List of scholarly editions of English plea rolls

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This page provides a guide to the key modern scholarly editions that contain high-quality, accurate transcriptions of the original Latin plea rolls from the English Court of Common Pleas (document class CP 40) and the Court of King's Bench (document class KB 27).

Understanding These Resources

For centuries, the official records of England's central courts were kept in a highly abbreviated form of Latin, written in a difficult script known as "court hand." Accessing and understanding these records requires specialized skills in palaeography and medieval Latin. The volumes listed below are the "gold standard" of legal-historical scholarship because they represent the work of expert editors who have transcribed and translated these difficult original manuscripts.

These editions are invaluable for two main reasons:

  1. They provide a clean, reliable text of the official court record, saving researchers the difficult work of transcription.
  2. They often link the formal Latin plea roll entry to the informal law report (typically written in Law French), providing a complete picture of the case.

The leading publisher in this field is the Selden Society, founded in 1887 for this specific purpose. Many of the most important modern editions have been edited by Professor Sir J. H. Baker.

Summary of Coverage by Year

This table provides a high-level overview of which years within the period 1277–1650 have some transcription coverage for CP40 and KB27 cases, based on the editions listed on this page. "Coverage" indicates that at least one scholarly edition provides some transcriptions for that period. The nature of this coverage varies; some are direct transcriptions of the rolls, while others are found in the footnotes of Year Book editions.

Summary of Transcription Coverage and Sources (1273–1650)
Year Range CP40 (Common Pleas) KB27 (King's Bench) Source(s) for Coverage
1273–1306 Gap Coverage Select Cases in the Court of King's Bench
1307–1399 Coverage Coverage Select Cases in the Court of King's Bench
Year Books of Edward II
Select Cases of Trespass
Year Books of Edward III
Year Books of Richard II
1400–1421 Gap Coverage Select Cases in the Court of King's Bench
1422 Coverage Coverage Select Cases in the Court of King's Bench
Year Books of 1 Henry VI
1423–1469 Gap Gap (Gap in coverage)
1470 Coverage Gap Year Books of 10 Edward IV
1471–1484 Gap Gap (Gap in coverage)
1485–1540 Coverage Coverage The Reports of John Caryll
The Reports of Sir John Spelman
The Notebook of Sir John Port
1541–1551 Gap Gap (Gap in coverage)
1552–1571 Coverage Gap Reports from the Lost Notebooks of Sir James Dyer
1572–1588 Coverage Coverage Reports from the Lost Notebooks of Sir James Dyer
The Reports of Sir Edward Coke
1589–1590 Gap Gap (Gap in coverage)
1591–1600 Coverage Coverage The Reports of Sir Edward Coke
1601–1650 Gap Gap (Gap in coverage)

Chronological List of Key Editions

The list is organized chronologically by the start date of the period covered by each series.

Select Cases in the Court of King's Bench (1272–1422)

Description: A foundational 7-volume series presenting the Latin text directly from the KB 27 rolls.
Editor: G. O. Sayles
Publisher: Selden Society
  1. Vol. I (SS Vol. 55): Covers the reign of Edward I.
  2. Vol. II (SS Vol. 57): Covers the reign of Edward I.
  3. Vol. III (SS Vol. 58): Covers the reign of Edward I.
  4. Vol. IV (SS Vol. 74): Covers the reign of Edward II. [Internet Archive]
  5. Vol. V (SS Vol. 76): Covers the reigns of Edward III and Richard II. [Internet Archive]
  6. Vol. VI (SS Vol. 82): Covers the reigns of Richard II, Henry IV, and Henry V.
  7. Vol. VII (SS Vol. 88): Covers the reigns of Richard II, Henry IV, and Henry V. [Internet Archive]

Year Books of Edward II (1307–1327)

