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 Confess of ArchcBological Societies itt Union with the 
 Society of Antiquaries. July y'cf^ i:^<^7l '. .' 
 
 On a Scheme for Rendering 
 
 THE CHARTERS AND MSS. 
 
 IN THE 
 
 Various Repositories available for 
 County Purposes. 
 
 By Professor W. A. COPINQER. F.S.A. 
 
 IN fulfilment of my promise to comply with the request of 
 the Congress (being unable to address them, as I should 
 have wished, in London), I proceed to place on paper a few 
 notes for consideration on the subject of the gathering 
 together in a series of volumes the substance of everything 
 relating to the particular county in the nature of an historical 
 or official character, dealing mainly with Charters, Records 
 and MSS. 
 
 There are undoubtedly thousands of MSS. and documents 
 hidden away in our great collections unknown, save through 
 official publications^ and for all practical purposes beyond the 
 reach of those who have neither time nor opportunity of 
 wading through an enormous mass of irrelevant material. 
 
 My thirty or forty years' experience of the study of County 
 History demonstrates that no satisfactory advance can be 
 made on the existing histories save by tapping the original 
 sources of authority, and that this cannot be done but by some 
 such scheme as I have carried out in the case of the County 
 
 M97767 
 
of SufTolk. 1 quite admit that this work is not exhaustive, but 
 J, ;have merely been deterred from making it practically so 
 by rcasQri',6f tih^ .ejcpefnse and the impossibility of a private 
 individual obtaining from a poor county the necessary financial 
 support. 
 
 It seems absolutely necessary that each county should have 
 this work undertaken for it. No satisfactory history of the 
 county, or indeed of any particular place in, or family connected 
 with it, can be undertaken with assurance that it will prove 
 exhaustive until this initiative work has been effected. 
 
 The particular Records and MSS. which I consider should 
 be worked on with the object of extracting the substance 
 therefrom of matters relating to the particular county are set 
 forth in my "Introductory Note" to the ist Vol. of my 
 ** Records of Suffolk." Considering, however, the little support 
 the work has received, and that less than loo copies have been 
 sold, it is probable that few have seen this work. Consequently 
 I give the following extracts : — 
 
 "The substance of all matters relating to Suffolk in the 
 publications of the Record Commissioners, the reports during 
 the last 60 years of the Deputy Keeper, the Calendars, and 
 other issues of the Public Record Office, and in the State 
 Papers, are brought together in the present work, and form 
 with the Index to the MSS. and Charters its backbone. The 
 scope will, perhaps, be better grasped if the principal sources 
 are specified. In the British Museum — the Sloane, the 
 Cottonian, the Harleian, the Royal, the Lansdowne, the 
 Burney, the King's, the Egerton, the Arundel and Additional 
 MSS., including in these the smaller collections of Birch, 
 Burrell, Cole, Gough, Hasted, Davy, Jermyn, Wolley, 
 Mitchell, Ward, Banks, Mangey, Chandler, Kerrick, Lysons, 
 Upcott, and others are drawn on. The great collections of 
 Tanner, Rawlinson, Digby, Gough, Douce and others, and the 
 general MSS. Charters and Rolls in the Bodleian, the Baker 
 and other MSS. in the University Library, Cambridge, and the 
 MSS. in the various college libraries have been laid under 
 
tribute. The Statute of the Realm— public, private, local and 
 personal, and the Rolls of Parliament from 6 Edw. I to 
 the reign of Henry VIII, the London Gazette, and the House 
 of Lords and Commons' Journals have yielded much fruit. 
 Of the Old Record Publications full use has been made. 
 All the entries in any way connected with the county of 
 Suffolk, families or individuals in the Domesday Survey, 
 Testa de Nevill^ the Hundred Rolls, the Quo Warranto Rolls, 
 the Charter Rolls, the Originalia, the Patent and Close Rolls 
 before the recent issue {i.e.^ prior to the time of Edw. I), the 
 Inquisitions post mortem, the Proceedings in Chancery, &c., 
 have been translated and the substance extracted. From the 
 Inquisitions alone there are over 4,000 references. . . . 
 The valuable series of Usts and indexes issued by the Record 
 Office, in order to make the contents of that office more 
 available, have been examined, and matters and references 
 relating to Suffolk extracted. ... In addition to the above 
 matters all the entries in the Black Book and Red Book of the 
 Exchequer, and in the calendars of the Patent and Close 
 Rolls issued in recent years have been arranged under the 
 several places — the substance of each entry and roll being 
 given. ... In addition to these, the items relating to Suffolk 
 have been extracted from the following : The Calendars of 
 State Papers, Domestic Series, Home Office Papers and 
 Treasury Papers, Acts of the Privy Council, &c.. Descriptive 
 Catalogue of Ancient Deeds preserved in the Public Record 
 Office, 4 vols., 1 890-1901 ; Catalogue of the Arundel MSS. in 
 the College of Arms, 1829, by C. G.Young; the Reports of 
 the Historical MSS. Commissioners ; Jones's Index to the 
 Originalia and Memoranda of the Exchequer, 2 vols., 1793; 
 and the Index to the Ipswich Wills, 1444 to 1478. The 
 material thus gathered together, with a note of the histories of, 
 guides to, and printed accounts in connection with any parish 
 (which will be found mentioned under the particular place), 
 has been arranged under one alphabet, topographically. 
 References are also given to Suffolk matters in ' Notes and 
 
