Egerton MS 3317

REGISTER OF COURT ROLLS of the manor of Aston Abbots, co. Bucks; 1286-1344. A transcript made from the original rolls, presumably at St Albans Abbey, to which the manor belonged, temp. Hen. VII-VIII. The earliest roll in the series, that for the years 14-15 Edw. I, is transcribed out of place on ff. 29-34; the arrangement is otherwise chronological. All entries for the years 19-22, 29 Edw. I, 6-7, 11, 14 Edw. II, and 2-3, 15 Edw. III are now wanting, sometimes with spaces left blank for them, or with contemporary marginal rough notes recording their absence, and elsewhere through subsequent loss of leaves, for which see further below. For other surviving registers of St Albans Abbey see the description of Additional MS. 40734 in a previous volume of this catalogue; G. R. C. Davis, Medieval Cartularies, 1958, pp. 94-96. Vellum; ff. iv + 123. 405 mm. x 270 mm. Temp. Hen. VII-VIII [between 1485-1547]. Gatherings (unnumbered) of 8 leaves, mainly with catchwords: i lacks 1-3, 5-8, ii lacks 5, v lacks 1-4, xii lacks 1-3, 5-7, xvii (last) lacks 8; f. 123 is a ruled flyleaf. Entire gatherings are lacking after ix, xiv, and xv i.e. after ff. 64, 99, 107). Ruled and written in several hands with the main headings, etc., in black, and occasional use of red and blue paragraphs, etc. Passed at the Dissolution, with the manor, to the Dormer family of Wing (the 'ex libris' inscription 'Liber Wilhelmi Dormer', i.e. Sir William Dormer, d.1575, appears on the inside of the limp vellum front cover, f. ib). Loosely inserted in the volume, and now bound as f. iv, is a letter to Sir Robert Dormer from his agent E. Irsby (?); 3 May 1594. Belonged, 20th cent., to Sir Robert Leicester Harmsworth, 1st Bart., d. 1937 (Sotheby's sale-cat. 15-16 Oct. 1945, lot 1914).