Harley Roll C 5

A genealogical roll chronicle beginning with Noah and tracing the lineage of the Kings of England through Brutus to Henry V (r. 1413-1422), consisting of a genealogical diagram with a series of roundels accompanied by brief biographical entries. The dorse contains a defence of the rights of Richard of York (b. 1411, d. 1460), 3rd Duke of York, written in Middle English.

Seven other manuscripts contain the same genealogical content: College of Arms, MSS Muniment Room 20/3 and 23; Oxford, Bodleian Library, MS Bodley Roll 10; King's College Cambridge, MS 43; Queen's College Cambridge, MS 167; British Library, Lansdowne Roll 2 and University of Pennsylvania MS Roll 1588.

Contents:

The genealogy of the English kings is depicted in the central line on the face of the roll, with a series of contemporary historical figures on either side. On the left, in synchrony, are the leaders of the European peoples who invaded Britain, the Dukes of Normandy and the archbishops of Canterbury. On the right are the genealogies of Trojan heroes, then British kings and chieftains, including Welsh princes. The accompanying commentary is written in Latin.

Notable features of the genealogy include:

Membrane 1: A larger roundel for Noah; his line divides into his three descendants with Japhet in the centre. The prologue begins, 'Decet viros studiosos fact p[re]cedentium sepe in memoriam revocar[e]'. The commentary begins, 'Ab isto Strephes filio Iapheth fratre' (left) and 'Ab hiis tribus filiis Noe texunt[ur] g[e]n[er]aciones septuaginta' (right). A short commentary on Nimrod (Namroth) is added above, beginning, 'Iste Namroth erat gigas'.

Membrane 2: A larger roundel for Boerinus is on the left with his descendants, the northern peoples: 'Cinrincius, Gothus, Jutus, Suethedus (Swedes), Dacus, Wandalus, Gethus, Fresus, Geatte'.

Membrane 3: A large roundel on the left of the genealogy indicates the birth of Christ. In the central line, Lucius is marked by a larger roundel with a bust of a crowned figure and the words 'Iste erat primus rex Christianus' at the side.

Membrane 4: The central line divides into five and then seven for the seven kingdoms of the Anglo-Saxon Heptarchy; a new line of descent of the Archbishops of Canterbury begins with a large roundel for St Augustine.

Membrane 5: The seven lines come together at the large roundel for Egbrittus (Egbert, grandfather of Alfred). A new line begins of the left for the Dukes of Normandy, beginning at Rollo.

Membrane 6: Edward the Confessor and William the Conqueror have larger roundels in the central line.

Membrane 7: St Thomas of Canterbury is shown beside Henry II.

Membrane 8: The diagram ends with a large triple roundel for Henry V and beside it a smaller roundel for his wife Catherine de Valois (domina Kat[er]ina) beside it; the siblings of Henry V and the descendants of Katherine Swynford are on the right. The diagram ends abruptly and the lower part of this membrane is lacking.

Membrane 1d: A historical defence of the rights of Richard Duke of York, written in Middle English with the Latin rubric, 'Anno domini m^o iiii^o lxix (1469) in Magno Parliamento do[mi]norum sp[irit]ualis et temp[or]alis et co[m]itatib[us]'. The text is written upside down, and begins 'Moher dissention and discorde is had and ?moved by myn henry kynge of England'. The contents resemble a summary of the evidence given by Richard before parliament in 1460. A similar text is found in Harley Roll C 7 (see Laborderie, 'Ligne des Reis' (2002), p. 1395).

Two short legal texts in Latin relating to the defence are copied below.

Membrane 2d: A genealogical diagram of the descent of the kings of England from Henry III to Edward IV illustrating the legitimacy of the house of York's claim to the throne. The accompanying commentary in Latin begins, 'Hic nota Rex Edwardus iii fuit verus heretur regi et coroni ffrancie per medarum Isabelle matrie sui'.

Decoration:

One pen-drawing of a bust of a crowned figure (Lucius) in brown, enclosed within a roundel (Membrane 3).

Roundels in red with lines of descent in red, green or dark brown, some with highlighting in dark brown.