Essex 1634). This entry shows a three generation pedigree headed by Thomas Henshawe of London who died 11th January 1611. He had three sons, Nathaniell, Benjamin and Thomas. The Arms shown with this entry are similar to those in Grants 2-657.

2) C27-18b (Sussex 1634). A four generation pedigree headed by Thomas Henshaw, who had sons Thomas, William, Michael and Edward. No issue is shown for William and no mention is made of any members of the family having emigrated to Ireland.

3) C38-44b (Chesshire 1663). A six generation pedigree of Henshaw of Henshaw, headed by Thomas Henshaw of Henshaw. His grandson Thomas is described as "Thomas Henshaw of Henshaw a Captain in Ireland. Slaine there.". This Thomas is shown as having a son Lea who died in 1661. This Lea is not described as Thomas's only son, so there could have been others. The arms depicted are slightly different - Argent a chevron between three birds Sable beaked and legged Gules.

For the next phase of research our Official Pedigrees, placed upon official record since the end of the Visitation period were examined and the following pedigrees found:-

1) NII-141. A three generation pedigree headed by Benjamin Henshaw of Dorset who died in 1631.

2) NXII-74. A two generation pedigree (connected to NII) headed by Thomas Henshaw who was Envoy Extraordinary to Christian V, King of Denmark, and was born in 1618. No arms are shown for Henshaw.

3) NXIII-12. A two generation pedigree headed by Charles Henshaw of London.

4) 14 D14-255. This entry shows a six generation pedigree headed by Thomas Henshaw eldest son of William Henshaw, whose own son William died in 1676. Arms are as in Grants 46 (Fraser Bradshaw Smith appears on this pedigree).

Our Irish Records were then consulted and an entry found for Hinshaw. This entry concerns a narrative pedigree contained in the Visitation of Ireland 1607 and which shows the marriage of Nicholas Welsh of Dondrumme to Ursula daughter of Captain Hinshaw of Hinshaw Hall. No arms are shown.

As I expect you realise, in order to bear Arms legally, one has to be able to prove legitimate descent in the male line from an ancestor who was legally granted or allowed Arms in the past, and to place the proven pedigree upon official record here at the College of Arms. In order for you to legally bear and use any of the coats of arms referred to in my report you would need to prove such a descent from the grantee in the case of Grants references or from the person heading the pedigree in Visitation references.

It would be possible to provide you with a painting, for display purposes, of any of the coats of arms described in my report for which I would be pleased to obtain a quotation. Such a painting, commissioned from one of our own heraldic artists, would be of the highest standard of heraldic art.

I hope that the information I have given os [sic] of interest, although I am sorry not to have been able to find any references amongst our pedigrees relating to Hinshaws having emigrated to America.

Yours sincerely,
Mrs. B. Pendley
Assistant to Rouge Croix Pursuivant of Arms.