The cartulary of St Leonard's Hospital, York, Rawlinson volume

摘要

The hospital of St Leonard, founded in York in the late eleventh century, was once one of the richest in all of England and a powerful institution in that great city, even if only the ruins of its undercroft can today be seen. More convincing proof of its former wealth and grandeur is found in its archival remains - in the form of an early fifteenth century cartulary. Comprising a set of three large volumes of almost 700 folios (measuring 161/2 × 12 inches), of which two remain, this ambitious and imposing work presents a meticulously-transcribed record of the hospital's collection of deeds and muniments, framed by generous margins and decorated with an array of painted and gilded capitals.