Red Book of the Exchequer
Encyclopedia
The Red Book of the Exchequer (Liber Rubeus or Liber ruber Scaccarii, P.R.O.
E164/2, ed. Hall 1896) is a 13th-century manuscript
compilation of the records of the English
Exchequer
. Made of vellum
, the book was compiled by a royal clerk who died in 1246. Like the Black Book of the Exchequer, it primarily contains the deeds and grants of William
and Henry I
, along with records of serjeanties
. The last entries in the book after from 1230, and Hunter assumes that, because of this, the book was published soon afterwards. As a result of Elizabethan restoration attempts which doused the book liberally with chemicals to restore illegible text, many pages are now unreadable. The book is noted as a singularly important text in English history, with J.H. Round writing that "second only in honour to Domesday Book itself, the "Liber Rubeus de Scaccario"has, for more than six centuries, held a foremost place among our national records. Prized by officials for its precedents, by antiquaries for its vast store of topographical and genealogical information, its well-thumbed pages have been scanned by twenty generations of students".
The manuscript also contains a copy of the Leges Henrici Primi
, an early compilation of legal information dating from the reign of King Henry I of England
.
Public Record Office
The Public Record Office of the United Kingdom is one of the three organisations that make up the National Archives...
E164/2, ed. Hall 1896) is a 13th-century manuscript
Manuscript
A manuscript or handwrite is written information that has been manually created by someone or some people, such as a hand-written letter, as opposed to being printed or reproduced some other way...
compilation of the records of the English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
Exchequer
Exchequer
The Exchequer is a government department of the United Kingdom responsible for the management and collection of taxation and other government revenues. The historical Exchequer developed judicial roles...
. Made of vellum
Vellum
Vellum is mammal skin prepared for writing or printing on, to produce single pages, scrolls, codices or books. It is generally smooth and durable, although there are great variations depending on preparation, the quality of the skin and the type of animal used...
, the book was compiled by a royal clerk who died in 1246. Like the Black Book of the Exchequer, it primarily contains the deeds and grants of William
William I of England
William I , also known as William the Conqueror , was the first Norman King of England from Christmas 1066 until his death. He was also Duke of Normandy from 3 July 1035 until his death, under the name William II...
and Henry I
Henry I of England
Henry I was the fourth son of William I of England. He succeeded his elder brother William II as King of England in 1100 and defeated his eldest brother, Robert Curthose, to become Duke of Normandy in 1106...
, along with records of serjeanties
Serjeanty
Under the feudal system in late and high medieval England, tenure by serjeanty was a form of land-holding in return for some specified service, ranking between tenure by knight-service and tenure in socage...
. The last entries in the book after from 1230, and Hunter assumes that, because of this, the book was published soon afterwards. As a result of Elizabethan restoration attempts which doused the book liberally with chemicals to restore illegible text, many pages are now unreadable. The book is noted as a singularly important text in English history, with J.H. Round writing that "second only in honour to Domesday Book itself, the "Liber Rubeus de Scaccario"has, for more than six centuries, held a foremost place among our national records. Prized by officials for its precedents, by antiquaries for its vast store of topographical and genealogical information, its well-thumbed pages have been scanned by twenty generations of students".
The manuscript also contains a copy of the Leges Henrici Primi
Leges Henrici Primi
The Leges Henrici Primi or Laws of Henry I is a legal treatise, written in about 1115, that records the legal customs of medieval England in the reign of King Henry I of England. Although it is not an official document, it was written by someone apparently associated with the royal administration...
, an early compilation of legal information dating from the reign of King Henry I of England
Henry I of England
Henry I was the fourth son of William I of England. He succeeded his elder brother William II as King of England in 1100 and defeated his eldest brother, Robert Curthose, to become Duke of Normandy in 1106...
.