Nature of Source
Close Rolls held at The National Archives
Introduction
Close Rolls are an important series of medieval administrative records which contain copies of royal correspondence issued by the Crown. Although primarily concerned with government business, they also include occasional references to private individuals and land transactions, making them a useful, if specialised, research source.
Definition and Purpose
Letters Close were sealed royal letters issued by the Court of Chancery, serving as the monarchy’s private written commands. These Letters conveyed orders, instructions, summonses and other administrative decisions to royal officials or individuals. The Close Rolls, which contain enrolled copies of these letters, continue beyond the medieval period and extend to 1903
Nature of Letters Close
A Letter Close was written on parchment, folded and sealed so that its contents could not be read without breaking the seal. Unlike Letters Patent, which were open and public, Letters Close were intended for the named recipient only, although the contents were not necessarily confidential.
Copies of these letters were enrolled onto the Close Rolls, which form a continuous series of records from 1204 onwards. Over time, the use and importance of Letters Close declined gradually after the late medieval period (especially post-15th century), as the business of government evolved. The original Letters Close (the sealed letters sent out) very rarely survive. What survives are enrolled copies on the Close Rolls.
Enrolment of Private Documents
In addition to royal correspondence, Close Rolls were sometimes used to enrol certain private legal transactions, including recognisances, deeds of sale, land conveyances and other deeds. This enrolment was not always compulsory and represents only a limited record of such activity. Most wills, for example, were proved in ecclesiastical courts rather than enrolled on the Close Rolls.
In the post-medieval period, the Court of Chancery continued to enrol a variety of documents, including some relating to naturalisation, name changes and other legal instruments, although these later records were different in nature to earlier medieval Close Rolls. The close rolls were replaced by the Supreme Court of Judicature Enrolment Books in 1903.
Catholic Enrolments after 1715
Following the Jacobite uprising of 1715, legislation required Roman Catholics — specifically those who refused the Oath of Allegiance — to enrol documents relating to land ownership at the Court of Chancery. These might include wills, conveyances and deeds proving title to land. Some of these enrolments were recorded on the Close Rolls and formed part of broader penal laws. However, this was a specialised legal requirement and does not represent a comprehensive series of Catholic wills which were normally handled through ecclesiastical courts.
Availability and Access
Many Close Rolls have been calendared, indexed and in some cases transcribed, making them accessible to the public. They form part of a wider body of Chancery enrolment records, which also includes the Patent Rolls, Fine Rolls, and Charter Rolls.
Additional Resources
The following GenGuide sources could assist in researching Close Roll records:
Where Found
- Series C 54, Chancery and Supreme Court of Judicature: Close Rolls, 1204-1903.
- Series C 275, Chancery: Rolls Chapel Office, Enrolment Office and predecessors: Original Calendars and Indexes to the Close Rolls, 1204-1903. Indexes and calendars to the close rolls, which comprise brief notes of enrolments kept year by year when the rolls themselves were compiled, or soon afterwards, are in C 275.
- Series C 55, Chancery: Supplementary Close Rolls, 1243-1434. Rolls containing enrolments of writs of a special character which do not appear on the main series of close rolls.
Searches can be made directly in the TNA Discovery Catalogue with the reference for the petition or a general search within the series ‘C’. First select advanced search from the Discovery home page and enter the name being searched. In the ‘Search for or within references’ box type ‘C’ and then scroll down to ‘Held by’ and click ‘Search The National Archives’. Finally click the search button. Further filters appear on the search results screen.
Period Covered
1204 – 1903
Genealogical Value
- Names of individuals, particularly landholders, officials and those involved in legal transactions.
- family relationships and dates of death.
- Details of land held, land transactions, obligations and property disputes.
- Occasionaly references to residences, status or occupation.
