Unlocking History in Manorial Records using Court Rolls
- Anna Wilson
- 3 days ago
- 3 min read
Imagine opening a document from the mid 1400s only to find a local Rector getting heavily fined because his pigs broke into the Lord’s barn and demolished the grain store.
This is the exact kind of day-to-day history I recently uncovered while working with a set of manorial records for a small manor in Herefordshire, with Court Rolls dating from 1449-1711. The Court Rolls for Dinedor Manor offer a fascinating window into a community and its manorial customs.
What are in the Court Baron Records?
The Court Baron was a local court that dealt with the day-to-day customs and rules of the manor. This stood in contrast to the Court Leet, which handled policing, offenses, and crimes. These records are known as 'rolls' because they were written on large sheets of parchment and rolled up for storage. Manorial Court Baron records are packed with:
Neighbourhood disputes: Fines for blocked drains, decaying buildings, debris left on the highway, and boundary infringements.
Hidden women’s history: The rolls contain "3-life leases" where wives attended court to renew tenures by paying a Heriot (typically two capons!) and swearing fealty. Because these leases list the next of kin, they provide an invaluable record of wives and daughters who are often missing from other records of the era.
Local landscapes: Details on ancient field names, land boundaries, and specific buildings.
Deep ancestral roots: The listing of the 'Homagain'—the jury present at the court session—offers proof of family groups and surnames continuing in the same parish for hundreds of years.
Using these documents, I was able to construct a timeline of the Lords and Ladies of the Manor spanning centuries, from Joan De La Barre in 1449, (wife of Kynard De La Barre, 1418–1465) all the way to Charles De La Barre Bodenham, who passed away in 1883.
If you want to move past standard parish registers and dive into the deep history of your ancestors, manorial records are a fantastic genealogical resource.
My Top 5 Tips for Researching Manorial Records
1. Locate the Records
Before you do anything else, check if the records for your area of interest have survived. Search the Manorial Document Register (MDR) at The National Archives. It will tell you if they exist and exactly which archives are holding them.
2. Read Regional Guides
Look for regional archives that offer learning guides. For example, the Northumberland Archives have a brilliant learning section on Everyday Life in a Northumbrian Manor that is worth a read.
3. Build a Glossary
Manorial terms like Heriot, Capon, and Homagain can sound like a different language. Bookmark a solid glossary to keep by your side while researching.
The Nottingham University Manuscripts and Special Collections has a fantastic glossary to get you started.
4. Practice Transcribing "Secretary Hand"
Old handwriting can look terrifying at first glance. Don't panic! FamilySearch offers a fantastic, downloadable Secretary Hand chart showing upper and lower-case letter formations to help you decode the script.
5. Learn to Decode Latin
Many early records (pre-1733) will be written in Latin. You don't need to be fluent! Focus on learning key Latin legal terms and formulaic phrases used in court rolls, which will help you extract names, dates, and land holdings easily.
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