THE PUBLIC RECORDS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LVII, Issue 6505, 2 January 1882, Page 6

THE PUBLIC RECORDS.

{Prom lbs ion don Standard.) The Deputy Keeper of the Public Records hse Just published his Forty-second Annual Report, for the year 1880. The immense interest and value which public documents must potssss for later generations have been always recognised by every civilised Government, but it was reserved for modern times to discover the Importance of placing tbeee priceless materials for political aha social history within the reach of all, by systematic and descriptive catalogues of the contests of the archives of the State. Formerly each historian or genealogist who wisbad to search such document# had to begin ah initio, with but little help from the work of bis predecessor*; indeed, an investigation of the British arohivse was almost as difficult a task as that of searching among the stone or brick records of Egypt or Assyria. The Reports of the Public Record Office, with the Calendars, State Paper* and Chronicles which are annually issued, make the writing of the English history of tbe Middle Agee as ranch an exact science as it can be nude. Besides tbe researches into the records of our own country, tbe department has undertaken to collect collateral information in other countries. Mr Bawdon Brown has continued his Calendar of State Papers and manuscripts relating to English affairs existing in the libraries of Venice and Northern Italy. Don Paecual de Gayongoe, an eminent Arabic scholar and historian, has calendared the Spanish papers to the end of the year 1638; Mr William Blisn has prosecuted his researches in the libraries and secret archives of Borne; and M. Armand 'Baschei has been carefully searching the Public Libraries of Paris for documents illustrative of British History. Some idea of the activity of the Public Record Office may be gathered from the fact that, for Government departments alone, no less than one thousand three hundred and ninety-six searches or applications were made daring the year 1880, and that the number of actual inspections, issues, returns, Ac., amounts during the same period to twelve thousand three hundred and ninety. Even these figure* do not accurately represent the amount of business transacted, inasmuch as searches for and reference to the documents wanted often occupied many days, and long copies of the documents had in many cases to be made. The present Report occupies only ten pages, but the Appendices, which, like the postscript of a lady’s letter, form the most important part of the publication, contain seven hundred and thirty-six. The first Appendix contains a precis of the depositions taken by Commission for the Court of Exchequer from tbe year 1727 to 1760, and is in continuation of a previous Report. The coses cited are of a most varied character, and form a collection of great interest to the antiquarian, the genealogist and the lawyer; at the same time they afford a glimpse into the manners and customs and the social history of the period which can scarcely be found elsewhere. Thus, for instance, we find a reference to the purchase and transfer of South Sea Stock, and later on litigation between a long list of plaintiffs and a number of defendants respecting the affaire of the “ Gold and Silver Royal Mutes” in Jamaica, Those interested in the duties of excise upon beer, ale, Ac, may learn from a case, quoted on page 60, what was the usage and practice of those merchants and tradesmen who brewed large quantities of ale and beer, especially for exportation, up to the year 1729. 1 lbs question of the Derwentwater peerage and attainder, whieh was so prominently brought before the public , a short time ago by tbe death of the eccentric old lady who laid chum to the title and estates, forms the subject of several of the Commissions. It sound* curious to oar ears at the present day, and is a striking instance of the change which has come over public feeling during the last century, to find the Court of Exchequer occupying itself with a dispute “ touching a match or main of cooks to be fought at Bishop’s Auckland, Durham), and cocks* are odmmonfjr matched end fought.” The interrogatories in the ease, the replies to whieh are set forth at length in the Appendix, however, give as full details of those sporting matters, and of the actual match in dispute, as the most fervent admirer of " Corinthian ” pursuits could desire, Still more interesting is , the ease of Daniel Andrew and others, in 1751, against the Warden and Fellows of Christ’s College, Manchester, in which the “ introduction of the art of weaving into the parish and town of Manchester, and the more meed trade caused thereby during the last SO years,” are the subject of litigation. Here, too, the interrogatories furnish invaluable materials for the study of the economic and commercial history of the country. _ The next Appendix contains the second and concluding part of a Calendar of the Norman Rolls of the reign of Henry T., commencing with the seventh year and ending on August 81, 1422, the day before the Monarch’* death, in the very hour of success after his invasion of, and long straggles in, France. The contents of these rolls throw a vivid light upon the transactions of this eventful reign, and upon the origin and history of certain noble families. The entries in the Calendar itself, short and concise as they are, often suggest fruitful subjects for reflection upon the manners of the Middle Ages, and occasionally famish matter for an exciting chapter of romance. For example, we read of a mandate being issued to the Bailiff of Pontoise “ to have the body of John Julienne, executed for treason, buried in holy ground; the widow to be entitled to her dower." Another mandate is seat to the Vioomte of Bouen and neighbouring magnates “to nuke proclamation that all goods of rebels be Mixed and sold lor the use of the Kingwhile another entry extends “ pardon to Qualt le Ferre for associating himself with brigands ; ” a more pleasant termination to such an adventure than the dinomgmeni of Schiller's Hauler, bat showing that the plot of the famous German play was true to nature after all. The Calendar is followed by a Glossary of obsolete French words, very useful for the interpretation of the Bolls themselvN, and containing etymological definitions of many words, such aa “ fief ” and “ feudal,” which are in common enough use, but the exact interpretations of wbioh is by no means widely understood. Amongst others we find the definition of “Haro, Haraud, or Hard—a cry used in Normandy by those who were wronged, thereby seeming to implore the aid of their Duke Rol, who is reported to have been a most just Prince, in which cose those within the hearing of the cry had to portae the malefactor, or eUc pay a fine—hence hue and cry.” The um of this expression at the present day in the Courts of (be Channel Islands will occur to moat of our reader*. Appendix No. .3 is a portion of the Calendar of the Patent Bolls in the Public Record Office for the first year of the reign of Edward I. The calendar is not a mere transcript of the rolls, but consists of a precis of and extracts from it* contents. An i Introduction is prefixed giving an account of | former operation* upon this das* of records, ' and elucidating various points of legal and j antiquarian interest, a* well os of history and biography. The introduction, which is valuable aa a summary of the calendar itself, contains some curious and amusing entries ; for instance, a fine is remitted and the offender pardoned *' because he always went willingly to mass in epite of any business another was pardoned "gnia ehrint,' I—a 1 —a plea that would not hold good at the present day $ and a third was accorded grace on account of his being “oleWons canceUaria" The Patent 801 l gives many indications of the; disturbed state of the Kingdom, and of Edward’s pressing need of moneyj in one oaM reference is made, in write issued to the sheriff of Kent and others, to sums due to the King, “ quia ai prate at ptennim flnri~ mum indigim**." The entries relating to commerce are less numerous, hut; they are full of interest, and furnish materials elsewhere unattainable for a complete account of economic progress in tbai early period of English history. A list ®f: names of places follows in their eon temporary spelling and in their modem form.. This is moet important as particularly from;

the influence of railways, u> y of the older topographical name* in becoming hopele«d T corrupt. Ob* instance will suffice to trot# tbi*. Near Cambridge!* caQ«d phonetically by its inhabitants “ Hokinton/’ This the Railway Company imagined to bo' % local mispronunciation for “ Oakington,” which name they have painted upon the a pot, and stereotyped by their ti meltable*. Arch’ •olofical researches, however, proved that the real same is H< ckynton, and that it is derived from an ancient family once resident there. Snob mistake* are, perhaps, mum. portent in a “business” sense, but it U nevertheless an advantage to have such a means of correcting them at this eerie* of publications affords. The forty-second £«- port of the Deputy Keeper of Public Record) is in no way inferior in interest to its predecessors.—Standard.