Opening Hours
Daily: 10 A.M.–5 P.M.
Closed on Tuesdays
1151 Oxford Road
San Marino, CA 91108
Manuscripts
Letters patent of King Henry VIII granting to his servant Sir Anthony Browne....Abbey of Battle: carbon of typed copy
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Manuscripts
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Daily: 10 A.M.–5 P.M.
Closed on Tuesdays
1151 Oxford Road
San Marino, CA 91108
Image not available
Manuscripts
Six deeds, 1372-1528. One deed is a grant for life to John de Mapples in Beauchief, Derbyshire (HM 82452); mistakenly attributed to Battle in Sussex by an earlier cataloger. The other five deeds include grants, leases and contracts for the Abbey of St. Martin at Battle, Sussex (HM 82453-82457). Because of the separate source and date of acquisition the decision was made to catalog this group of deeds as an addenda to the Battle Abbey archives rather than integrate the deeds with the existing archives here at the Huntington Library (Battle Abbey archives, 1077-1780, approximately 3,000 pieces).
mssHM 82452-82457
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Manuscripts
The addenda consists of six deeds, 1372-1528; arranged chronologically. One deed is a grant for life to John de Mapples in Beauchief, Derbyshire (HM 82452); mistakenly attributed to Battle in Sussex by an earlier cataloger. The other five deeds include grants, leases and contracts for the Abbey of St. Martin at Battle, Sussex (HM 82453-82457).
mssHM 82452-82457
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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. The latest document is dated 1778. There are also two volumes (volumes 1-2) of paper slips containing handwritten descriptions of the items in the collection. These volumes, dating from approximately 1830, comprise a draft of bookseller Thomas Thorpe's 1835 published Descriptive Catalogue. Note: many of the pre-1733 documents in this collection are written in Latin and/or with handwriting, symbols, and abbreviations that present paleographic challenges to most modern readers. The calendar of the Battle Abbey Archives (available as a PDF) provides full extracts, in English, of the substance of each document and in the case of charters includes all personal and place names found in the originals.
mssBA
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Manuscripts
ff. 1-43v. Latin. Privileges of Battle Abbey followed by precedents concerning the abbey's privileges, including records of writs, allowances of fines and announcements, and judgments in Exchequer, King's Bench and by various itinerant justices from the reigns of Richard I to Edward III, inclusive. The number of the roll from which each has been copied is recorded; the latest judgment is dated 25 July 1322 (f. 42). Folios 1-8, the liberties of Battle in the time of Henry of Rye (steward 1307-ca. 1327; see E. Searle, Lordship and Community: Battle Abbey and its Banlieu, Toronto 1974, 244-46) are printed from this manuscript in W. Dugdale, Monasticon anglicanum (London 1846) 3:248-51; ff. 11-20 are printed in English from a later version in Sussex Archaeological Collections 26 (1875) 155-63. BA 33 includes pleadings of the Eyre of Kent; also in Placita de Quo Warranto (London 1818) 333-35, 364-65, and in Eyre of Kent. Selden Society 24 (1909); 27 (1912); 29 (1913). Battle's pleading in the Eyre of Kent also in London, Lincoln's Inn, Hale B87.
mssBA 33
![Cartulary of Battle Abbey : [manuscript]](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Frail.huntington.org%2FIIIF3%2FImage%2F22APN4KGADKH%2Ffull%2F%5E360%2C%2F0%2Fdefault.jpg&w=750&q=75)
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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Manuscripts
The Ambrose Bierce Correspondence File consists of letters written by Bierce between 1871 and 1913. The letters are arranged chronologically. Much of the letters are concerned with details of Bierce's multi-volume Collected Works, and a majority are written to the editor of that project, Walter Neale. The letters contain discourse about the contents of the volumes, transportation of proofs, and deadlines. The File also contains an annotated printer's copy of Volume VIII of Bierce's Collected Works, which consists of Negligible Tales and Kings of Beasts.
mssBierce
mssBA 29