Queries/ in the ' East Anglian Notes and Queries,' in 
 Archaeologia, in the Proceedings of the Society of Anti- 
 quaries, the publications of the British Archaeological Asso- 
 ciation, the Archaeological Institute, the Sufifolk Institute, and 
 the topographical portion of the * Gentlemen's Magazine,' 
 
 " In the arrangement of the slips chronological order has 
 been adopted where a date is given, all the undated entries 
 coming first in an analytical order. In the case of the large 
 entries under Bury and Ipswich, a special arrangement to 
 facilitate reference has been adopted. The variations in the 
 spelling of the different names in the documents referred to 
 are given and a complete set of cross references to places. 
 For' pedigrees, the Index of Mr. Sims (Lond., 1849) ^^^ the 
 Index to those in the Davy Collection, which appeared some 
 years back in ' The East Anglian Notes and Queries,' have 
 been incorporated, as also references given to Burke's Landed 
 Gentry for Suffolk families, and for individuals to the Dictionary 
 of National Biography." 
 
 It is, I consider, essential that all heraldic and genealogical 
 matters should be fully entered, and in fact material furnished 
 for the history of every town, parish, manor and hamlet in the 
 county, and particulars given of every family and individual of 
 note connected with it. 
 
 I do not consider that a mere index or catalogue would 
 suffice to meet the present need. It is absolutely necessary 
 that at least in the majority of cases the substance of the 
 record or document referred to should be given, and the double 
 object secured of providing data substantially, and indicating 
 where further and fuller information may be obtained. 
 
 Judgment must, of course, be exercised as to what should 
 be given, but it is far better to give what may be unnecessary 
 than to omit what possibly might be of value. 
 
 I have not, as a rule, relied on the indexes to the Govern- 
 ment publications, accurate though they be, but gone through 
 the volume from cover to cover, as, in the long run, I conceive 
 time is saved and accuracy secured. 
 
My scheme originally was just an index to the MSS. and 
 Charters in the British Museum, the Oxford and Cambridge 
 Libraries, the publications of the Record Commission, and the 
 Deputy Keeper, but I soon found the scheme growing under 
 treatment and gradually developing. I do not think I am far 
 wrong in stating that there must be something Hke 30,000 
 MSS. in the British Museum and in the Oxford and Cambridge 
 Libraries alone, relating directly or indirectly to the County of 
 Suffolk. Undoubtedly a mass of MS. matter exists never used 
 by the several county historians. 
 
 Further, new sources of information have been opened for 
 the first time, or at least made easy of access in the present 
 day. When one considers the value of the Patent and Close 
 Rolls series now being issued and of the several Calendars and 
 Indexes prepared by the Public Record Office, one becomes 
 alive to the great mass of material thus placed in an accessible 
 form. 
 
 It is easy to work one county at a time, and it may be of 
 some interest to enter a Httle more into details. 
 
 The 5 vols, of the Suffolk MSS. and Records (an Index, 
 the proof of the last page of which was before me this day, 
 runs to about 330 pages, will form a sixth vol.) I have issued 
 took about three years to compile, working mostly between 
 eight o'clock at night and three in the morning. It is by no 
 means so stupendous a matter as it might appear to some. In 
 a few cases I had the work to be extracted from looked through 
 and the entries relating to the County marked by the insertion 
 of a piece of paper between the leaves. Each entry was 
 placed on a separate card, of which I must have had in use at 
 various times about 100,000, and every night what was done 
 during the evening sorted so that the work should not run 
 behind in this respect, and the sorting was simplified by the 
 substance of the written entry being still in the mind of the 
 sorter during the operation. The entries were arranged 
 alphabetically under places and chronologically ifiter se. The 
 manors and the churches I invariably separated from the main 
 
entries relating to the place, and there was a further division 
 including the place in question with other places. Two or 
 three thousand cross references I had to take out to saye 
 expense in printing — but this will be made good by the 
 index. 
 
