Add MS 38164

ROLL of arms and inscriptions said to have been painted on the wall of the refectory of Ely Minster, recording the names and arms of forty knights who, according to the legend recorded in the Latin text of the roll, were quartered on the Abbey by William the Conqueror, and the names of the forty monks on whom they were quartered, and with whom they are stated to have become close friends. The same legend is commemorated by the Tabula Eliensis, a painting of the late l5th or 16th century now in the Bishop's Palace at Ely (see an engraving in Bentham's History of Ely, 1812, p. 106), where the names and arms are accompanied by portraits. A full account of the tradition by William Cole is in Bentham's appendix, p. 5*, and a copy of the list is given by E. Conybeare, History of Cambridgeshire (1897), p. 102. The germ of the story is doubtless to be found in the I2th century chronicle of Thomas of Ely (ed. D. J. Stewart, 1848, p. 275) who, however, speaks merely of the ordinary burden of knight's service (see Round, Feudal England, p. 300). The names and arms are probably 14th cent. forgeries for the aggrandisement of later bearers of the names. The date is perhaps indicated by the arms of Robert de Orford, Bishop of Ely, 1302-1310, which are at the head of the roll together with those attributed to William I, St. Sexburga (wrongly inscribed "Sancta Ethelburga") and St. Etheldreda (wrongly inscribed "Sanctus Ethelwaldus episcopus"). Orford's arms are a combination of those of the two saints. The roll was formerly in possession of the Norfolk antiquary Francis Blomefield, who printed the text and described the arms in the opening pages of his Collectanea Cantabrigiensia in 1740, but afterwards cancelled these leaves and substituted other matter. They are, however, contained in the Grenville copy in the British Museum. A very similar narrative in English (16th cent.) is in Royal MS. 18 C. i, f. 14b. Beg. "Tempore Thurstani abbatis nostri Eliensis qui satus fuit ex satis claris"; ends "honorifice hic lucescunt." The names of the knights and monks (framed by a colonnade) and the shields of arms in colours (suspended by straps from a bar) are arranged lengthwise at the edge of the roll, on either side of the text. Vellum roll. 37 in. x 12 in. XVI cent. The top of the roll (containing the arms of the king, saints and bishop) is cut into a pattern and a tape is attached the edge at the end has marks of stitches. Notes in Blomefield's hand on the back refer to his MS. "book of transcripts, p. 50 (H)" and to his Collectanea. Phillipps MS. 27857 (sale-cat. 1911, lot 353).

Saint Sexburga: Arms attrib. to, on roll: 16th cent.

Robert de Orford, Bishop of Ely: Arms: 16th cent.

Heraldry: Roll of arms of knights supposed to be quartered on Ely Minster by William I: 16th cent.

Saint Ethelwold,; Bishop of Winchester: Arms wrongly attrib. to: 16th cent.

Saint Etheldreda: Arms, on Ely Roll: 16th cent.

Saint Ethelburga: Arms wrongly attrib. to: 16th cent.

William I of England: Roll of knights supposed to be quartered on Ely Abbey by: 16th cent.

William I of England: Arms attributed to: 16th cent.

Ely, Cambridgeshire: Roll of armis of knights; supposed to be quartered by William I on the Minster: 16th cent.