Literae Cantuarienses 3 Volume Set

Christ Church, Canterbury, was the seat of the archbishop and an important pilgrimage site. The letters and other documents in its register reveal not only its history, but how complex was the management of the priory and its estates. This three-volume edition is based on a transcript of the register compiled in 1411 and continued thereafter. The volumes, edited by Joseph Brigstocke Sheppard (1827–95) and published between 1887 and 1889, contain over a thousand letters and documents, ranging in date from 1210 to 1536. The editor has selected items addressed to individuals or groups, and the subjects vary widely. Most relate to church affairs and include formal letters of appointment and disputes with other monasteries. Also covered are matters of national importance (as the prior sat in parliament), such as Edward II's deposition and the Hundred Years' War. The texts are in Latin, Norman French and English, with translations provided for the French documents.