Lansdowne Roll 2

Contents:

A genealogical roll chronicle beginning with Noah and tracing the lineage of the Kings of England from Brutus to Henry VI, consisting of a genealogical diagram with a series of roundels accompanied by brief biographical entries.

The genealogy of the English kings is depicted in the central line, with series of contemporary historical figures on either side. On the left, in synchrony, are the leaders of the European peoples who invaded Britain (membranes 1-3), the Dukes of Normandy from Rollo to William the Conqueror (membranes 4-5) and the archbishops of Canterbury from St Augustine (r. 597-604) to Robertus (membranes 4-6). On the right are the genealogies of British kings and chieftains, including Welsh princes from Kambrius to David (membranes 1-6).

Notable features of the genealogy are:

Membrane 1: Larger roundels for Noah and Brutus; the roundel for Boerinus is on the left with his 9 descendants, founders of the 9 tribes of northern Europe who invaded Britain (Saxons, Angles, Jutes, Danes, Norwegians, Goths, Vandals, Geats and Frisians).

Membranes 2-3: A larger roundel for Lucius, the first Christian king of England and Constantine, the first Christian Roman emperor; at Ffrealaf, Woden's wife ('uxor Woden') the line of descent on the left divides into 5, then 7 for the Anglo-Saxon Heptarchy in the central line.

Membrane 4: On the left is a large roundel for St Augustine at the beginning of the genealogy of the archbishops of Canterbury, which continues on the left. The line of descendance from Uther Pendragon (membrane 3), including Arthur, is on the right of the 7 lines of the Heptarchy, ending at Careticus, last king of the Britons. The seven lines of the Heptarchy come together at a larger decorated roundel for Egbert ('Egbrutus', r. 802-839).

Membrane 5: Larger roundels for Edward the Confessor (r. 1042-1066) and William the Conqueror (r. 1066-1087).

Membrane 6. The Welsh line ends at David and Llewellyn.

Membrane 7: The genealogical diagram ends at Henry VI with the Lancastrian descendants of John of Gaunt on the right; the final roundel for Henry VI is rubbed away and the contents are barely visible.

The dorse of the roll is blank (dorse abbreviated as d).

Rolls with similar content are Sloane MS 2732A, Add MS 18002, Oxford, Bodleian Library Roll 10, Marshall MS 35 and Christchurch, New Zealand, Canterbury roll.

Decoration:

Pen drawings of busts of Lucius (membrane 3) and St Augustine wearing a mitre (membrane 4). An outline drawing (unfinished) of a crowned letter 'H' with knot-work decoration (membrane 7). Roundels in red with names in red (for important figures) or brown. Lines of descent in red, or brown or green (membrane 7).