About
The history of Plantagenet government, its nature, exercise and legacy, in the overseas possessions held by the English kings as dukes of Aquitaine in south-west France during the Middle Ages (1154-1453) has attracted a considerable body of scholarly publication and interest. The published primary sources for its study are, however, very incomplete, full of gaps and of variable quality.
One major gap lies within the period from the second decade of the fourteenth, to the middle of the fifteenth, century. It is precisely for this period that the most important source for the subject - the Gascon Rolls (Rotuli Vasconie/C61 class in the UK National Archives) - remains unpublished in satisfactory or comprehensive form. The Gascon Rolls are among the most important of the great series of records relating to English government in the later Middle Ages yet to be edited and made available in their entirety. They represent the enrolment of executive orders, and other related records, created by the king-dukes for the government and administration of Aquitaine. They also provide detailed evidence for the king-dukes’ relations – political, diplomatic, financial, judicial, economic - with their Gascon subjects. The unpublished part of this substantial body of documentation, moreover, relates largely to the period of intensification of tension and conflict between England and France known as the Hundred Years War (1337-1453), culminating in England’s loss of Aquitaine after a three-hundred-year tenure of the duchy.
The objectives of this project are:
- To produce an edition of the unpublished Gascon Rolls between 1317, the date at which previous published editions ended, and the last roll, drawn up in 1468. The edition will consist of calendars (summaries) in English of all entries on the rolls. In addition, the more significant and noteworthy entries will be rendered in full original text and translation. The edition will be available in a searchable electronic online form linked to high quality digital images of the rolls, thus making the records available worldwide. It is intended that a limited edition hardback version will also be produced in a series of volumes. By presenting the edition in both online and printed forms, long-term preservation and availability of the edition will be ensured.
- To disseminate knowledge of this material at a national and international level through sponsored sessions at major national and international conferences. Themed workshops specific to the project will also be held at intervals during its duration.
- To enable further research to be undertaken, as a result of the availability and accessibility of this resource, in the form of books and articles in addition to those produced by the investigators and researchers.