ABSTRACT
One of Edward IV's knights of the body was Sir William Stonor, the survival of whose family papers gives the historian fuller evidence than is normally available for the careers of men of this class. His interests and social connections were wide. However, even the term 'knight' could be given an extended meaning, for the county representatives in Parliament, the so-called 'knights of the shire', were not necessarily men who had attained the dignity of knightood. Under the early Tudors, it was estimated that about a third of the gentry, most of who were justices, were responsible for executing Crown commission. The possession of arms not only distinguished the classes concerned, but also throws light on their social values, because this indicates that military sentiments and interests were still their main concern. The whole development of heraldry as a formal system led to the growing importance of the College of Heralds, which was granted corporate status in 1484.
