Chamberlain’s account roll
This fragment of the Chamberlain’s account roll was conserved at Hampshire Record Office in 2011-2012 funded by a grant from the National Manuscripts Conservation Trust, supported by Hampshire Archives Trust.
The images show the document (HRO ref DC/A5/3/1) before and after conservation. The fragment is one of the annual account rolls kept by the Chamberlain, one of the obedientiaries of St Swithun’s Priory (Winchester Cathedral), The Chamberlain was the monk responsible for the living quarters of the monks at the Priory. His income was derived from West Meon manor and the manor of Ham, Wiltshire, and from smaller sums from court payments, rents etc.
The income he received was spent on the monks’ liveries and tonsures, on their domestic expenses (eg bedding, furniture, table linen) and on the miscellaneous expenses incurred as warden of the above manors. The date is not apparent from the surviving part of the roll, but Joan Greatrex, an expert on medieval Benedictine priories, has dated it to the time of William of Wykeham (Bishop of Winchester from 1366 to 1404), as his name has been found towards the end of the fragment. The Chamberlain’s rolls survive for only seven other years, between 1399-1400 and 1482-1483.
Photos courtesy of the Dean and Chapter of Winchester Cathedral.
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