Abstracts and extracts from grants of swan-rights, appointments of swan-masters and deputies, applications for swan-marks, swan masters’ allowances, swan marks transferred by will, marks transferred by marriage, records of upping and sale of swans from 16th and 17th centuries, evidence of swan keeping from 12th century onwards, entries from household and municipal accounts from 15th to 17th centuries, the swannery of Abbotsbury, Dorset (f. 257 ff), St Helen’s Swan-pit, Norwich.
List and descriptions of swan-rolls ff. 308-324v
Includes, Marriott (f. 309); Bromehead (f. 309); Cooper (309 v); Stow Hall (310); Westmoreland (310); Towneley Hall (310v); Banks (311); Rawlinson (311); Swatman (312); Wisbech Museum (312); Colvile (312 v); Cutts (313); Phillipps (313); Everard (313v); Redgrave (314); Burghley (314v); Dawson Turner, now BL (315-315v); Capell (315v); Elsing (316); Wentworth (316); Society of Antiquaries (316 v); Emeris (316 v); Cantley (317); Evans-Lombe (317v); Blofeld (318); Fitzwilliam Museum (318); Norwich Museum (318v); Breese (318v); Primrose (319- 319v); Windham (320); Penshurst (320); Heydon Hall (320v); Hornor (320v); Windsor (321); Rawlinson (321); Chetham (321v); Rawlinson (321v); Loseley (322); Pepysian, Magdalen College (322v); Hanford (324); Fulford Hall (324v); Pepysian, Magdalen College (324v); plus various BL rolls
Added pages, ‘Rolls etc., not examined’, loose sheets between f 323v and 324: Walpole A; Walpole B; Bowyer; Mr Albert Way’s; Millard; Norwich Corporation; Blomefield
Illustrations include:
Photograph of swan marking c. 1340 from Bodleian Library MS 264 (at beginning)
Tracing and pen drawing of ‘Of the Swan and the Crowe’, said to be derived from woodcut of 1481 (at beginning)
Drawing of ‘crosse bowe’ mark with text of fee payment by John Cole of Sutton, 1662, (fol 94) (from BL Harley 4116, fol 403)
Drawings of marks of Thomas Gray(e), d. 1594, re BL Add MS 6302 and court case brought by nephews Parlett (fols 108v-109)
Drawings of marks transferred by marriage (f. 138 ff)
Postcard of Brayford Pool, formerly Brayford swan pool, Lincoln (f. 296)