Recovery in Kent of Gloucestershire Manorial Rolls - Archaeologia Cantiana

constitute a useful record. One of the rolls moreover supplies interesting evidence of contemporary practice in recording manorial courts. Examination of the sewing holes shows that the eight membranes originally belonged to two separate rolls :
A. A roll (three membranes) of " Courts Baron" of Walter Compton, Esq., of various dates apparently covering the years 21 Charles I (i.e. 1645) to 1650.
B. A roll (five membranes) of a " [? Legal Court] with Survey " of Walter [Compton] held on 23 [? December, [? 2] 1 Charles I (i.e. 1645). The proceedings of the court occupy the greater part of the first membrane, the Survey taking up the remainder of the roll. It is noteworthy that, while most of the proceedings of both Court and Survey are in Latin, the last entries in both cases are in English ; from which it may be inferred that

additions were made to the record over a period of years, the last being later than " the first Return of Easter Term ", 1651, from which date the use of any language in legal documents but English was prohibited by a Commonwealth Act of Parliament.
The lordship of the manor has descended from the Compton family to Captain R. C. Gordon-Canning, M.C., of Hartpury House, to whose possession the rolls have been restored. He has now placed them in the Gloucestershire County Council's muniment room at the Shire Hall, Gloucester, one of the places approved by the Master of the Rolls under the Law of Property Acts for the deposit of manorial documents.
The Editor has to thank Captain Gordon-Canning for his sympathetic interest in this note.