Battle Abbey Roll
Encyclopedia
The Battle Abbey Roll is supposed to have been a list, lost since at least the 16th.c., of the Companions of William the Conqueror
, which had been erected or affixed as a memorial within Battle Abbey
, Hastings
, founded by William ex-voto
on the spot of the slaying of Harold
in the Battle of Hastings in 1066.
and Duchesne
, all clearly imperfect and corrupt. Holinshed's is much the fullest, but of its 629 names several are duplicates. The versions of Leland and Duchesne, though much shorter, each contain many names found in neither of the other lists.
, as did Dugdale
after him, held them to have been interpolated at various times by the monks, "not without their own advantage." Later writers went further, Sir Egerton Brydges
denounced the roll as "a disgusting forgery," and E.A. Freeman
dismissed it as "a transparent fiction."
, which in fact contains several manuscripts, including one of the Battle Abbey Roll. The MS is described as "one of the National Library of Scotland's greatest treasures. Produced in London in the 1330's...it acquired its name from its first known owner, Lord Auchinleck, who discovered the manuscript in 1740 and donated it to the precursor of the National Library in 1744." A comparison of the list of family names in the Auchinleck version of the Battle Abbey Roll with the other extant lists would be informative, but appears as yet unperformed.
, it may have been an early pre-cursor of the roll of arms
, common in the 14th.c. The compiler appears to have been influenced by the French sound of names, and to have included many families of later settlement, such as that of Grandson
, which did not in fact come to England from Savoy
until two centuries after the Conquest. The roll itself appears to have been unheard-of before and after the 16th century, but other lists were current as early as the 15th century, as the Duchess of Cleveland has shown.
and other authentic records, was set up in the church of Dives-sur-Mer
in Normandy by Léopold Delisle
, and is reproduced in the Duchess's work. Its contents are sufficient to show that the Battle Roll is of dubious evidential value. The fact remains that only 15 of the combatants at Hastings in 1066 can be named with certainty, as given in GEC's Complete Peerage, which select group is known as the Proven Companions of William the Conqueror
. Up to 20 further names have been proposed by others, most notably D.C.Douglas in 1943 but these are arrived at by circumstantial evidence alone.
Companions of William the Conqueror
William the Conqueror had men of diverse standing and origins in France, under his command at the Battle of Hastings in 1066, along with others completing his Norman conquest of England until after the Harrying of the North and before the Anarchy....
, which had been erected or affixed as a memorial within Battle Abbey
Battle Abbey
Battle Abbey is a partially ruined abbey complex in the small town of Battle in East Sussex, England. The abbey was built on the scene of the Battle of Hastings and dedicated to St...
, Hastings
Battle of Hastings
The Battle of Hastings occurred on 14 October 1066 during the Norman conquest of England, between the Norman-French army of Duke William II of Normandy and the English army under King Harold II...
, founded by William ex-voto
Ex-voto
An ex-voto is a votive offering to a saint or divinity. It is given in fulfillment of a vow or in gratitude or devotion...
on the spot of the slaying of Harold
Harold Godwinson
Harold Godwinson was the last Anglo-Saxon King of England.It could be argued that Edgar the Atheling, who was proclaimed as king by the witan but never crowned, was really the last Anglo-Saxon king...
in the Battle of Hastings in 1066.
Traditional sources
It is known to modern historians only from supposed 16th century copies of it published by Leland, HolinshedRaphael Holinshed
Raphael Holinshed was an English chronicler, whose work, commonly known as Holinshed's Chronicles, was one of the major sources used by William Shakespeare for a number of his plays....
and Duchesne
Duchesne
-People:*André Duchesne , French historian*André Duchesne , Canadian musician*Antoine Nicolas Duchesne French botanist and strawberry breeder*Ernest Duchesne , French physician...
, all clearly imperfect and corrupt. Holinshed's is much the fullest, but of its 629 names several are duplicates. The versions of Leland and Duchesne, though much shorter, each contain many names found in neither of the other lists.
Criticisms
It was so obvious that several of the names had no right to appear on the roll, that CamdenWilliam Camden
William Camden was an English antiquarian, historian, topographer, and officer of arms. He wrote the first chorographical survey of the islands of Great Britain and Ireland and the first detailed historical account of the reign of Elizabeth I of England.- Early years :Camden was born in London...
