ECR 60 12 01

Reference code

ECR 60 12 01

Title

Estates administration: Charter books

Level

Sub-series

Administrative / Biographical history

There is no indication why in 1590-1591 (in which year the scrivener was paid "to write out the wordes of the charters') the College suddenly felt the need to enrol eighteen letters patent, or why these particular ones were chosen. The inclusion of four episcopal acta is also unexplained. Perhaps the convenience of a book as opposed to large documents with several membranes or increasing difficulty with early script were factors. With two exceptions, the confirmations by Henry VIII and Edward VI of all previous charters, the originals survive, though it is interesting to note that the Endowment Charter appears to have been transcribed from the Inspeximus not the original, suggesting this was already lost. Martin does not mention the Henry and Edward charters which had presumably therefore disappeared by 1724.