Record of the Dissolution of the Priory of Ely, in Latin, manuscript on parchment [England, 1574/5]

Copy of the Letters Patent of the Dissolution of the Priory of St. Peter and St. Ethelreda at Ely of 8 November 1539, with confirmation of appointment of Robert Steward as the dean of the new cathedral, and listing the former prior and monks, properties held by the priory, with further Letters Patent of the establishment of Ely Cathedral and its history, in Latin, manuscript roll on parchment[England (Ely), 1574/5] Roll, formed of 16 paper sheets (each numbered with contemporary Arabic numeral at head) and one parchment membrane (this the outermost roll and reusing a sixteenth-century copy of a royal indenture in Tudor English from Queen Elizabeth I to Henry Doylie allowing him to examine offences against the statute "for the killing of rookes crowes and choughes daylie" dated 24 September 1574, the arms of the last prior [and first dean] of Ely, Robert Steward, painted on the reverse of this wrapper), the document of the main roll opening in the name of Henry VIII, and dated 10 September 1541 in an addition at its head, text in a fine English secretarial hand (signed by a clerk, "Ashton") with opening lines and significant words in larger version of same, marginalia in the left-hand border picking out estate names and similar, some underlining of same in main text in purple/burgundy on first sheet or so, watermark of a jug with "I B" on its body, losses of a few characters at right-hand side of column, with modern repairs there, the outermost parchment membrane with tears and losses at extremities, overall in good and legible condition, 6000 by 280mm.; the whole within another wrapper of thicker paper with inscription of seventeenth century (again with losses at edges repaired), and within a burgundy fitted case This is an important copy of the document of the Dissolution of the Priory of St. Peter and St. Ethelreda at Ely, most probably made for its last prior and first dean of Ely Cathedral, the notorious Robert Steward, who worked with the royal forces to facilitate the Dissolution of the Monasteries in Ely and elsewhere Provenance: 1. Robert Steward (alias Welles: his origin place as opposed to his patronym), the prior of the Priory of St. Peter and St. Ethelreda (founded in the seventh century and one of the wealthiest and most influential English medieval houses), at the time of the Reformation, made guardian of its valuables immediately after its surrender to the king's commissioners and subsequently the first dean of Ely Cathedral: his arms with contemporary inscription of his name and these offices prominently on outer side of wrapper. Like the contemporary Vicar of Bray, Steward seems to have placed greater store on his office than any religious principles he had, and readily complied with the Dissolution as well as the return of Catholicism under Mary Tudor, and died in 1557 and was buried on the south side of the presbytery. This roll may then have entered the archives of the cathedral itself or remained in private hands.2. Re-emerging at Christie's, 20 June 1990, lot 38.3. Schøyen Collection, London and Oslo, their MS 682, acquired in Christie's.