Manuscripts

Cartulary

Description

Phillipps number: 9928

As well as containing the texts of royal and papal charters of grant and privilege, written out in full, the cartulary includes, in summary form, details of the many hundred grants of land which went to form the abbey's estates in eleven counties.

Type

Manuscripts(Opens in new tab)

Date

[Approximately 1070]-approximately 1560

Call number

mssBA

Creator

Battle Abbey(Opens in new tab)

Provenance

Purchased from the estate of Sir Thomas Phillipps, through the agency of A.S.W. Rosenbach, 1923. In 1835 Sir Geoffrey Webster, 5th Bart., offered the monastic records in his possession, together with some family estate papers, to the bookseller Thomas Thorpe, from whom they were in turn purchased by Sir Thomas Phillipps.

Cartulary Casley Volume I [transcript of BA volumes 29 and 33]

Manuscripts

Phillipps number: 9930 vol. 1 Transcripts made by David Casley, keeper of the king's and Cottonian library, from manuscripts in the hands of Thomas Webster, bt.

mssBA

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Cartulary Casley Volume II [transcript of BA volume 30 and Cottonian manuscripts]

Manuscripts

Phillipps number: 9930 vol. 2 Transcript of BA Vol 30 and Cottonian manuscripts relating to Battle Abbey above by David Casley, keeper of the king's and Cottonian library, from manuscripts in the hands of Thomas Webster, bt.

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Sacrist's cartulary, compiled by Sir John Waller, sacrist of Battle, 10 and 11 H4 [1408-1410]

Manuscripts

Phillipps number: 9929

mssBA

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e. Cartularies

Manuscripts

This collection consists of two parts: the records of the Benedictine abbey of St. Martin at Battle, Sussex, dating before 1538, and the papers from 1538 onward, chiefly of the Browne family (1538-1721), Viscounts Montague, who purchased the Battle Abbey properties following the monastery's dissolution, and then the Webster family (1721-1857). The collection is particularly rich in monastic and estate accounts, court records, and deeds for lands possessed by Battle Abbey in Sussex, Berkshire, Essex, Surrey, and Kent. The records prior to 1538 consist of a complete monastic archive, the product of one integrated religious institution. Document types include obedientiary and estate and manorial accounts; court rolls and other court records; deeds and charters; rentals and surveys, with related papers; and miscellaneous papers. The papers created after the dissolution of the monastery consist of two major sub-collections, corresponding to Browne and Webster family papers, as well as of Cheke, Jorden, and Whistler. The bulk of this post-Dissolution material pertain to the Webster family, and deals with legal, financial, and estate matters; there is little correspondence.

mssBA

Cartulary of the office of sacristan of Battle Abbey : [manuscript]

