Kelli Piotrowski, Harvard Library, Weissman Preservation Center

Unfurled: The conservation of English manor rolls

This paper discusses issues relating to the conservation and rehousing of English manor rolls on parchment in the collection of the Harvard Law School Library and describes some of their unique physical characteristics. Acquired by Harvard in the late nineteenth century, the library recently embarked on a multi-year project to conserve and digitize the entire collection consisting of approximately 170 parchment rolls ranging in date from the thirteenth to the eighteenth centuries. These records document the activities of nearly forty manors and consist of court rolls, compotus rolls, inventories, as well as a small number of charters and other single sheet documents. Originally created as formal records of the manor, today they are used by scholars of medieval law, early modern history, economics, philology, and agriculture among other subjects.

Manor rolls are composite objects typically composed of multiple oblong sheets of parchment written on both sides and gathered together at the top edge with parchment tackets or cord in the Exchequer-style. Thus stacked and gathered, the membranes were rolled up for ease of transport and storage. Roll lengths varied in this collection from one-half to two meters. Wax seals, parchment tabs, knotted place markers, protective flaps, and parchment extensions are also present. Most of the rolls exhibited a variety of damage including planar distortions, tears, and losses as well as abrasions to the media. Given the format, construction, dimensions, and condition of the rolls, conservation treatment was necessary in order to safely and accurately image the rolls. Treatment strategies and new housing were developed to mitigate any potential damage to the rolls during imaging and use.