 The cards were 4I in. by 3 in., and cost 2s. 6d. per 1,000. 
 The cards relating to each place were held together by elastic 
 bands so as to allow fresh cards containing new entries to be 
 readily introduced in their proper place. I made special 
 pigeon-holes for keeping the cards in ; these holes being a 
 little larger than the size of the card, each division about a 
 foot high and slightly broader than the card. The divisions 
 were about 100 in number. Four long inch boards and small 
 pieces for the divisions, ordered to be cut to the right size and 
 so delivered, enabled the whole case to be put together in one 
 evening. 
 
 I am rather particular in the details, as it was the considera- 
 tion given to these from the start which enabled the work to 
 be run through in so short a space of time. I estimate that 
 had I used paper instead of cards, besides the trouble and the 
 difficulty in substituting and writing fresh entries, the execution 
 of the work would have at least involved an extra year of 
 labour. I should mention that I had the help of my children 
 in sorting in the morning what I failed to sort at night, and 
 also in the re-writing and the putting in cross references. 
 I found that the printing in London entailed too heavy an 
 expenditure, and had the work done by Manchester printers. 
 It is not that I could not have obtained an estimate in London 
 almost as low as in Manchester, but the cost would have 
 ultimately proved, as I have learnt by experience, probably 
 a third higher. London printers run up a heavy bill for 
 alterations and so-called corrections ; here my payment on these 
 heads was practically nothing. The cost was under jQ^i P^^ 
 sheet of 16 pages for 250 copies; consequently the cost of 
 printing and binding each volume was about ;^ioo. There 
 were about eighty subscribers at ;^i u. a volume. Practically 
 
nothing has been sold since publication, but then not a single 
 advertisement, I believe, has appeared in any paper. 
 
 In order to demonstrate that a history of the County or 
 any place therein can be written or compiled exhaustively from 
 entries made in the way I have indicated I have actually 
 written seven volumes folio on the Manors of Suifolk, of which 
 the first volume has already been pubHshed. This work I did 
 in my spare time in about two years, and without such an 
 assistance as my 5 vols, of Records afforded, such a work 
 as that on the Manors, tracing them, or a large proportion, 
 from the Conquest to the present time — a history dealing with 
 something like 1,500 Manors — could not have been compiled 
 in many years, and then there would have been no absolute 
 assurance of its being exhaustive, and what is of even greater 
 importance there would have been no opportunity for the 
 author to take a bird's eye view of the whole material before 
 consideration of the parts — no possibility of comparing entries 
 under one place with entries under others — in short of testing 
 them one with another in such a mode as to bring the sources 
 of information and authority into a concentrated form. 
 
 However, I must conclude with the expression of the hope 
 that I have met the desire of the Council so far as in my 
 power, and on the lines they have indicated. 
 
 W. A. COPINGER. 
 
 The following is a hst of the contractions employed in the 
 above work : — 
 
 A. — Ancient Deeds in Exchequer and Treasury of the Receipt, P.R.O. 
 
 Abbr. of PI.— Abbreviation of Pleas, Ric. I. to Edw. II. iSii. 
 
 Acts of P.C. — Calendar of Acts of Privy Council, 1542-1800. 
 
 Add. — Additional MSS., British Museum. 
 
 Add. Ch. — Additional Charters, British Museum. 
 
 A.J. — The Archaeological Journal. 
 
 All Souls.— All Souls College, Oxford. 
 
 App. — Appendix. 
 
 Arch.— Archaeologia of the Society of Antiquaries. 
 
 Arund. — Arundel MSS., British Museum. 
 
 Ashm. — Ashmolean MSS., British Museum. 
 
B.— Ancient Deeds in Exchequer, Court of Augmentations, P.R.O. 
 
 B.A.A.— Publications of the British Archaeological Association. 
 
 Baker. — Baker MSS., Cambridge University Library. 
 
 Bal.— Baliol College, Oxford. 
 
 Bodl. — Bodleian, Oxford. 
 
