The Plea Rolls of the Court of Common Pleas
An Unused Source for the Art and History of Later Medieval England, 1422–1509
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 8886736 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Elizabeth A Danbury (University of London, corresponding author), Kathleen L Scott |
| Year | 2015 |
| Volume | 95 |
| Pages | 157-210 |
| Publication date | 2015-09-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | The Antiquaries Journal (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0003-5815 • E-ISSN: 1758-5309 |
| Publisher | Cambridge University Press (CUP) (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1017/s000358151500044x |
| OpenAlex | W2196506385 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 1 |
| References cited | 20 |
The court of Common Pleas was one of the most important courts in the English legal system for more than 600 years, until its abolition by Act of Parliament in 1873. The cases heard before this royal court were civil disputes between the king’s subjects, often relating to land, inheritance and debts. The purpose of this paper is to introduce readers to the ornament and imagery that appeared on the headings of the main records of the court of Common Pleas between 1422 and 1509 and to explore the origins and contemporary context of the images and representations employed by the clerk-artists who wrote and decorated these headings. The decoration they chose ranged from simple ornament to representations of plants, birds, animals and people. Great emphasis was placed on the role of the sovereign as the fount of justice, and this emphasis was reinforced by the incorporation of words and phrases, acclamations and verses from the Psalms chosen to underline the majesty and power of successive monarchs. The illustrations provide an important insight into the art, history and politics of late fifteenth-century England
Archaeology · Art · Context (archaeology · Literature · Majesty · Parliament · Plea · Political science · Politics · Power (physics · Sovereignty · Classics · History · Law · Medieval Literature and History
A Cultural history of gesture
Monsters and Grotesques in Medieval Manuscripts
Outcasts
The Origins of the English Legal Profession
The Court of Common Pleas in Fifteenth Century England
Animals with Human Faces
Wardens' Accounts and Court Minute Books of the Goldsmiths' Mistery of London, 1334-1446
A Social History of English Law
Time, Work, and Culture in the Middle Ages
| Unique citing works | 1 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 1 |
| Citation span | 2025 - 2025 (1) |
| Citation velocity | recent |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 1 |