Hundred Rolls

The Hundred Rolls, Hundrendorum Rolls or Rotuli Hundredorum was a census of England and Wales often referred to the year 1273, but were actually taken from 1255-1284. It is generally believed that five distinct collections in 1255, January 1274, October 1274, 1279, and 1284 make up what we now understand to be the Hundred Rolls. Many historical references site the Hundred Rolls of 1273 or the Hundrendorum Rolls of 1273 which is now found not to be any of the actual years in which the rolls were collected.

These rolls are often referred to as the second Domesday Book.

As with most rolls of the feudal era, they were an attempt to record population and land holdings for the purposes of taxation. In some cases, they specify the services due from tenants to lords which was typical under the feudal system.

Many of the Rolls have been lost, others have been damaged, those that have survived and are stored at the National Archives in Kew. In 1818, the Record Commission edited the then known corpus of Hundred Rolls and attempt was made to publish the records. More recent discoveries are being collated by the University of Sheffield.

References