 Bodl. Ch. — Bodleian Charters "Iit. j/-,„„ 
 
 Bodl. Rolls.-Bodleian Rolls l^^ burner and Cox, 1878. 
 
 Bridges. — Bridges' Collection, Bodleian. 
 
 Burke L.G.— Burke's Landed Gentry, Ed. 1901. 
 
 C— Ancient Deeds in Court of Chancery, P.R.O. 
 
 C.A. — Collectanea Archaeologia. 
 
 Caius. — Caius College, Cambridge. 
 
 Camb.— Cambridge University Library. 
 
 Campb.— Campbell MSS., British Museum. 
 
 C.C.C— Christ's Church College, Oxford. 
 
 Chart. Rolls. — Calendarium Rotulorum Chartarum, i vol., 1803. 
 
 Cott.— Cottonian MSS., British Museum. 
 
 D, — Ancient Deeds of the Remembrancer's Dept. of Exchequer, P.R.O. 
 
 D.K.R. — Deputy- Keeper's Annual Reports, 1840 to 1902. 
 
 D.N.B. — Dictionary of National Biography. 
 
 Dom. — Domesday Book, 1783. 
 
 E.A.— The East Anglian Notes and Queries— (N.S.) New Series. 
 
 E.C.P.— Early Chancery Proceedings, Vol. L (1901), P.R.O. 
 
 Eger. — Egerton MSS. and Rolls, British Museum. 
 
 Exon. — Exeter College, Oxford. 
 
 Gough. — Gough Collection, Bodleian. 
 
 Gent. M. — Gentleman's Magazine. 
 
 Had. — Harleian MSS., 4 vols., 1808 to 1812, and Harl., followed by a number and a letter, 
 Harleian Charters, British .Museum. 
 
 H.L. — Journals of House of Lords. 
 
 H.O.P.— Home Office Papers, i., Geo. IIL, 4 vols., 1878-9, 1881, 1899. 
 
 H.R.— Hundred Rolls, 2 vols., 1812, P.R.O. 
 
 Hist. Com. — Historical MSS., Commissiontrs' Reports, 1870 to 1903. 
 
 LP.M. — Inquisitiones post mortem, 4 vols., 1806, 1807, 1821, 1828. 
 
 LQ.D. — Inquisitiones ad quod damnum, 1803. 
 
 Jes. — Jesus College, Oxford. 
 
 Lansd. — Lansdowne MSS., British Museum Catalogue, i8ig. 
 
 L.G. — London Gazette, 1830 to 1902. 
 
 M. — The " Memoranda" of the Exchequer as Indexed by Jones, 1793. 
 
 Magd. — Magdalen College, Oxford. 
 
 N. & Q. — Notes and Queries, from 1849. 
 
 O.— Rotulorum Originalium, Hen. III.-Edw. III., 2 vols., 1805, 1810, and Jones's 
 Publication in 1793. 
 
 P.C. — Proceedings in Chancery, Ric. II. to Eliz., 3 vols, 1827 to 1832*, and 1558 to 1579 
 (1896). 
 * (The reference is to these volumes of printed Calendar and not to the Rolls direct.) 
 
 P. & O. of P.C. — Proceedings and Ordinances of the Privy Council. 
 
 Pat. Rolls.— Patent Rolls Cal., 1802, 1891 to 1903. 
 
 Pipe.— Pipe Rolls. 
 
 P.R.O.— Public Record Office. 
 
 P. S. A.— Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries. 
 
 Queens— Queen's College, Oxford. 
 
 Q.W —The Quo Warranto Rolls. 
 
 Rawl. — Rawlinson MSS., Bodleian. 
 
 Royal.— Royal Collection, British Museum. 
 
 R. P.— Rolls of Parliament. 
 
 S.I.— The Publications of the Suffolk Institute of Archjeology. 
 
 Sloa.— Sloane MSS., British Museum. 
 
 Star C.P.— Star Chamber Proceedings, 1485 to 1558, "Vol. I., 1901. 
 
 S.P. Cal. of Comp.— Calendar of Committee for Compounding, &c., 1643 to 1660, Pt. I. 
 toV. 
 
 S.P.— Calendar of State Papers, 1856 to 1902. 
 
 Stowe.— Stowe MSS., British Museum. 
 
 Tanner. — Tanner MSS., Bodleian. 
 
 T. de N.— Testa de Nevill, 1807. 
 
 Toph.— Topham MSS., British Museum. 
 
 Willis.— Willis Collection, Bodleian. 
 
 WoU.— WoUey MSB., British Museum. 
 
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