Gascon Rolls
Encyclopedia
The Gascon Rolls are records from the English government of Aquitaine-Gascony and the surrounding area, lasting from to 1273 to 1468. Containing grants of land, oaths of treaties and other important documents, the rolls were originally stored in the Tower of London
and Bodleian Library
before the start of their publication from the late 19th century.
. This is due to the language used "Aquitaine" and "Gascony" were used to refer to the English possessions in France, even when it included more territory than this and even after Gascony had fallen to the French. Dated from 1242 to 1460, the rolls contain records of grants of land, rent charges, the granting of liberties, oaths of treaties and contracts of marriage. The records were initially stored in the Tower of London
and Bodleian Library
, with abstracts available in the College of Arms
. In the 1840s they were moved to the Public Record Office
, and they were finally published in 1885 by Francisque Xavier Michel
.
The rolls are considered highly important by historians, with one commentator saying they "possess an unrivalled variety and importance. They are a rich and inexhaustible store of materials for the general history of the two countries and the biography of the persons they notice. Not even the humblest class of the society of the times fails to find a place... they constitute a well-spring of the first order for the history of English administration".
Tower of London
Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress, more commonly known as the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London, England. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, separated from the eastern edge of the City of London by the open space...
and Bodleian Library
Bodleian Library
The Bodleian Library , the main research library of the University of Oxford, is one of the oldest libraries in Europe, and in Britain is second in size only to the British Library...
before the start of their publication from the late 19th century.
Gascon Rolls
The rolls are records of the Court of Chancery concerning Aquitaine, and are mainly dated from BordeauxBordeaux
Bordeaux is a port city on the Garonne River in the Gironde department in southwestern France.The Bordeaux-Arcachon-Libourne metropolitan area, has a population of 1,010,000 and constitutes the sixth-largest urban area in France. It is the capital of the Aquitaine region, as well as the prefecture...
. This is due to the language used "Aquitaine" and "Gascony" were used to refer to the English possessions in France, even when it included more territory than this and even after Gascony had fallen to the French. Dated from 1242 to 1460, the rolls contain records of grants of land, rent charges, the granting of liberties, oaths of treaties and contracts of marriage. The records were initially stored in the Tower of London
Tower of London
Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress, more commonly known as the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London, England. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, separated from the eastern edge of the City of London by the open space...
and Bodleian Library
Bodleian Library
The Bodleian Library , the main research library of the University of Oxford, is one of the oldest libraries in Europe, and in Britain is second in size only to the British Library...
, with abstracts available in the College of Arms
College of Arms
The College of Arms, or Heralds’ College, is an office regulating heraldry and granting new armorial bearings for England, Wales and Northern Ireland...
. In the 1840s they were moved to the Public Record Office
Public Record Office
The Public Record Office of the United Kingdom is one of the three organisations that make up the National Archives...
, and they were finally published in 1885 by Francisque Xavier Michel
Francisque Xavier Michel
Francisque Xavier Michel was a French historian and philologist.- Life :He became known for his editions of French works of the Middle Ages, and the French Government, recognizing their value, sent him to England and Scotland to continue his research there...
.
The rolls are considered highly important by historians, with one commentator saying they "possess an unrivalled variety and importance. They are a rich and inexhaustible store of materials for the general history of the two countries and the biography of the persons they notice. Not even the humblest class of the society of the times fails to find a place... they constitute a well-spring of the first order for the history of English administration".