Manorial records are an important source of information for the local or family historian, but this is the first, full-length modern manual to offer a structured and comprehensive guide to their use.

Provides a comprehensive introduction and essential guide to one of the most important institutions in medieval England and to its substantial archive. This is the first book to offer a detailed explanation of the form, structure and evolution of the manor and its records. Offers translations of, and commentaries upon, each category of document to illustrate their main features. Examples of each category of record are provided in translation, followed by shorter extracts selected to illustrate interesting, commonly occurring, or complex features. A valuable source of reference for undergraduates wishing to understand the sources which underpin the majority of research on the medieval economy and society.

This is the first study to offer a detailed explanation of the form, structure, and evolution of the manorial records upon which all historical studies of medieval England are based. Beginning with a discussion of the nature and variety of the manor, as well as its origins and developments, the book then proceeds to dissect each category of manorial documents—surveys, extents, rentals, inventories, accounts, and court rolls—which are considered in turn, and exemplified.

A Source Book for Mediæval History is a scholarly piece by Oliver J. Thatcher. It covers all major historical events and leaders from the Germania of Tacitus in the 1st century to the decrees of the Hanseatic League in the 13th century.

Manorial records are a valuable source of information: this guide aims to make them more accessible to amateur researchers. It covers the types of information they contain and advises on how to locate manorial records using the Manorial Documents Register. A section at the end of the book deals specifically with the manorial records in the Public Record Office and how to use the available finding aids. The records covered date from 1500 to 1900.