Page:A Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Colonial Gentry Vol 2.djvu/8

No labour has been spared on my part in the preparation of this volume ; every source of information has been exhausted within the limits of time at my command, and a correspondence carried on which lias secured many thousand communications from those most competent to improve and correct the pedigrees that have been compiled. My great aim has been to arrive at accuracy, but tbe time of no individual, however painstaking, would be sufficient for a work of this extent, were it to depend solely upon his own knowledge and research. I have therefore taken advantage, as, of old, did the heralds in their visitations, of information that has been freely and courteously given me by the chiefs and scions of families, derived from their private papers, traditions, and genealogies. The law of England admits as evidence the declarations of members of a family regarding their near rela- tions, and here we have that evidence most largely contributed. Occasionally inaccurate information may be furnished ; l)ut this exception to the general rule is not of frequent occurrence. The statements of pedigree thus sub- jected to the public eye challenge inquiry, and if there be error, either inadvertent or wilful, that error will be sure some day or other to be detected and set right. The result of such criticism which, indeed, I invite, cannot but enhance in the future the value of the work. With respect to the arms attached to the memoirs, those only that I can vouch for ai-e printed in ordinary type ; the remainder of the arms, printed in italics, though actually in use, are, I regret to say, borne without authority, and are for the most part mere assumptions of the armorial bearings of families resident in England, Ireland, and Scotland, with whom no relationship is proved. I venture to call the special attention of my readers to the very com- plete index of both volumes which I have placed at the end of this book. It contains the names and addresses of those Colonial gentlemen to whom reference is made or whose pedigrees are given. May T acknowledge my deep debt of gratitude to all those, including Mr. A. A. Heron, who have helped in my task ? I wish I could tender to each one my thanks, but the list is so formidable as to preclude the possi- bility of this. My first thanks are, however, due to the heads of families, who have one and all given me every assistance in their power. To none of the able genealogists who have collaborated with me, am I more indebted than to Mr. E. M. Chadwick, of Toronto, who has so generously allowed me to make full use of his indefatigable researches concerning Ontarian families. I should not have been able, however, to carry this undertaking to a successful issue, were it not for the heraldic and genealogical skill and