Miscellaneous public records
Almost any public record can be useful to the genealogist in some way,
particularly if the ancestor being hunted held some kind of public
office - as so many of the 'manor-holding' classes did, if only
at a local level. Some of the public records not already covered
in other sections are listed below. The works below are some of the
main printed editions, but - as elsewhere - there are many others,
particularly local extracts and collections, and of course a huge number of
records remain unpublished.
For source material from miscellaneous public records on the internet,
click here
The following discussions of the records of the Exchequer are available online:
This National Archives information leaflet discusses several class of medieval Exchequer - and other - records:
Many of the records already discussed belong to the Exchequer:
Domesday Book,
land taxes and feudal surveys,
Pipe Rolls and
subsidies and other taxes.
As one of the great departments of medieval government, the
Exchequer produced many other records; those listed below are some
of the ones that have been printed.
Augmentation Office
The Court of Augmentations and Revenues, incorporated into the Exchequer in 1554
as the Augmentation Office, had administered the estates of the crown
- the 'Augmentations' being the lands seized by Henry VIII when
he dissolved the monasteries.
- Inventory of Particulars for Grants, preserved among the Records of the late Augmentation Office
[mostly Henry VIII, but continuing to Elizabeth I]
in the Ninth Report of the Deputy Keeper of the Public Records,
Appendix II, pp.148-232 (London, 1848) and Tenth Report..., Appendix II, pp.223-309 (London, 1849)
E318. Brief English abstracts (including names of manors etc),
arranged alphabetically by the surnames of those to whom the
lands were to be granted; many of these lands had belonged to the dissolved
monasteries
Exchequer of Receipt
The Exchequer of Receipt, or Lower Exchequer, was responsible for the actual
receipt and issue of money.
The following information is available online:
The main printed editions are:
- The receipt roll of the Exchequer for Michaelmas term XXXI.
Henry II, A.D. 1185 ...
(London, 1899)
E370/1/1,2 (stray receipt rolls). Facsimile and transcript.
- F. Devon, ed., Issues of the Exchequer:
being a collection of payments made out of His Majesty's revenue,
from King Henry III to King Henry VI inclusive ...
(London, 1837)
Extracts, translated into English, from Issue Rolls in E403
- F. Devon, ed., Issue roll of Thomas de Brantingham, Bishop of Exeter,
Lord High Treasurer of England: containing payments made out of His Majesty's revenue
in the 44th year of King Edward III., A.D. 1370
(London, 1835)
English translations, from E403/439,440
- Auditor's Patent Books (Exchequer of Receipt) [First Series]
[1538-1553] in the Forty-Ninth Report of the Deputy Keeper of the Public Records,
Appendix, pp.360-375 (London, 1888)
Index of names in E403/2447-2450. The Patent Books record the grants of
paid offices by Letters Patent, and other authorisations for payments
Memoranda Rolls
The Exchequer Memoranda Rolls contain notes on a wide variety of matters
made by the two 'remembrancers': the King's Remembrancer (E159; from 1218)
and the Lord Treasurer's Remembrancer (E368,370; from 1199). These two series
are essentially duplicates until the late 13th century. They include
some enrolled private deeds.
The following information is available online:
The main printed editions are:
- The memoranda roll for the Michaelmas term of the
first year of the reign of King John (1199-1200) ...
[Lord Treasurer's Remembrancer]
(Pipe Roll Society, new series 21; London, 1943)
- R.A. Brown, ed., The memoranda roll for the tenth year of the reign of
King John (1207-8) ... [Lord Treasurer's Remembrancer]
(Pipe Roll Society, new series 31; London, 1957)
- C. Robinson, ed., The memoranda roll of the King's remembrancer
for Michaelmas 1230-Trinity 1231 (E.159.10) ...
(Pipe Roll Society, new series 11; London, 1933)
Latin transcript
- R.E. Latham, ed., Calendar of memoranda rolls (Exchequer) ...
Michaelmas 1326-Michaelmas 1327 (London, 1968)
English abstracts of E368/99 and E159/103
Praestita and Misae Rolls
In E101 (King's Remembrancer: Accounts, various).
The praestita rolls record payment to royal officers and servants; the
misae rolls contain accounts of the royal household.
The main printed editions are:
- Rotuli de Liberate ac de Misis et Praestitis, regnante Johanne
[Liberate Rolls 2, 3 and 5 John; Misae Roll of 11 John; Praestita Roll of 12 John]
(Record Commission; London, 1844)
Latin text, in record type
- H. Cole, ed., Documents illustrative of English History in the Thirteenth and Fourteenth Centuries,
selected from the Records of the Department of the Queen's Remembrancer of the Exchequer
(Record Commission; London, 1844)
Includes Latin transcripts, in record type, of
the Praestita Roll of 7 John (E101/325/1) and the Misae Roll of 14 John (E101/349/2)
Treasury
T1 (from 1557). From the second half of the 16th century, the Treasury gradually
separated from, and ultimately replaced in most respects, the Exchequer.
