Arms and armorial insignia are granted only by the Kings of Arms in England, by Lyon King of Arms in Scotland and Ulster King of Arms in Northern Ireland. Other countries have different customs and laws pertaining to heraldry. The United States has no laws pertaining to the granting or use of arms. This is a comprehensive listing of all the families which have appeared in Burke's publications from 1826 to 1976. Details and pedigrees of important English families also appear in many county histories.
Some periodicals provide excellent biographical details.
American academic libraries are usually the best source for such publications, and some may be available on microfilm from the Family History Library in Salt Lake City. Details about the pedigrees of armigerous ancestors of the 16th and 17th centuries can usually be found in the manuscripts known as the heraldic visitations, many of which have been published by the Harleian Society. These are the records of official surveys made on a county basis in England by the heralds whose duty it was to see that arms were legally and correctly being used. The printed versions often contain additions to the originals, and sometimes continue the pedigrees into the 19th century. However, the last heraldic visitations were in 1680s, and from then until the present, there are many families who have used or have assumed arms to which, strictly, they are not entitled.