PREFACE
The appearance of the present work has been long delayed, partly
on account of circumstances arising out of the War, and partly by
reason of other claims upon the writer's time. To this delay must be
attributed the numerous appendixes in which will be found final
concords of early date that have been discovered from time to time
during the progress of the work.
The text of the volume contains final concords relating to the
second half of Henry III's reign, and at that date, as indeed in the
earlier period, most of the concords are cast in a common mould.
It has therefore been found possible in the printed abstracts to omit,
without loss, a good deal of common form. In some cases, however,
and especially in the longer documents, unusual particulars are recorded,
and here a full translation has been given.
It only remains for the writer to acknowledge his indebtedness
to those who have helped him. To two of his friends his special
thanks are due: first, to Professor F. M. Stenton, M.A., for very
generous help and advice with respect to the Introduction, and for
copies of several twelfth century documents; and, secondly, to the
Reverend T. Longley, M.A., who has allowed him to draw freely upon
the great store of evidence which he has accumulated with respect to
the descent of feudal estates in Lincolnshire. Others also must be
mentioned. At the hands of the Deputy Keeper and the Officials of the
Public Record Office he has received much kindness and consideration.
For the purpose of the section on procedure in the Introduction
Miss Doris M. Parsons, b.a., has kindly furnished him with many
extracts from the earliest Lincolnshire Assize Roll which she is editing
for the Lincoln Record Society. Mr. A. Hamilton Thompson, M.A.,
F.S.A., has at all times placed his wide knowledge of medieval history
at the writer's command. Miss M. Burdett Butcher, under the writer's
direction, made the first draft of most of the abstracts which form the
text of the book. And, not least, he is indebted to his secretary,
Miss Florence E. Thurlby, for constant and patient help in reading the
proof-sheets, and especially in constructing the index and checking
its cross-references.
C. W. F.
Timberland,
1 May, 1920.