▁significant ▁appointment ▁was ▁to ▁the ▁College ▁of ▁Ar ms ▁as ▁W inds or ▁Her ald ▁of ▁Ar ms ▁in ▁Ord inary ▁in ▁June ▁ 1 6 6 0 . ▁In ▁this ▁position ▁he ▁devoted ▁himself ▁to ▁the ▁study ▁of ▁the ▁history ▁of ▁the ▁Order ▁of ▁the ▁G arter , ▁which ▁had ▁been ▁a ▁special ▁interest ▁of ▁his ▁since ▁the ▁ 1 6 5 0 s , ▁and ▁he ▁proposed ▁a ▁design ▁for ▁the ▁Royal ▁Society ' s ▁coat ▁of ▁arms . ▁ ▁By ▁ 1 6 6 5 , ▁he ▁was ▁collect ing ▁information ▁for ▁his ▁county ▁history , ▁The ▁Anti qu ities ▁of ▁Ber k shire ; ▁and ▁in ▁ 1 6 7 2 ▁he ▁published ▁The ▁Institution , ▁La ws ▁and ▁Cer emon ies ▁of ▁the ▁Most ▁No ble ▁Order ▁of ▁the ▁G arter , ▁a ▁lav ish ▁fol io ▁with ▁illustr ations ▁by ▁W ences laus ▁H ollar , ▁for ▁which ▁he ▁had ▁conducted ▁years ▁of ▁research . ▁An ▁earlier ▁attempt ▁to ▁promote ▁himself ▁as ▁the ▁official ▁histor i ograph er ▁of ▁the ▁order ▁had ▁failed ▁but ▁this ▁work ▁firm ly ▁established ▁Ash m ole ▁as ▁an ▁expert . ▁He ▁had ▁written ▁a ▁large ▁part ▁of ▁it ▁in ▁ 1 6 6 5 ▁while ▁living ▁in ▁the ▁country ▁to ▁escape ▁the ▁Great ▁Pl ague ▁which ▁was ▁then ▁ra ging ▁in ▁London . ▁Pres entation ▁copies ▁sent ▁to ▁the ▁foreign ▁members ▁of ▁the ▁order ▁were ▁reci proc ated ▁by ▁g ifts ▁of ▁gold ▁ins ign ia ▁from ▁the ▁King ▁of ▁Den