Manuscripts

f. 1, blank; ff. 1v-2v. Agreement between deacon and sacristan. Latin. This "Compositio inter decanum de Bello et sacristam monasterii ibidem," is datedd 5 July 1415. f. 3; f. 3v, blank. Grant per virgam, 1495. Latin. ff. 4-7v. Leases. Latin. Leases for the years 1494, 1511, 1512, 1512. f. 8. Charters. Latin. The charters pertain to Caldebec. f. 8v. Extracts of "halimotum ratinorum de Bello". Latin. Extracts for 1307-08. ff. 9-125. Cartulary for the Sacristan. Latin. In sequenti opere annotantur transcriptiones omnium cartarum pertinentium ad Officium Sacristarie de bello quarum originalia includuntur Cophinis de Villa de Bello, Hwatlyngton [sic], Mankesy, Wylindon, Altar' beate marie, Hawkeherst, Wy, Schaftysdenn, Anglyngle, Cranebrok. Et in aliis cophinis munimentarii inter spiritualia et temporalia. Que carte transcripte erant per manus [sic] domini Iohannis Waller Sacriste de Bello. Anno Regni Regis henrici quarti post conquestum decimo et undecimo. Cartulary of the properties, tithes and liberties of Battle Abbey administered by the sacristan, made by John Waller, sacristan, 1408-ca. 1417 (replaced before 1422). Arranged topographically, with later additions by Waller on slips of parchment and by his successors on additional leaves at the beginning and end of the volume. An eighteenth-century transcript of the cartulary by D. Casley is BA 32 (formerly Phillipps 9930 vol. 2), an abstract of which done by William Hayley in 1762 is found in London, Brit. Lib., Add. 6348, ff. 84-165. ff. 125v-130; ff. 130v-131, blank. Charters. Latin. Additional transcripts of charters in various hands. ff. 131v-132v. Rents and tithes. Latin. Lists of rents and tithes due to the sacristan: Hawkhurst (1396), Salehurst (1427), Ore, 'Lydeham.'. ff. 133-136v. Charters. Latin. Carte pertinentes ad sacristariam de Bello, with added notes regarding location of sealed document at the time of transcription. f. 137r-v. Notes on coronations of Edward I, Edward II and Edward III. Latin. Additional transcripts in various hands, at the end of which are 3 notes on the dates of coronation and death of Edward I, Edward II, Edward III, signed by John Waller. f. 138r-v. Rents and tithes. Latin. Brief transcripts concerning lands, rents and tithes administered by the sacristan.

mssBA 30

Cartulary of Battle Abbey : [manuscript]

