The Bosworth archive, charters on parchment [England (Bosworth, Leicestershire), 1320s-1370s]

The Bosworth archive, a collection of charters and documents issued for estates in or around modern Market Bosworth, Leicestershire, in Latin with Middle English placenames, singlesheet manuscripts on parchment[England (Bosworth, Leicestershire), 1320s-1370s] Twenty-one charters, comprising: (1) Quitclaim of Thomas de Harecourt, knight, to Ralph Hurleman and Alice, his wife, 11 long lines in an English secretarial hand, 150 by 350mm., dated: Wednesday after the Feast of Epiphany, "43 Edward III" (ie. January 1370); (2) Charter of Audemis/Dudemis de Brackele Confirming the Tenure of a Property in Bosworth for Peter de Coton and Margaret, his wife, 8 long lines, 60 by 210mm., dated: Monday before the Feast of St. Benedict, "10 Edward III" (ie. March 1336); (3) Charter of Ralph le Warde of Bosworth in confirmation of a transfer of a house there to Ralph Hoppe and Richard de Boseworth, 11 long lines, 80 by 240mm., dated June 1356; (4) Sale by William Prat of Bosworth to Simon le Hoppere of land in Bosworth, 9 long lines, round red wax seal with St. Christopher with staff and Christ Child on shoulder (diam 19mm.), the charter 80 by 230mm., dated 1349-1350; (5) Sale by William de Harcourt, lord of the manor of Bosworth, to Nicholas de Schepey and Mathilda, his wife, of property in Osbaston, 8 long lines, 80 by 280mm., dated 1349-1350; (6) Sale by Peter, son of Margery de Coton of Bosworth, to Uwayne de Brackele, of property in Bosworth, 9 long lines, 90 by 220mm., dated 1335-1336; (7) Indenture between John, son of Henry le Warde of Bosworth, and Thomas "super le hull de Whelnsberg" concerning land in Bosworth, 11 long lines, 90 by 230mm., dated 1329-1330; (8) Charter of Richard of Schepey to Robert of Wytton, priest, and John Kneyht of Bosworth concerning property in Bosworth, 11 long lines, 90 by 210mm., dated 1363-1364; (9) Charter of Thomas "super le Hul" of "Whekusberwe" to Simon of Bosworth, concerning a property in Bosworth, 11 long lines, round red wax seal, with pelican (diam. 16mm.), the charter 110 by 220mm., dated 1334-1335; (10) Charter of Margery, widow of Peter of Uton/Coton, to John Levere the younger, concerning property in Bosworth, 10 long lines, with part of oval red wax seal (24 by 20mm.), the charter 60 by 240mm., dated 1376-1377; (11) Charter of William of Bosworth of Meysham to Ralph Hurleman of Bosworth, concerning a property in Bosworth, 9 long lines, round red wax seal, with tree or flower design (diam. 22mm.), 100 by 280mm., dated 1375-1376; (12) Charter of Richard Cok of Kniteleye to Alice Billing of Bosworth and John Lerson, concerning a property in Bosworth, 14 long lines, 100 by 250mm., dated 29 September 1324; (13) Charter of Ralph Hurleman of Soton to Thomas Godesson, Chaplain, and others of Bosworth, concerning lands and goods left as a gift of alms, 18 long lines, 150 by 220mm., dated 1369-1370; (14) Charter of Johanna, wife of William Prat of Bosworth, to Ralph Hurleman for sale of land in Bosworth, 15 long lines, with 2 round red-brown wax seals: first with initial 'H' (presumably for Hurleman, diam. 11mm.), second with ears of corn (diam. 15mm.), 120 by 300mm., dated 1376-1377; (15) Charter of Thomas Harecourt, son of William Harecourt, to Alan of Sotton and Thomas Godeson, chaplain, concerning land in Bosworth, 9 long lines, with part of round red wax seal (diam. 25mm.), 100 by 220mm., dated 1370-1371; (16) Charter of John de Morton and John de Elnehale of Bosworth to John, son of Felicie de Elnehale, Concerning the Sale of a Property in Bosworth, 15 long lines, with part of oval white wax seal (20 by 25mm.), 130 by 200mm., dated 1358-1359; (17) Charter of Richard, Son of Robert of Darleton of Bosworth, to Ralph Hurleman of Coton, concerning the rental of property in Darleton, 12 long lines, 110 by 280mm., dated 22 January 1369; (18) Charter of Cecilia, daughter of William Prat of Bosworth, to Ralph Hurleman of Bosworth, regarding property in Bosworth, 13 long lines, 110 by 260mm., dated 1374-1375; (19) Charter of Andrew Sherman of Eton to Thomas Godesson, chaplain, for a grant of alms from property in Bosworth, 7 long lines, with round white wax seal with armorial shield (diam. 23mm.), 100 by 210mm., dated 1368-1369; (20) Charter of Robert le Baxter of Bosworth to Reginald le Chanburleyn and Johanna, his wife, concerning property in Bosworth, 12 long lines, seal tag cut from another document, 140 by 250mm., dated 1361-1362; (21) Charter of William Patrick of Bosworth to John, son of William Parker, concerning the lease of land in Bosworth formerly leased by John's mother, 11 long lines, with part of round white wax seal (diam. 24mm.), 90 by 200m., dated 1346-1347; some holes, folds, scuffs, else overall in good condition, all affixed to individual paper surrounds with descriptions, these kept in a large nineteenth- or early-twentieth-century archival box Provenance: 1. E.H. Dring (1863-1928; see also lot 56 above), acquired around 1910 or 1920; and passing by descent to his son E.M. Dring (1906-1990), sold after his death to Quaritch.2. Schøyen Collection, London and Oslo, their MS 1605; acquired from Quaritch, London in August 1992. Text: This archive stems from an English fourteenth-century family, probably the Harcourts, or just perhaps the Hurlemans or Prats, who appear through marriage and shrewd business to have built up a substantial property empire within Leicestershire and adjoining counties during the Middle Ages. The Harcourt family held substantial estates from the earl of Leicester, from the arrival of Errand de Harcourt in the twelfth century. In the following century they established and maintained close contacts with the English royal court, and in 1373 the Thomas Harcourt (d. 1417) who issued items (1) and (15) here, married a descendent of King Henry II. The family remained in positions of power until the sixteenth century.