Some late 16th century material is included in:
- Calendar of Treasury Papers ...
(vol.1 covers 1557-1696, and further volumes continue the series; London, 1868)
Treasury of the Receipt
The 'Treasury of the Receipt' in Westminster was the repository for various
Exchequer records, including miscellaneous books (E36).
- Register of Edward the Black Prince ...
[1346-1348, 1351-1367] (4 vols; London, 1930-1933)
E36/144,278-280. English abstracts of letters and other documents
of the Black Prince
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SP1-15 (1509-1625; continued for later reigns). Under the Tudors, much of the administrative
business previously carried out by the
Chancery passed instead to officials later known as the Secretaries
of State; the Chancery concentrated instead on its function as a
court of equity. In addition to the domestic series
of State Papers, treated below, there were also foreign (SP68-106),
Scottish (SP49-53,58,59) and Irish (SP60-66) series of
papers, many of which have also been printed.
The following National Archives information leaflets are available online:
The main printed editions are:
- Letters and Papers, Foreign and Domestic, of the reign of Henry VIII ...
(23 vols in 38 parts; London, 1862-1932)
Abstracts. Includes State Papers, Patent Rolls, Confirmation Rolls (for 1509-1514),
Supplementary Patent Rolls, Warrants for the Great Seal, and much other miscellaneous
material
- State papers published under the authority of His Majesty's Commission:
King Henry the Eighth
(11 vols; Commission for State Papers; London, 1830-1852)
Selected transcripts
- Calendar of State Papers, domestic series, of the reigns of Edward VI, Mary,
Elizabeth I and James I ...
(12 vols; vols 1-6 cover the Tudor reigns, with addenda in vols 7 and 12;
London, 1856-1872)
The earlier volumes are superseded by the recent revised editions (see below)
- C.S. Knighton, ed., Calendar of State Papers, Domestic Series, of the reign of Edward VI,
1547-1553 ... Revised Edition (London, 1992)
English abstracts, superseding the 19th-century calendars
- C.S. Knighton, ed., Calendar of State Papers, Domestic Series, of the reign of Mary I,
1553-1558 ... Revised Edition (London, 1998)
English abstracts, superseding the 19th-century calendars
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Certain counties were in medieval times largely exempt from the direct jurisdiction
of the king - these were the counties palatine of
Chester (CHES; from the 13th century), Durham (DURH; from the 13th century) and
Lancaster (PL; from 1351). They were administered by scaled-down versions of the
departments of central government, and had their own jurisdictions of both
common law
and equity - they also produced separate series of
inquisitions post mortem.
A similar situation prevailed in the estates of the Duchy of Lancaster (DL; from 1351),
which lay scattered widely throughout the country.
Palatinate of Chester
- Welsh Records. Calendar of all warrants, signed bills, and privy seals, of the reigns of Hen. VII.
and Hen. VIII., with one of Hen. VI. and one of Elizabeth ...
in The Twenty-Sixth Report of the Deputy Keeper of the Public Records,
Appendix, pp.16-31 (London, 1865)
CHES1/2,4. Brief English abstracts, alphabetically arranged by surname (with cross-references)
Palatinate of Durham
- Sir T.D. Hardy, ed., Registrum Palatinum Dunelmense:
the register of Richard de Kellawe, lord palatine and bishop of Durham, 1311-1316
(4 vols; Rolls Series 62; London, 1873-1878)
DURH3/1. Transcript. The register covers both episcopal and palatine jurisdictions
- Durham Records. Calendar of the Cursitor's Records: Chancery Enrolments [1333-1617]:
1333-c.1365: in The Thirty-First Annual Report of the Deputy Keeper of the Public Records, Appendix, pp.42-168 (London, 1870)
c.1365-1388: in The Thirty-Second Annual Report of the Deputy Keeper of the Public Records, Appendix I, pp.264-330 (London, 1871)
1388-1437: in The Thirty-Third Annual Report of the Deputy Keeper of the Public Records, Appendix, pp.43-210 (London, 1872)
1438-1457: in The Thirty-Fourth Annual Report of the Deputy Keeper of the Public Records, Appendix, pp.163-264 (London, 1873)
1457-?1483: in The Thirty-Fifth Annual Report of the Deputy Keeper of the Public Records, Appendix, pp.76-156 (London, 1874)
1485-c.1530: in The Thirty-Sixth Annual Report of the Deputy Keeper of the Public Records, Appendix, pp.1-160 (London, 1875)
1530-1606: in The Thirty-Seventh Annual Report of the Deputy Keeper of the Public Records, Appendix I, pp.1-171 (London, 1876)
1606-1617: in The Fortieth Annual Report of the Deputy Keeper of the Public Records, Appendix, pp.480-520 (London, 1879)
DURH3/29-94. Brief English abstracts; within each roll, arranged chronologically for each
initial letter of surname (with cross-references)
Palatinate of Lancaster
- Duchy of Lancaster: Calendar of Rolls of the Chancery of the County Palatine
[11-14 Henry IV, 31-36 Henry VI, 1-9 Edward IV]
in The Thirty-Seventh Annual Report of the Deputy Keeper of the Public Records, Appendix I, pp.172-179 (London, 1876)
PL2: Palatinate Close Rolls. English abstracts (unindexed)
- Duchy of Lancaster Records: Calendar of Patent Rolls, 4 Ric. II.-21 Hen. VII.
