The manorial system in England and parts of Wales affected much of the rural population until well into the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Documents produced by manorial courts, which continued to operate in many areas until the early years of the last century, can provide valuable information about the transfer of land and property. The most common form of tenure in England was copyhold, and much of the relevant information to be found in the surviving records deals with copyhold tenants and their holdings. Valuable information about freehold and leasehold properties can also however often be found in documents such as rentals and surveys.

The location of surviving manorial documents is recorded in the Manorial Documents Register. The register is arranged by county and then by manor. Parts of the register, at present covering the whole of Wales, Yorkshire, Hampshire, the Isle of Wight and Norfolk, have been computerised and can be consulted online. A paper register, which covers the remaining English counties, is on open access in our Open Reading Room.

We hold a great many manorial documents, spread across a variety of classes. These are recorded on the Manorial Documents Register and on our online Catalogue.