Catalogue description Charter Rolls

The charter rolls contain enrolments of royal charters, the most solemn form of Chancery instrument, which were used by the Crown to grant intangible benefits, such as liberties, privileges, immunities, exemptions and peerages, as well as for grants of land.

The enrolled charters on these rolls consist largely of charters of foundation and incorporation; grants of lands, liberties and privileges to cities, towns, civil and religious corporations, and individuals; creations of peerages; and grants of markets, fairs, free warrens, leets and hundreds.

The enrolments are either of the original granting charter, or of charters of confirmation of previous grants. The confirmation charters either confirm the previous grants without reciting them, or recite them in full, sometimes adding new grants as well. Charters differ in form from letters patent by being always executed in the presence of witnesses, whose attestation was necessary to ensure the charter's validity, and by having a more elaborate address clause.

After 1517, royal grants were enrolled on the patent rolls (C 66) and the charter rolls series was not continued; for patent rolls please see: C 66

See also the Special Collections, Ancient Petitions, in: SC 8

A large part of this series has been calendared, with some transcriptions, in Calendar of the charter rolls preserved in the Public Record Office, 1226-1516 (6 vols, HMSO, 1903-27). Most of the charter rolls for the reign of King John are transcribed in Rotuli chartarum in turri Londinensis asservati, ed T D Hardy (London, 1837).

Analyses of charter roll witnesses, 1227-1272, compiled by C A F Meekings, are available for consultation on request. An index to witnesses to the charters is also available for the reign of Edward III.