C 53/102 conservation

Request

C 53/102 is the record to which my request relates.

For the avoidance of doubt, my request does not concern dating, catalogue description, or alternative enrolled copies.

My request concerns the physical condition of C 53/102, specifically:

• Whether any portion of the parchment roll has been cut away, excised, trimmed, or removed by knife, shears, or other instrument,
• Whether any such excision is noted in conservation, handling, or condition reports
• Whether photographic or digitised images exist showing (but not limited):
  • membrane edges,
  • joins or stitch points,
  • irregular voids or truncation of ruling/text.
• If no excision exists, a positive confirmation that no section of the parchment has been removed since enrolment

This is an objective, physical question capable of a yes/no answer and does not depend on interpretation of content or date.

Please confirm whether The National Archives holds information responsive to the above in relation to C 53/102.

Outcome

Some information provided.

Response

Please note that FOI requests cover recorded information held by a public authority at the time that the request is received. We have determined that to comply with each specific part of your request would require a fresh analysis of C 53/102. This would require the creation of new information and would therefore not be covered under the FOI Act.

However, we have been able to locate a conservation report on C53/102 that provides some information that is of relevance to the questions you have asked.

This report on C 53/102 has been copied verbatim below:

Media

Type: Presumed to be iron gall ink due to colour, date and deterioration. Graphite.

Damage NB. Refer to photo image and overlay diagram when checking condition

Mechanical: Multiple small tears along edges. Worst tears have been repaired.

Horizontal and vertical creases present. One large central crease running vertically through roll has gathered ingrained dirt.

Significant planar distortion, further detail in images.

Abrasion of parchment surface along peaks of creases.

Small sewing holes in sewn area at top of membrane.

Corrections to text made by scraping away ink and top layer of parchment.

Deposits: Ingrained dirt present in areas of surface abrasion, including where corrections have been made by scraping away ink. Edges have gathered ingrained dirt.

Media: Stable
This information was created in relation to C53/102 going on display at an exhibition entitled, 'Charter 700' at the Tring Local History Museum, for the duration of 25/11/2015 – 07/12/2015.