The rolls of parliament were the official records of the meetings of the English parliament from the reign of Edward I (1272-1307) until the reign of Henry VII (1485-1509), after which they were superseded by the journals of the lords, and, somewhat later, the commons.
It is striking that this volume ends in 1504 although Henry’s reign continued until 1509, and that the volume includes five parliaments - in sharp contrast to the four previous volumeswith three apiece. Henry’s parliaments were shorter and more narrowly focussed on the king’s business, including his dealings with the land of the formerly disaffected.
The rolls from the period are reproduced in their entirely, complemented by a full translation of all the texts from the three languages used by the medieval clerks (Latin, Anglo-Norman and Middle English).

Dr Rosemary Horrox is Fellow and Director of Studies in History, Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge.