Rolls of Parliament

Rolls of Parliament
Name	Rolls of Parliament
Caption	Medieval parchment roll
Established	13th century
Country	Kingdom of England; Kingdom of Great Britain; United Kingdom
Location	The National Archives (Kew); British Library; Rolls Chapel (historical)
Collection type	Parliamentary records; legal records; medieval manuscripts

Rolls of Parliament are the historic series of official parchment records recording proceedings, petitions, statutes, and writs of the medieval and early modern English and British assemblies. Originating in the thirteenth century, they formed a continuous administrative corpus used by institutions such as the Chancery, the Curia Regis, and successive Parliaments under monarchs including Henry III, Edward I, Edward III, Richard II, and Henry V. The corpus later intersected with documentation created during the reigns of Elizabeth I, James I, Charles I, Charles II, and the Glorious Revolution era, remaining a core source for scholars of constitutional development, legal historians, and archivists.

History

The Rolls emerged from royal record systems including the Pipe Rolls, Close Rolls, Patent Rolls, and the archive practices of the Chancery. Early mentions appear in administrative reforms under Henry III and the reforms associated with the minority government of Simon de Montfort and the summoning of parliaments at Westminster. During the reign of Edward I the use of writs and the recording of petitions expanded, paralleled by the growth of the Curia Regis into proto-parliamentary assemblies. Later medieval developments tied the Rolls to events such as the Hundred Years' War, the conflicts involving the Barons' Wars, and statutes enacted under Edward III and Richard II. The Tudor period, including the Reformation, saw Royal and Parliamentary interaction recorded on Rolls, while Civil War-era documents reflect the contest between Charles I and the Long Parliament and institutions like the Court of Chancery. After the Act of Union 1707, Rolls continued for the Parliament of Great Britain and later the Parliament of the United Kingdom.

Purpose and Legal Status

The Rolls functioned as authoritative records for petitions to the Crown, statutes returned in entry, and orders of the realm, serving as evidentiary material in legal venues such as the Court of King's Bench, Court of Common Pleas, and the Exchequer. They underpin the ratification of measures later enshrined in documents like the Statute Rolls and cited in cases before judges such as Sir Edward Coke and historians like William Stubbs. Their status intersected with precedents cited in reports by law reporters including Henry de Bracton and influenced constitutional milestones such as interpretations found in the aftermath of the Bill of Rights 1689 and judicial commentaries by figures like Lord Mansfield.

Contents and Format

Typical Rolls comprise parchment sheets sewn into a roll, bearing entries for petitions, petitions’ titles, committees’ orders, and short abstracts of statutes and enactments. Surviving volumes include entries for assemblies held at Westminster Hall, York, and county sessions, and sometimes contain transcripts of speeches or accounts associated with magnates such as Thomas Becket (in contextual records), Edward the Black Prince (in military supply petitions), and officials like Robert Winchelsey. They accompany documentary series including the Statute Book and complement financial series such as the Exchequer records. Paleographers study handwriting varieties found in Rolls produced by scribes in the offices of clerks like the Clerk of the Parliament and the Keeper of the Rolls.

Creation and Maintenance

Production employed clerks of the Chancery and officers of the Parliament of England, using materials supplied through channels connected to the Royal Household and guilds of parchmenters in London. Rolls were referenced in custodial arrangements at institutions such as the Rolls Chapel and later transferred into collections administered by the Public Record Office and the National Archives (United Kingdom). Preservation faced hazards including fire (notably events affecting repositories near Whitehall), damp in repositories like early Houses of Parliament storerooms, and losses during upheavals such as the English Civil War. Modern conservation involves specialists at the British Library and the National Archives employing techniques aligned with standards developed by bodies like the International Council on Archives.

Use in Legal and Historical Research

Scholars and practitioners consult Rolls for evidence in constitutional debates involving authorities like Oliver Cromwell, parliamentary precedents cited in disputes involving the Attorney General for England and Wales, and genealogical inquiries linking nobility such as the House of Lancaster and the House of York. Historians working on the Peasants' Revolt, Wars of the Roses, and Tudor governance draw on petitions and orders preserved on Rolls to reconstruct policy and social relations. Legal academics tracing the evolution of statutes and common law cite Rolls alongside reports such as The Year Books and collections edited by figures like F. W. Maitland and Pollock and Maitland. Digital initiatives from the Parliamentary Archives and projects at the University of Oxford and Cambridge University Library have increased accessibility for interdisciplinary studies spanning scholars of medieval England, early modern Britain, legal historians, and manuscript specialists.

Notable Rolls and Examples

Noteworthy Rolls include early thirteenth-century entries associated with the summoning of parliaments under Henry III, petition series containing grievances from knights of the shire during the Model Parliament, and later collections recording statute confirmations under Henry VIII during the English Reformation. Examples preserved in repositories feature links to events such as the petitions relating to the Statute of Westminster and grievances preceding the Act of Supremacy 1534. Edited editions and calendared abstracts have been prepared by editors connected with the Record Commission and modern editorial efforts at the Royal Historical Society.

Category:Archives in the United Kingdom Category:Medieval documents Category:Parliament of the United Kingdom