Description: The definitive scholarly edition of the Edward II Year Books. While primarily editions of the Law French reports, the footnotes and introductions are packed with Latin transcriptions from the plea rolls (CP 40), and each volume includes a "Table of Concordance" linking reports to the official record. The list below is organized by Selden Society volume number, which reflects the order of publication.
Principal Editors: F.W. Maitland, G.J. Turner, W.C. Bolland, T.F.T. Plucknett, et al.
Publisher: Selden Society
  1. Year Books of 1 & 2 Edward II, 1307–1309 (SS Vol. 17) [Internet Archive]
  2. Year Books of 2 & 3 Edward II, 1308–1310 (SS Vol. 19) [Google Books]
  3. Year Books of 3 Edward II, 1309–1310 (SS Vol. 20) [Internet Archive]
  4. Year Books of 3 & 4 Edward II, 1310 (SS Vol. 22)
  5. The Eyre of Kent, 6 & 7 Edward II, 1313–1314, Vol. I (SS Vol. 24)
  6. Year Books of 4 Edward II, 1310–1311 (SS Vol. 26)
  7. The Eyre of Kent, 6 & 7 Edward II, 1313–1314, Vol. II (SS Vol. 27) [Internet Archive]
  8. The Eyre of Kent, 6 & 7 Edward II, 1313–1314, Vol. III (SS Vol. 29) [Internet Archive]
  9. Year Books of 5 Edward II, 1311–1312 (SS Vol. 31)
  10. Year Books of 5 Edward II, 1312 (SS Vol. 33)
  11. Year Books of 6 Edward II, 1312–1313 (SS Vol. 34)
  12. Year Books of 6 & 7 Edward II, 1313 (SS Vol. 36)
  13. Year Books of 6 Edward II, 1312–1313 (SS Vol. 38)
  14. Year Books of 7 Edward II, 1313–1314 (SS Vol. 39)
  15. Year Books of 8 Edward II, 1314–1315 (SS Vol. 41)
  16. Year Books of 6 Edward II, 1313 (SS Vol. 43)
  17. Year Books of 9 Edward II, 1315–1316 (SS Vol. 45) [Internet Archive]
  18. Year Books of 10 Edward II, 1316–1317 (SS Vol. 52)
  19. Year Books of 10 Edward II, 1316–1317 (SS Vol. 54)
  20. Year Books of 11 Edward II, 1317–1318 (SS Vol. 61)
  21. Year Books of 5 Edward II, 1311 (SS Vol. 63)
  22. Year Books of 12 Edward II, 1318 (SS Vol. 65) [Internet Archive]
  23. Year Books of 12 Edward II, 1319 (SS Vol. 70)
  24. Year Books of 12 Edward II, 1319 (SS Vol. 81)
  25. The Eyre of London, 14 Edward II, 1321, Vol. I (SS Vol. 85)
  26. The Eyre of London, 14 Edward II, 1321, Vol. II (SS Vol. 86)
  27. Year Books of 14 Edward II, 1320 (SS Vol. 104)

Select Cases of Trespass from the King's Courts (1307–1399)

Description: A direct, facing-page edition of the plea rolls themselves (Latin text and English translation) from CP 40 and KB 27.
Editor: Morris S. Arnold
Publisher: Selden Society
  1. Vol. I (SS Vol. 100)
  2. Vol. II (SS Vol. 103) [Internet Archive]

Year Books of Edward III (c. 1337–1377)

Description: A multi-volume foundational edition for this reign. The editor frequently refers to and transcribes from the CP 40 plea rolls to clarify the reports.
Editor: Luke Owen Pike
Publisher: The Rolls Series

The following volumes were edited by Luke Owen Pike for the Rerum Britannicarum medii aevi scriptores (Rolls Series). Pike's work covers the regnal years 11 through 20.

  • Years 11 and 12 Edward III (1337–1338)
    • Published: 1883
  • Years 12 and 13 Edward III (1338–1339)
    • Published: 1885
  • Years 13 and 14 Edward III (1339–1340)
    • Published: 1886
  • Year 14 Edward III (1340)
    • Published: 1888
  • Years 14 and 15 Edward III (1340–1341)
    • Published: 1889
  • Year 15 Edward III (1341)
    • Published: 1891
  • Year 16 Edward III (Part 1) (1342)
    • Published: 1896
  • Year 16 Edward III (Part 2) (1342–1343)
    • Published: 1900
  • Year 17 Edward III (1343)
    • Published: 1901
  • Year 18 Edward III (1344)
    • Published: 1904
  • Years 18 and 19 Edward III (1344–1345)
    • Published: 1905
  • Year 19 Edward III (1345)
    • Published: 1906
  • Year 20 Edward III (Part 1) (1346)
    • Published: 1908
  • Year 20 Edward III (Part 2) (1346–1347)
    • Published: 1911