Further References
- Chambers, Paul. Medieval Genealogy: How to Find Your Medieval Ancestors: The History Press, 2005
- Hardy, Thomas Duffus, Sir. (ed.). Close Rolls, Rotuli Litterarum Clausarum, 1204-1227, 2 vols: Record Commission, 1833
- Close Rolls of the Reign of Henry III preserved in the Public Record Office 1227-1231, 14 vols: H.M.S.O, 1902-1938 (Further volumes cover up to 1509. Search for ‘Calendar of Close Rolls preserved in the Public Record Office’ at the Bibliography of British and Irish History)
- Noble, Malcolm. A Practical Introduction to Medieval Genealogy: Bookcabin, 2026
Websites
Brepols Publishers
Bibliography of British and Irish History. The resource is regularly updated database of over 680,000 books, journal articles, essays, edited collections, theses, and reviews on British and Irish history from 55 BCE to the present day. Managed by the Institute of Historical Research and hosted by Brepols. It is highly useful for locating medieval primary source material and for printed calendars such as Chancery records and other medieval bodies like the Exchequer or General Eyres. Brepolis itself is a specialist online platform of academic databases focused on medieval and early modern European history and literature.
Foundation for Medieval Genealogy
The Foundation was established in 2001 by a group of British genealogists and historians with a special interest in the medieval period. The Foundation promotes the study of medieval genealogy and prosopography focusing on the period before 1500 AD. The FMG publishes a journal titled Foundations, which includes articles and reviews related to medieval genealogy. FMG has established a specialised collection of books, journals and offprints relating to medieval genealogy, heraldry and prosopography kept at the Centre for Medieval and Renaissance Studies in Oxford. The Library Catalogue provides a bibliographic catalogue of secondary source material for medieval genealogy and heraldry.
University of Michigan
The Middle English Compendium. The site contains three Middle English electronic resources: the Middle English Dictionary which is the world’s largest searchable database of Middle English lexicon and usage for the period 1100-1500; Bibliography of Middle English prose and verse; Corpus of Middle English Prose and Verse.
Medieval Genealogy
The section offers a clear expert guide to Chancery rolls (Close, Patent, Fine, Charter Rolls) especially useful for family historians.
Essex Record Office
The blog entry offers an introductory guide explaining Letters Close aimed at general readers and family historians.
Medieval Genealogy
The page links directly to digitised rolls, calendars and projects, noting date coverage, series classes and access points.
Family Tree
How to research medieval ancestors. Unlock centuries-old family history with this in-depth guide exploring medieval records across the British Isles. Discover how to trace local landowners, uncover hidden surnames and navigate key feudal documents.
The History of England
Glossary Of Medieval Terms.
Online Databases
British History Online
BHO provides fully searchable digitised calendars of the Close Rolls, Patent Rolls, and Fine Rolls. Close Rolls cover a period of the reigns of Henry III to Richard III. Some volumes require a subscription for full access. Access the records under: Browse Catalogue → Guides and Calendars → Select Close Rolls, Patent Rolls or Fine Rolls. BHO consists of a digital library of British historical sources developed by Institute of Historical Research and the History of Parliament Trust.
TannerRitchie Publishing
Medieval and Early Modern Sources Online. The MEMSO database contains a large repository of medieval and early modern documents such state papers, calendars, charters, rolls, chronicles, accounts and correspondence from the archives of Britain, Ireland and continental Europe covering c.1100-1800.
Prosopography of Anglo-Saxon England
The database aims to provide structured information relating to all the recorded inhabitants of England from the late sixth to the late eleventh century. It is based on a systematic examination of the available written sources for the period. Sources include chronicles, saints’ lives, charters, inscriptions and coins.
University of Sheffield
Lands of the Normans in England, 1204-1244. The digital research project examines the 13th-century Anglo-French aristocracy between 1204 and 1244. It provides an interactive database of nearly 3,000 individuals and places, using historical records to map the redistribution of estates following the French annexation of Normandy. The project built the database using 2,000 individual documents collected from over 100 historical sources such as Charter Rolls, Patent Rolls, Feet of Fines, Cartularies, Chronicles and other primary sources.
Anglo-American Legal Tradition
Explore digital images of documents from Medieval and Early Modern England from The National Archives, 1200 to 1650. Series covered include:
- Series CP 40 (Court of common pleas plea rolls)
- Series KB 27 (Court of king’s bench plea rolls)
- Series E 159 and E 368 (Memoranda rolls)
- Series E 13 (Exchequer plea rolls)
- Series C 33 (Chancery orders and decrees)
- Series JUST 1, (Records of the General Eyre and commissions of assize)
- Series CP 25 (Feet of Fines)
CD Roms
HathiTrust Digital Library
View or browse published calendars of Patent and Close Rolls.
