Rotuli parliamentorum : covering the reigns of Edward III, Richard II, Henry IV, Henry V, Henry VI, and Edward IV : manuscript copy

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Creator

Great Britain. Parliament, author.

Title

Rotuli parliamentorum : covering the reigns of Edward III, Richard II, Henry IV, Henry V, Henry VI, and Edward IV : manuscript copy.

Production

[London] : [Producer not identified], [between circa 1630 and 1680]

Physical Description

21 volumes : paper, coat of arms ; 33 x 22 cm or smaller.

Language

English; Latin; Romance (Other)

Local Notes

Lillian Goldman Law Library Rare Annex MssG G7985 no.1 tall copy purchased from Christian White Rare Books Ldt in May, 2022.

Notes

Bound manuscript written on paper in ink.

Title partially devised by cataloger.

Bibliographic description, including the date of production, etc., based on information provided by the vendor Christian White Rare Books.

Edw. IV, pars 2a, annis 7. 8. 12 & 13 (spine label) volume with gold-stamped royal coat of arms on the front board.

The text is written in a variety of professional scribal hands between about 1630 and 1680, the earliest of which is a hybrid secretary/Italic style, with occasional calligraphic elements and flourishes that evolves through the sequence into a more modern italic hand. The language is a mixture of Norman French, Latin and, later in the sequence, English, usually positioned on the page between two vertical red rules that have occasional marginalia written by the scribe to demarcate the text. A couple of volumes are foliated but most not. There are around 500 folio pages in each volume, which means a total of circa 10,000 pages in the collection. Henry V volume, which was probably the last to be copied, adds indices to the textual format and a formal title page rather than the drop-head title that characterizes the other volumes. Nearly drop-head titles start with "Rotulus paliamenti" and then followed by the name of the English king, covering his reign.

Rotulus Parliamenti of Edward III consists of four volumes (spine labels: Edw. III, Rott. Parl. pars 1ma, pars 2da, pars 3a, and pars IV), paneled calf with red morocco labels to spine. First pastedown with casemark: "6.K.7." Text written in Norman French. The chainlines are vertical and watermarks show heart with crescents below and pomegranate/grapes, including foolscap. Rotulus Parliamenti of Richard II consists of four volumes (spine labels: Rott. Parl. Ric. 2d or Rich II, pars 1ma, II, part III, and pars IV) with paneled calf similar to Edward III. Volumes 3 and 4 are in earlier mid-century style binding with blind double fillet to boards and a single decorative roll 5 cm from the backstrip, first pastedowns with casemarks "6.K.8."-"6.L.1.", foolscap watermarks. The text is written in Norman French with occasional English inserts (volume 4) between two vertical red rules. Volume 4 also has date "March ye 5" to second flyleaf, probably note of scribal completion. Rotulus parliamenti of Henry IV consists of 3 volumes (spine labels: Rot. Parl. Hen. IIII, pars I, II, and III) bound in old style calf with labels, casemark to pastedown "6.L.2." Written in Norman French, the text is between vertical red rules. Volume 3 has an italic sectional title. Rotulus Parliamenti of Henry V is one volume (spine label: Rotuli parliamentor[um] de annis Henrici Quinti, I, II, III), consisting of three parts, bound in paneled calf in probably last quarter of the seventeenth century. It has "6L.3" casemark to front pastedown. New format and written in later hand, this volume has a separate title and contents pages, red ruled on all four sides and written in a mixture of Latin, Norman French and English. The book is foliated to 322, with indices in English and English marginalia guiding the French text. Rotulus Parliamenti of Henry VI consists of five volume broken run (spine labels: Pot. Parl. pars. prima, secunda, pars. quinta ann. 23 : 25 : 27, pars 6da, pars. septima) from his long reign. Volumes 1, 2 and 5, 6, 7 are in old bindings as per the rest of collection. Pars Quinta anni 23 : 25 : 27 has a distinct blind double fillet and corner ornaments without the vertically ornamented roll. it is written without red rules and resembles the format of Henry V. Volumes 6, 7 and "7li" are in conventional old style binding. The final volume written between red ruled with a mixed italic and secretary title page in a mixture of English and French. Rotulus Parliamenti of Edward IV is a 4 volume broken run (spine labels: Pot. Parl., [pars. prima], [ann.] 1, 3 & 4, Edw. 4, Rot. Par. de annis 7, 8, 12 & 13. Edw. 4., pars 2a, Rot. Parl. Edw. 4ti, pars tertia, ann. 13 & 14, Rot. Parl. 17 & 22, Edw. 4, pars 4) from another long reign, which is bound in paneled calf with labels and casemark to pastedowns. Volumes are mostly written in English in later seventeenth century hand without red rule on leaves. The title page of volume II is in English (The Parliament rolls in the reigne of Edw 4) while the text is mix of English and French, followed with Latin title page.

Text in Norman French, Latin, and English.

Provenance

Sir John Somers' ownership is established by the presence of his 2nd Armorial Binding Stamp (British Armorials Database) to both boards of the second of the Edward IV volumes.

Biographical / Historical Note

Sir John Somers' ownership is established by the presence of his 2nd Armorial Binding Stamp (British Armorials Database) to both boards of the second of the Edward IV volumes. Sir John Somers (4 March 1651–26 April 1716) was an English jurist and statesman. As the Lord High Chancellor of England under King William II, Sir John Somers played a crucial role in the unification of England and Scotland in 1707, which is known as the Act of Union 1707. Somers amassed over ten thousand books and manuscripts, which were kept at his houses in London and Brookmans Park, Hertfordshire. His "Rotuli Parliamentarum" precede the printed version of the Parliamentary Rolls by nearly a century but the origin of this sequence cannot be determined. There is a record indicating that a known set of manuscript Rotuli Parliamentarum was owned by Edward Hyde, Earl of Clarendon, and passed to his son and eventually sold at auction at circa 1701 as "300 volumes in folio of the Rotuli Parliamentorum" (consult English short title catalogue, T13252), now presumed dispersed. Given the almost complete absence of other surviving seventeenth century manuscript rolls of parliament within institutional collections, it seems quite possible that just as Somers was a successor to Hyde as Lord Chancellor so he may have acquired Hyde's Rotuli. Certainly the bindings of many of these volumes must precede Somers' ownership. His library was auctioned in 1717, 1739 and 1801.

Summary

Rotuli Parliamentorum, also known as, Parliament Rolls, were the official records of the meetings of the English parliament from the reign of Edward I (1272-1307) to the reign of Henry VII (1485-1509). Thereafter they were superseded by the journals of the lords and, later, of the commons. The Lord Chancellor Sir John Somers' collection of the Rolls of Parliament manuscript contains parliamentary proceedings for the late medieval parliaments that include petitions, bills, and answers, both public and private, which formed the basis of acts of parliament. In addition, two provincial parliaments held in Leicester and Northampton (held in 1380; Richard II, volume 2) are included in the records. Henry V volume refers to Lollards (leaf 181 recto) with marginal reference in the text to "heresie," "franchises de Tyndale," and "Riottes." Earlier index on leaves 135 and 136 make references to Henry Percy on leaf 66. Furthermore, first index on leaf 44 verso references "Removement des Aliens", "An Act Confirmeing the rebellion in Wales," and "An Act ag.t Aliens Strangers shall not enjoy any benefices."

Variant and related titles

Rotulus parliamenti.

Parliament rolls.

Rolls of parliament.

Binder's partial title: Rott.[ulus] Parl.[iamenti]

Format

Archives or Manuscripts

Added to Catalog

June 24, 2022

Contents

Edward III (1312-1377)

Richard II (1367-1400)