Merton College MS. 321
Former shelfmark: K. 1. 8
STATUTES, HUSBANDRY; S. XIV in.
Contents
Language(s): Latin
Physical Description
Collation
Binding
s. xvii, speckled calf, sewn on four bands; formerly chained from near the foot of the front board. Formerly two straps from the front to pins in the back. fols. i-ii, 175–80 are paper binding leaves.
History
Provenance and Acquisition
On f. i is ‘Bibliotheca Mertonensis D. D. D. Iohannes Lister de Barstrey in agro Eboracensi Arm: fil: et socii huius commensalis Nov. 17. 1674’, followed by contents and notes thereon, and ‘Q. 7. 12.’
Inside the front board is ‘M. 3. 7. Iur.’ and ‘Q. 2. 16’, both canc. and replaced with ‘K. 1. 8 (CCCXXI)’ in red; the College bookplate.
Merton College MS. 321 – Part I (fols. 1–44; 160–74v)
Contents
1225 reissue
At the foot of f. 1 a hand of s. xv has added a note on the date of the reissue, death of Henry III, &c.
SR i, Charters, pp. 22–5.
SR i, Charters, pp. 20–1.
SR i. 1–4.
SR i. 19–25.
Added in a hand of s. xv ‘In octabis Sancti Martini anno regis Henrici tercii lii.’
SR i. 26–39.
SR i. 197b.
Followed on f. 14v by a copy of the writ drafted to give effect to it, issued for the abbot of Thornton.
SR i. 199–200.
SR i. 201–2.
Ends with the Assize of Ale ‘uel pati iudicium tumbrelli si contra assisum uendiderunt.
SR i. 197–8.
SR i. 98–100.
SR i. 106.
On f. 18 is a copy of the arrest writ authorised by the 1285 Statute of Merchants. At the head and foot a later hand has added the names and lengths of reigns of the kings of England, Alfred—Hen. VI.
SR i. 51.
SR i. 45–50.
The full text from c. 1 (p. 47); the preceding matter drastically summarized.
SR i. 50.
SR i. 71–95.
The same hand of s. xv has added ‘T. xvª secunda Iohannis Baptiste anno regis Edwardi primi xiii’.
SR i. 128–30.
SR i. 131–3.
‘... ove tele moneye.’
A unique report of common bench at a date earlier than 1279 is printed from fols. 41v-2 in P. Brand, The Earliest English Law Reports I (Selden Soc. 111, 1996), p. 96. Other reports are printed by him in III (Selden Society 122, 2005) at pp. 21–2 (1272 Cambridgeshire eyre) and IV (Selden Society 123, forthcoming), at pp. 463 (1275 Exchequer of the Jews case), 540, 556 (pre-1290, uncertain court), 522–3, 523 (pre-1290 unidentified assizes), 585–6 (1276 Common Bench). On f. 44v, originally blank, a later hand has copied a manumission of all bondmen in Staffordshire and a general pardon of all felonies etc., 15 June 1381.
For fols. 45–159v see below, part II.
SR i. 210–12.
At the foot of f. 160, in a later hand, are 4 rhyming couplets, ‘Anglorum regna bastarda bello superauit’ (WIC 1041).
SR i. 7.
SR i. 216.
SR i. 101.
SR i. 113.
Followed by the writ giving effect to it.
SR i. 5.
Updated by a false ascription to Edward I.
SR i. 107.
The Statutum ... Nouum followed by the Statutum in French.
Ed. G. E. Woodbine, Four Thirteenth-Century Law Tracts (New Haven, CONN, 1910), pp. 116–142; Baker & Ringrose, pp. 78–9, not this copy.
SR i. 219.
SR i. 44.
At the foot of f. 174v is added a letter of Henry VI ordering R. S. de O. to do right to T. W. concerning lands in O., witnessed by Humfrey duke of Gloucester as ‘custos Anglie’, Westminster 12 July 1432.
Physical Description
Layout
Ruled with fine pencil in 2 cols of c. 35 lines.
Hand(s)
Each part is in a single anglicana hand of legal type.
Decoration
Red and blue flourished initials with long extensions; red or blue initials flourished in the other colour; red or blue paraphs, red highlighting.
History
Merton College MS. 321 – Part II (fols. 45–159v)
Contents
Language(s): Latin
Ed. F. M. Nichols, 2 vols (Oxford, 1865).
Ed. D. Oschinsky, Walter of Henley and other Treatises on Estate Management and Accounting (Oxford, 1971), pp. 200–11, 418–57; Dean & Boulton, no. 395.
Ed. Oschinsky, Walter of Henley, pp. 113–90, 307–85; Dean & Boulton, no. 394.
The rest of f. 159v is filled with later additions: (a) ‘Assisa pollicis ulne et particate’; (c) ‘Bussell galon ulnis’ (cf. SR i. 203); (c) ‘Statutum de uino. Fait aremembrer qe le tonelle de vin’; (d) ‘De malefactoribus in parcis. Vt malefactores in parcis forestis chaceis aut warennis de cetero plus timescant ... (ends impf.) occidant, quod si fecerint’ (SR i. 111–12).
Physical Description
Collation
Layout
Ruled with thick pencil in 2 cols of 39 lines.
Hand(s)
Each part is in a single anglicana hand of legal type.
Decoration
Red and blue flourished initials with long extensions; red or blue initials flourished in the other colour; red or blue paraphs, red highlighting. A good deal of the decoration is omitted from II.
History
Additional Information
Record Sources
Availability
For enquiries relating to this manuscript please contact Merton College Library.
Bibliography
Funding of Cataloguing
Conversion of the printed catalogue to TEI funded by the Warden and Fellows of Merton College .
Abbreviations
View list of abbreviations and editorial conventions.
Last Substantive Revision
2019-11-13: First online publication