Year Books of Richard II (1377-1399)

Description: Coverage for this reign is provided by a series of individual volumes from both the Selden Society and the Ames Foundation. All follow the modern scholarly method of using footnotes to provide Latin plea roll entries from CP 40.
  • Year Books of 2 Richard II (1378-1379)
    • Editor: Morris S. Arnold
    • Publisher: Ames Foundation
  • Year Books of 7 Richard II (1383-1384)
    • Editor: Morris S. Arnold
    • Publisher: Ames Foundation
  • Year Books of 8 Richard II (1384-1385)
    • Editor: Morris S. Arnold
    • Publisher: Ames Foundation
  • Year Books of 11 Richard II (1387-1388) [Google Books]
    • Editors: Isobel D. Thornley & T.F.T. Plucknett
    • Publisher: Ames Foundation
  • Year Books of 12 Richard II (1388-1389) [Google Books]
    • Editors: Morris S. Arnold & J. H. Baker
    • Publisher: Ames Foundation
  • Year Books of 13 Richard II (1389-1390) [Google Books]
    • Editor: Theodore F. T. Plucknett
    • Publisher: Ames Foundation

Year Books of Henry VI (1422)

Description: Continues the Selden Society tradition of linking the reports to the official Latin records in the footnotes.
Editor: C. H. Williams
Publisher: Selden Society
  1. Year Books of 1 Henry VI (1422) (SS Vol. 50)

Year Books of Edward IV (1470)

Description: An essential source for the 15th century, linking reports to the official Latin records.
Editor: N. Neilson
Publisher: Selden Society
  1. Year Books of 10 Edward IV and 49 Henry VI (1470) (SS Vol. 47)

The Reports of John Caryll (1485–1522)

Description: The benchmark model where Latin plea roll entries from CP 40 and KB 27 are transcribed in the footnotes.
Editor: J. H. Baker
Publisher: Selden Society
  1. Part I (SS Vol. 115): Covers 1485–1509. [Internet Archive]
    CP40/906, m. 524, Wylkes [Transcription] [AALT image]
  2. Part II (SS Vol. 116): Covers 1509–1522.

The Reports of Sir John Spelman (c. 1502–1540)

Description: A direct companion to Caryll, with extensive Latin transcriptions from both CP 40 and KB 27 in the footnotes.
Editor: J. H. Baker
Publisher: Selden Society
  1. Vol. I (SS Vol. 93) [Internet Archive]
  2. Vol. II (SS Vol. 94) [Internet Archive]

The Notebook of Sir John Port (1509–1521)

Description: The editor provides the corresponding Latin plea roll entries from CP 40 and KB 27 in the apparatus.
Editor: J. H. Baker
Publisher: Selden Society
  1. The Notebook of Sir John Port (SS Vol. 102) [Internet Archive]

Reports from the Lost Notebooks of Sir James Dyer (c. 1552–1580)

Description: A reconstruction of reports from a great Chief Justice of the Common Pleas, linking them to the official records with transcriptions from CP 40.
Editor: J. H. Baker
Publisher: Selden Society
  1. Vol. I (SS Vol. 109)
  2. Vol. II (SS Vol. 110)

The Reports of Sir Edward Coke (1572–1616)

Description: An ongoing multi-volume project to re-examine Coke's famous reports by publishing his earliest autograph notebooks. These volumes contain material omitted from the printed Reports and are collated with the original plea rolls, providing critical analysis and transcriptions.
Editor: Sir John Baker
Publisher: Selden Society
  1. Reports from the Notebooks of Edward Coke, Vol. I (SS Vol. 136): Covers 1572–1579.
  2. Reports from the Notebooks of Edward Coke, Vol. II (SS Vol. 137): Covers 1579–1588.
  3. Reports from the Notebooks of Edward Coke, Vol. III (SS Vol. 138): Covers 1591–1595.
  4. Reports from the Notebooks of Edward Coke, Vol. IV (SS Vol. 139): Covers 1596–1598.
  5. Reports from the Notebooks of Edward Coke, Vol. V (SS Vol. 140): Covers 1598–1600.
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