Manuscripts

Part 1. f. 1v. Charter of Guy Ferrer. French. Other creator(s): Guy Ferre, "cyvaler," chamberlain to Prince Edward. Copy of a charter of Guy Ferre, dated 23 April 1298; copy of inquisition at Brightwalton, June, 1300; note on land management. Part 1. f. 2. Writ on market liberties at Wye. Latin. Copy of chancery enrollment of writ of Edward I allowing market liberties at Wye, 6 August 1285; notes about market liberties, s. XIIIex; list of members of council in chancery; note that an enrollment exists "in rotul. de mercato," roll 6, of allowance of fiscal market liberties at Wye, 1294-95; note that allowance of fiscal market rights at Battle exists in the same roll; note that the above does not pertain "modernis temporibus" in the "leuga" since the abbot has established his rights more fully over the market there during the visit of the king to Battle, 25 August 1324 (also in London, Brit. Lib., Harley 3586, ff. 34-36). See E. Searle, Lordship and Community: Battle Abbey and its Banlieu, Toronto 1974, 242, n. 32. Part 1. f. 2v. Charter granting corrody. Latin. Copies of 2 charters granting a corrody to the chamberlain of the bishop of Chichester, January 1330, November 1330. Part 1. f. 3; ff. 3v-6 blank. Charters about lands. Latin. Copies of 3 thirteenth century charters, the first dated February 1246, concerning the lands of Sibylla of Icklesham; ff. 3v-6, blank except for later pen trials and ownership note. Part. 1. f. 6v. Allocations in Exchequer. Latin. Notes entered in 3 different hands, s. XIV-XV, of allocations in Exchequer, 2 of payments made by the Master of the Hospital of St. Bartholomew, Smithfield for heriots and reliefs due from lands of the manor of Hoo, Essex. Part. 1. ff. 7-11v; f. 12r-v blank. Rubric: Incipit tabula secundum alphabetum distincta super cartas regum. . . Annotaciones bullarum munimentorum pontificum que in hoc volumine continentur . . . Confirmaciones Archiepiscoporum Cant. et aliorum episcoporum de ecclesiis quas habemus in proprios usus et porcionibus et de presentacionibus ad easdem factis. Latin. Alphabetical subject indexes to the royal charters copied in part 1 (ff. 13-98v) of the cartulary written by the compiler of the second part (ff. 100-237); the subject index is according to manors and liberties, both secular and ecclesiastical. References are to folio (in roman numerals) and occasionally to folio and letter of the alphabet. While the compiler to the index has foliated the text of the cartulary through parts 1 and 2, he has subdivided the folios by the letter of the alphabet only to f. 22v. Part 1. ff. 13-98v; f. 99r-v blank. Charters. Latin. Transcripts of royal, papal and episcopal charters pertaining to Battle Abbey up to 1286. Brief notes regarding the contents of the charters and occasionally the location of the originals, entered in the margins by various hands, s. XIV-XVI; following f. 64 the rubrics have been erased and rewritten. Some specifics: ff. 41v-42: charter of Abbot Walter (1139-71) concerning Promhill, near Winchelsea; ff. 42v-43, charters of Robert of Hastings and John, abbot of Battle concerning Promhill; f. 43, memorandum in French concerning Battle Abbey's rights "appelle Craspeys, Wrek et invenciones sur les costeres de la mer"; f. 43v, list of the charters and confirmations of Edward II and list of the charters of Edward III; f. 44, letter patent of Edward III confirming his inspection of the writ of Edward I concerning Battle's market at Wye, dated Woolmer, 6 August 1285 (Calendar of Close Rolls, 1279-88, 335. Calendar of Patent Rolls, 1364-67, 221); ff. 44v-45, letter of John, bishop of Chichester to Battle; ff. 48-58, papal grants from Alexander III to Innocent III (these copies of papal documents have been crossed out, and various passages inked out throughout the remainder of part 1); ff. 62v-63, blank; f. 63v, added charter of the archbishop of Canterbury concerning Wye, 1314; added charters on ff. 65v, 74r-v, 77; ff. 77v, 83v, 87v, 90v, blank; f. 92v, crossed out; f. 94, added charter; f. 94v, blank; f. 98v, added charter. Part 2. f. 100r-v; f. 101r-v, blank. Rubric: Incipit tabula secundum alphabetum distincta super cartas maniorum monachorum. Latin. Subject index to part 2; references are to folio (in roman numerals) and deed number. Part 2. ff. 102-236v; f. 237r-v blank. Charters. Latin. Abstracts of charters arranged and numbered by place: "Villata de bello et leuga"; ff. 102-143v, Sussex; ff. 143v-199, Kent; ff. 200-213, Surrey; ff. 214-215v, 225v, Essex; ff. 216v-219, Berkshire; ff. 219v-220, Wiltshire; ff. 221v-222v, Hampshire; ff. 223v-224v, Suffolk; ff. 224v-225, West Greenwich, Lewsham, Depford, Camberwell, 'Brockele'; f. 225v, Byeastenover in Pevensey; ff. 226-228, letters concerning the priory of St. Nicholas, Exeter; f. 229, charter purchasing a corrody, 3 November 22 Edward I. Note on "temporalia abbatis de bello"; ff. 230-236v, Annotacio cartarum de terris et redditibus quas habemus in London in Suthwerk. Numerous additions on blank or partially blank leaves in various hands: ff. 108-113, 115v, 118, 135-136, 143v-144v, 146, 157, 160v, 162v, 178, 187-188, 199, 209v, 215v, 217v-218, 219, 222v, 224-225, 226v-229, 236. Blank pages: ff. 113v, 146v, 177v, 178v, 188v, 199v, 213v, 216, 220v, 221, 223, 226; f. 229v is blank, and rough as if it were once the rear pastedown. Part. 3. ff. 238-246v; f. 247r-v blank. Rubric: Rubricella regendi monachos monasterio vacante. Latin.

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Cartulary Casley Volume I [transcript of BA volumes 29 and 33]

Cartulary Casley Volume II [transcript of BA volume 30 and Cottonian manuscripts]

Sacrist's cartulary, compiled by Sir John Waller, sacrist of Battle, 10 and 11 H4 [1408-1410]

e. Cartularies

Cartulary of the office of sacristan of Battle Abbey : [manuscript]

Cartulary of Battle Abbey : [manuscript]