Catalogues the Public Record Office, Stow, Society of Antiquaries, Marriott, Cooper, Norwich Castle Museum (and Strumpshaw Hall) swan-rolls, with additional notes at end headed Miscellaneous Swan-marks. Name index of swan mark owners at end of volume.
Public Record Office roll, Exch., Miscellanea, 16/8. For Lincolnshire and Cambridgeshire, in existence before 1497, with additions 1515 and later, referred to by Edward Peacock in Archaeological Journal XLI, p. 296 and Fenland Notes & Queries, V, pp. 277-79. Notches cut in lower mandibles are shown as ticks projecting (as in BL Egerton 2412, G.26). Includes notes on the condition of the roll.
Stow Swan-roll, book of paper leaves, in 1924 in collection of Sir Thomas Hare of Stow Hall, Stow Bardolf near Kings Lynn. Covers west Norfolk and north Cambridgeshire. A copy was exhibited at the Society of Antiquaries, 9 February 1843, see Archaeologia, XXX, p. 547; referred to in Historical MSS Commission, third report, 1872, Appendix, p. 251; see also Stevenson, Birds of Norfolk, III, p. 110 (though Stevenson had not seen roll and is incorrect).
Society of Antiquaries roll, SAL Library, Burlington House, MS 621, 190B, box E. Incomplete, 3 vellum membranes 5 inches wide, covers east Norfolk.
Marriott Swan-roll, ‘now’ (1924) in possession of Revd H.S. Marriott of Wilby Rectory, Suffolk in whose family it had descended for over 300 years, cover the Fens, ‘in its style of drawing and arrangement identical with the Bromhead roll, but whereas the latter is very imperfect, this is perfect’, duplicates also the information in BL Add. MS 6301 and Harley MS 3405. All 4 probably copied from an earlier original. Marriott same in date as Bromhead, probably 1609, with later revisions.
Cooper Swan-roll, was the property of Revd William Cooper, rector of West Rasen, Lincolnshire, ‘now’ (1924) Henry F. Cooper of Eastwood Lodge, Woodhall Spa, said to have belonged originally to the swan-herd of Whittlesey Mere, but covers Fen area of north Cambridgeshire, Huntingdonshire, north-east Nothamptonshire, Norfolk marshland and Holland area of Lincolnshire. Unusual in including several familiar names for certain marks, though often in now obsolete words and has verses used as headings (transcribed by Ticehurst). The roll probably compiled 1580-1602, with additions 1604-1612.
Norwich Castle Museum Swan-roll, vellum leaves, a copy of 1846 by Henry Ninham of Norwich of a roll then belonging to the Corporation of Norwich, lost between 1846 and 1857, see Norfolk Archaeology, I, p. 371 and other sources. A duplicate in Norwich Guildhall collection.
Strumpshaw Hall roll, another copy by Henry Ninham made for William J.O. Holmes of Strumpshaw Hall, a single vellum membrane 29 3/8 x 17 7/8 ins, property in 1924 of Mrs Holmes of Strumpshaw Hall.
Notes headed Miscellaneous Swan-marks, includes notes on Bromhead Roll; Harley MS 541; BL Additional charter 16,550; Loseley; Corporation of Reading; New Windsor corporation (Bodleian, Ashmole 1126); Capell swan roll (Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries, series II, XX, p. 276, William Minet exhibited 2 swan-rolls, the first the Capell); Swatman roll (marks from the family of Fincham, Outwell, Norfolk, see Revd William Blyth, Historical Notices and Records of the Village and Parish of Fincham, in the County of Norfolk, 1863, p. 96)
Illustrations include:
Numerous drawings, including ‘sketch-facsimile’ copies from all the named rolls. Unusually, the drawing of Folio 1 of the Stow roll is titled ‘Tracing of a photo-stat copy of folio 1’.