The fine rolls record sums of money offered to the king in return for concessions and favours, providing a fascinating record of what people wanted from royal government, and what they were willing to give for it. In the past, these records were only available as original Latin documents; this pioneering project has made them accessible to all by making the surviving rolls from the reign of Henry III (1216-1272) available online, complete with translations into English and supporting materials. In this talk Professor David Carpenter explores what light the rolls can shed on this crucial period of English history, and how people can use the fine rolls resource in their own research.
David Carpenter is Professor of Medieval History at King’s College London and a leading authority on the history of Britain in the central middle ages. David’s numerous publications include The Struggle for Mastery (part of the Penguin History of Britain series) and he often appears on television and radio documentaries providing expertise on the medieval period.