The earliest record of the Manor of Headington dates to 1004, thought to be part of the Saxon royal desmesne, remaining with the king after the conquest. These records consist of court books, draft court rolls and indexes of tenant mostly relating to the period when the Whorwood family were Lords of the Manor. In 1917 what was left of the manor was sold to the trustees of the Radcliffe Infirmary and is now the site of the John Radcliffe Hospital.
Early court rolls 1388-1716 are held at the Bodleian Library and Queens College holds an extract of a court roll 1515-1516.
The records were originally deposited with the Bodlleian Library and catalogued as Mss.d.d.Marshall and Eldridge. The material was transferred to Oxfordshire History Centre as Acc 1473 in March 1978. Other papers relating to the Manor of Headington were extracted from the Priv Mor and Priv Cla collections and catalogued together. A conspectus of old and new references can be found at the end of this catalogue. Catalogued by Hilary Morse and Alison Smith in June 2019.