, as did Dugdale
William Dugdale
Sir William Dugdale was an English antiquary and herald. As a scholar he was influential in the development of medieval history as an academic subject.-Life:...
after him, held them to have been interpolated at various times by the monks, "not without their own advantage." Later writers went further, Sir Egerton Brydges
Samuel Egerton Brydges
Sir Samuel Egerton Brydges, 1st Baronet was an English bibliographer and genealogist. He was also Member of Parliament for Maidstone from 1812 to 1818....
denounced the roll as "a disgusting forgery," and E.A. Freeman
Edward Augustus Freeman
Edward Augustus Freeman was an English historian. His reputation as a historian rests largely on his History of the Norman Conquest , his longest completed book...
dismissed it as "a transparent fiction."
Duchess of Cleveland's work
A derivative work published in 1889 by Catherine Powlett, Duchess of Cleveland, entitled Battle Abbey Roll (3 vols.) attempts to vindicate the existence of an original roll and contains biographical details of most of the prominent Anglo-Norman families known in Victorian times.Auchinleck Manuscript Roll
There is a copy of the Battle Abbey Roll which predates Leland's supposed copy by two centuries, which was not apparently known to the Victorian antiquarians. It comprises one portion of the mid-14th century manuscript known as the Auchinleck ManuscriptAuchinleck manuscript
The Auchinleck Manuscript, NLS Adv. MS 19.2.1, currently forms part of the collection of the National Library of Scotland. It is an illuminated manuscript copied on parchment in the 14th century in London. The manuscript provides a glimpse of a time of considerable political tension in England...
, which in fact contains several manuscripts, including one of the Battle Abbey Roll. The MS is described as "one of the National Library of Scotland's greatest treasures. Produced in London in the 1330's...it acquired its name from its first known owner, Lord Auchinleck, who discovered the manuscript in 1740 and donated it to the precursor of the National Library in 1744." A comparison of the list of family names in the Auchinleck version of the Battle Abbey Roll with the other extant lists would be informative, but appears as yet unperformed.
Assessment
It is probable that the character of the roll has been quite misunderstood. It was not apparently a list of individuals, but only of family surnames, and seems to have been intended to show merely which families had "come over with the Conqueror," and to have been compiled in about the 14th century. Although 1066 was more than a century before the widespread use of heraldryHeraldry
Heraldry is the profession, study, or art of creating, granting, and blazoning arms and ruling on questions of rank or protocol, as exercised by an officer of arms. Heraldry comes from Anglo-Norman herald, from the Germanic compound harja-waldaz, "army commander"...
, it may have been an early pre-cursor of the roll of arms
Roll of arms
A roll of arms is a collection of coats of arms, usually consisting of rows of painted pictures of shields, each shield accompanied by the name of the person bearing the arms...
, common in the 14th.c. The compiler appears to have been influenced by the French sound of names, and to have included many families of later settlement, such as that of Grandson
Otton de Grandson
Otto de Grandson was a medieval Savoyard knight long in the service of the English crown under Edward I. He was the closest personal friend of Edward, his exact contemporary, and shared the king's many interests....
, which did not in fact come to England from Savoy
Savoy
Savoy is a region of France. It comprises roughly the territory of the Western Alps situated between Lake Geneva in the north and Monaco and the Mediterranean coast in the south....
until two centuries after the Conquest. The roll itself appears to have been unheard-of before and after the 16th century, but other lists were current as early as the 15th century, as the Duchess of Cleveland has shown.
Modern lists
In 1866 a proposed list of the Conqueror's followers, compiled from DomesdayDomesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
and other authentic records, was set up in the church of Dives-sur-Mer
Dives-sur-Mer
-Transport:Dives-sur-Mer is on the line from Deauville to Dives-sur-Mer. The station is open, train services operate year round at weekends as well as on week days during the summer season. Dives is also on line #20 of the Calvados bus company Bus Verts du Calvados....
in Normandy by Léopold Delisle
Léopold Victor Delisle
Léopold Victor Delisle , French bibliophile and historian, was born at Valognes .-Early life:He was taken on as a young man by the antiquarian and historian of architecture, Charles-Alexis-Adrien Duhérissier de Gerville, who engaged him to copy manuscripts in his collection, and taught him enough...
, and is reproduced in the Duchess's work. Its contents are sufficient to show that the Battle Roll is of dubious evidential value. The fact remains that only 15 of the combatants at Hastings in 1066 can be named with certainty, as given in GEC's Complete Peerage, which select group is known as the Proven Companions of William the Conqueror
Companions of William the Conqueror
William the Conqueror had men of diverse standing and origins in France, under his command at the Battle of Hastings in 1066, along with others completing his Norman conquest of England until after the Harrying of the North and before the Anarchy....
. Up to 20 further names have been proposed by others, most notably D.C.Douglas in 1943 but these are arrived at by circumstantial evidence alone.