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Unpublished IPMs: Hugh Waterton d. 1409

The Gloucestershire IPM for Hugh Waterton survives only in the Exchequer archive of IPMs. It was taken ex officio; a writ diem clausit extremum for Gloucestershire was issued, on 12 July 1409 (CFR 1405-13, 124), but does not appear to have been acted on. The apparent reference to a Gloucestershire inquisition in an old inventory of IPMs (Calendarium, iii.332) seems in fact to be a summary of the surviving IPM for Herefordshire (CIPM xix.819)

Appointment of a New Researcher

Dr Matthew Tompkins has been appointed as the second historic researcher for the project. He brings particular expertise in economic history (and especially the late medieval rural economy) to complement the interests of Michael Hicks and Matthew Holford. A graduate of Cambridge and holding a doctorate from Leicester, Dr Tompkins is a highly experienced researcher who  has worked on projects dealing with Buckinghamshire towns, the borough of Wallingford, and private law and medieval village society. He will share in the enhancement of the printed volumes, the markup of the digitized text for 1399-1447 , and the preparation of featured IPMs and case studies and other methods of publicising the project. Dr Tompkins takes up his two year appointment with effect from 1 January 2013 and will be based at the University of Winchester.

Landmarks in Life: Vital Events and Vital Statistics from the Proofs of Age

Michael Hicks discusses the rites of passage recorded in the proofs of age.

Unpublished inquisitions: Elizabeth who was the wife of Thomas, duke of Norfolk, ?1400

This post continues our occasional series of inquisitions omitted from the published calendars for the reigns of Henry IV and Henry V. It is not fully clear why the present document was not included, but it seems to have been added to its current file in the IPM archive from a different series of documents, and this may have taken place after the printed calendar was published. Unfortunately there seems to be no record of when the document was added to the file, or of its earlier provenance.

CIPM XVIII.416 and the Exchequer series of IPMs

Many IPMs survive in multiple copies: one in the Chancery series of inquisitions, and one, sometimes more, in the Exchequer series. The early history of the Exchequer archive is currently obscure, but by the late fourteenth century its workings are reasonably clear. A copy of the Chancery IPM was provided to the Exchequer and was used to check the accuracy of the escheator's account. After audit the account and any related inquisitions and writs were filed together. (Sometimes the inquisitions and writs were physically attached to the account.) Those included not only IPMs but inquisitions, often ex officio, concerning other aspects of the escheators' responsibilities such as the alienation of lands without royal licence.