The reigns of the first two Georges produced many other writers on subjects connected with heraldry and titular honours, including (I) Kent and Coats, and (II) Crawfurd on the 'Peerage of Scotland,' Wotton on the 'English Baronetage,' the learned Madox on 'Land-honours and Baronies,' and the indefatigable _Mr. Salmon_. During the same period also appeared innumerable volumes on the genealogies of our royal and noble families. JOSEPH EDMONDSON, F.S.A. (author of 'Baronagium Genealogicum,' 1764, and 'A Complete Body of Heraldry,' 1780,) was of humble parentage. Becoming a herald-painter, that pursuit led his naturally inquisitive genius to the study of heraldry and family history, and the two works referred to are sufficient monuments of his assiduity in both. His merits raised him to the office of Mowbray Herald Extraordinary, but even after his appointment to that honour, he continued his business as a coach-painter, thus uniting the seemingly discordant avocations, science and trade. He died in 1786. The 'Baronagium' consists of five folio volumes, and contains the pedigrees of the peers, originally drawn up by Sir W. Segar, enlarged and continued to 1764. The 'Complete Body' is in two volumes folio, and must be regarded as the great standard work on the subject of English heraldry. It contains numerous dissertations on the origin and history of the science, on the great offices of state, on the heralds, on knighthood, on the arms of corporate bodies, on blazon in all its departments, an alphabet of 50,000 coats of arms, and various other interesting matters. The celebrated Sir Joseph Ayloffe assisted the author in both these works. Edmondson possessed what was somewhat rare in his day--_good taste_ on the subject of blazon. He animadverts with becoming asperity on the ridiculous landscape-painting which disfigures some modern arms and augmentations, and justly remarks that the "several charges they contain, puts it out of the power of a very good herald to draw new arms from their blazons." On the subject of crests he adds, "Crests are objects intended to strike the beholder at a distance," and then produces the instance of a crest lately granted to the family of Titlow: "a book, on the book a silver penny! and on the penny the Lord's Prayer!! and on the top of the book a dove, holding in its beak a crow-quill pen!!!"[304] FRANCIS GROSE, Esq., F.S.A., held the office of Richmond herald, but resigned it in 1763 to become paymaster of the Hampshire militia. His numerous antiquarian works are well known; but I am not aware that he contributed anything towards the advancement of heraldric literature. RALPH BIGLAND, Esq., Somerset, and at length Garter, published in 1764 a very curious and useful book on Parochial Registers. He made large collections for a History of Gloucestershire, which were posthumously published by his son. He died in 1784.