Harley Roll C 7

Contents: Two genealogical chronicles in Latin, one on the face and one on the dorse.

Face of the roll:

Membrane 1: A chronicle in Latin, beginning with the arrival of Brutus, incipit, 'Anno M CC ante navitate[m] D[omi]ni Brut[us] cu[m] Ygena uxore sua ...'.

Membranes 1-2: A genealogical diagram of the kings of England from Alfred (r. 871-899) to Edward I (r. 1272-1307) with a commentary.

Membrane 3-5: A continuation of the diagram including all the descendants of Edward III (r. 1327-1377) up to Henry VI (r. 1422-1461) and Cecily Neville, mother of Edward IV (r. 1461-1483), without a commentary.

Membrane 5: A commentary on the reign of Henry VI up to the birth of his son, Edward of Lancaster in 1453. A further 3 lines are added at the end on Edward of Lancaster's death at the Battle of Tewkesbury, the accession of Edward IV and his wife Elizabeth Woodville (b. c. 1437, d. 1492), and details of her family, including her brother Anthony Woodville (b. c. 1440, d. 1483).

Dorse of the roll (dorse abbreviated as d):

Membranes 1d-2d: A chronicle in Latin, beginning with the arrival of Brutus, incipit, '[A]nglia que quondam[m] erat sicut des[er]tu[m] p[os]tea Britonia a q[uo]da[m] Bruto, p[rimo] inh[ab]itanti, fuit n[u]ncupata.' and continuing with the English kings from Egbert ('Egebrith') to Edward I.

Membranes 3d-5d: A text in Middle English added between 1460 and 1483 on the claims brought by Richard of York before Parliament in 1460, incipit, 'Wher dissenc[i]on and discord is had and meyd'...'. A similar text is found in Harley Roll C 5 (see Laborderie, 'Ligne des Reis' (2002), p. 1395).

Decoration:

A genealogical diagram with roundels and lines in red. One initial in red at the beginning of the chronicle on the recto and a symbol in red in the margin at the beginning of the English text on the verso (membrane 5d). Paraphs in red or blue. Highlighting in red.