Tropenell Cartulary
Encyclopedia
The Tropenell Cartulary is an English
medieval
manuscript
cartulary compiled for Thomas Tropenell
(c. 1405 – 1488), a Wiltshire
landowner
, in the 15th century.
and records Tropenell's steady progress as a landowner seeking to enlarge his estates, not without battles along the way.
The document consists of a single large bound volume, written on vellum
, and its principal purpose is to establish Tropenell's title to his manor
s and other estates, copying out a large number of deed
s, charter
s, and other documents, most of which would otherwise have been lost to posterity. Unusually, the volume is still kept at Great Chalfield Manor
, where it was created, its ownership having descended with the house through the centuries.
Kingdom of England
The Kingdom of England was, from 927 to 1707, a sovereign state to the northwest of continental Europe. At its height, the Kingdom of England spanned the southern two-thirds of the island of Great Britain and several smaller outlying islands; what today comprises the legal jurisdiction of England...
medieval
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
manuscript
Manuscript
A manuscript or handwrite is written information that has been manually created by someone or some people, such as a hand-written letter, as opposed to being printed or reproduced some other way...
cartulary compiled for Thomas Tropenell
Thomas Tropenell
Thomas Tropenell, sometimes Tropenelle and Tropnell , was an English lawyer and landowner in Wiltshire in the west of England.He acquired large estates, built Great Chalfield Manor, and compiled the Tropenell Cartulary....
(c. 1405 – 1488), a Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
landowner
Landed gentry
Landed gentry is a traditional British social class, consisting of land owners who could live entirely off rental income. Often they worked only in an administrative capacity looking after the management of their own lands....
, in the 15th century.
History
The Tropenell Cartulary was compiled during the reign of Edward IVEdward IV of England
Edward IV was King of England from 4 March 1461 until 3 October 1470, and again from 11 April 1471 until his death. He was the first Yorkist King of England...
and records Tropenell's steady progress as a landowner seeking to enlarge his estates, not without battles along the way.
The document consists of a single large bound volume, written on vellum
Vellum
Vellum is mammal skin prepared for writing or printing on, to produce single pages, scrolls, codices or books. It is generally smooth and durable, although there are great variations depending on preparation, the quality of the skin and the type of animal used...
, and its principal purpose is to establish Tropenell's title to his manor
Manorialism
Manorialism, an essential element of feudal society, was the organizing principle of rural economy that originated in the villa system of the Late Roman Empire, was widely practiced in medieval western and parts of central Europe, and was slowly replaced by the advent of a money-based market...
s and other estates, copying out a large number of deed
Deed
A deed is any legal instrument in writing which passes, or affirms or confirms something which passes, an interest, right, or property and that is signed, attested, delivered, and in some jurisdictions sealed...
s, charter
Charter
A charter is the grant of authority or rights, stating that the granter formally recognizes the prerogative of the recipient to exercise the rights specified...
s, and other documents, most of which would otherwise have been lost to posterity. Unusually, the volume is still kept at Great Chalfield Manor
Great Chalfield Manor
Great Chalfield Manor is an English country house at Great Chalfield, near Bradford-on-Avon, Wiltshire.The house is a moated manor house built around 1465–1480 for Thomas Tropenell, a modest member of the landed gentry who made a fortune as a clothier...
, where it was created, its ownership having descended with the house through the centuries.
Editions
- John Silvester Davies, ed., The Tropenell cartulary: being the contents of an old Wiltshire muniment chest, 2 vols. (Wiltshire Archaeological and Natural History SocietyWiltshire Archaeological and Natural History SocietyThe Wiltshire Archaeological and Natural History Society was founded in 1853, and is one of the largest county-based archaeological societies in the UK. It runs the Wiltshire Heritage Museum in Devizes, Wiltshire which has the best Bronze Age collections in Britain, including finds from Avebury...
, 1908)