[4 Richard II-21 Henry VII]
in The Fortieth Annual Report of the Deputy Keeper of the Public Records,
Appendix, pp.521-545 (London, 1879)
PL1/1-10: Palatinate Patent Rolls. English abstracts (unindexed)
- Duchy of Lancaster Records: Calendar of Privy Seals of the County Palatine: Richard II
in the Forty-Third Annual Report of the Deputy Keeper of the Public Records,
Appendix I, pp.363-370 (London, 1882)
Part of PL3/1. Brief English abstracts, arranged alphabetically by surname, with cross-references
Duchy of Lancaster
- Duchy of Lancaster: Calendar of Rolls of the Chancery of the County Palatine
[1354-18 H VI]
in The Thirty-Second Annual Report of the Deputy Keeper of the Public Records,
Appendix I, pp.331-365 (London, 1871) and
The Thirty-Third Annual Report ..., Appendix, pp.1-42 (London, 1872)
DL37/1-7: Rolls of Palatinate of the Duke, and Close Rolls of the Palatinate.
English abstracts (unindexed)
- Duchy of Lancaster. Calendar of royal charters, William II-Richard II
in The Thirty-First Annual Report of the Deputy Keeper of the Public Records,
Appendix, pp.1-41 (London, 1870)
DL10. Brief English abstracts, arranged chronologically (unindexed)
- General and special liveries, licences to enter, and grants of wardship and marriage during
minority, Henry VII to James I
in The Thirty-Ninth Annual Report of the Deputy Keeper of the Public Records, Appendix, pp.549-562 (London, 1878)
DL12/19. English abstracts, arranged alphabetically by surname (unindexed)
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PC2 (from 1481) and Privy Seal Office records in the British Museum. The Privy Council,
in medieval times,
was a small body consisting of the monarch's senior counsellors.
In addition to the main business of
government, it was responsible for the hearing of private petitions addressed to the king -
a function
which developed into the equity jurisdiction of the Chancery
in the late 14th century. The Privy Seal,
in the late medieval system, was used as a preliminary authorisation for royal letters to
be issued
under the Great Seal; the Privy Seal Office also acted as the Privy Council's secretariat until
1540.
The following information is available online:
The main printed editions are:
- Sir N.H. Nicolas, ed., Proceedings and Ordinances of the Privy Council of England [1386-1542]
(7 vols; Record Commission; London, 1834-1837)
Transcripts, mainly Latin, in record type, from Privy Seal Office documents
now in the British Museum and material from the first Privy Council register in PC2
- J.R. Dasent, ed., Acts of the Privy Council of England [1542-1604]
(32 vols; London, 1890-1907; continued in later volumes)
Transcripts, from the Privy Council Registers in PC2
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SO3,4 (from 1584; earlier signet letters survive elsewhere). In the system which had evolved by the early 15th century, the
signet was the seal used in the first stage of the preparation of grants to be issued
under the Great Seal (the Privy Seal being used in an intermediate stage).
The following information is available online:
The main printed editions are:
- J.L. Kirby, ed., Calendar of Signet Letters of Henry IV and Henry V (1399-1422)
(London, 1978)
Surviving letters, from various classes of public records and six other repositories.
English abstracts (and some French and English specimen transcripts), with indexes to persons
and places
- W.P.W. Phillimore, ed., An index to bills of privy signet, commonly called signet bills, 1584 to 1596 and
1603 to 1624, with a calendar of writs of privy seal, 1601 to 1603
(British Record Society, Index Library 4; London, 1890)
An edition of the contemporary indexes (SO4) to names to names in the docquet books (SO3),
which summarised the 'King's Bills' passing through the Signet Office
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