The Cartulary of Byland Abbey

The Cistercian community that finally settled at New Byland in Yorkshire had a turbulent start, fighting and feuding with neighbours, but after 1177 a more settled period followed, and Byland grew to enjoy considerable prosperity through the lands it acquired in the North Riding of Yorkshire, Westmorland, and in the south of Yorkshire where, with Rievaulx Abbey, Byland was instrumental in the development of iron mining. In the early years of the fifteenth century the monks of Byland compiled a cartulary, containing copies of their muniments. The current volume contains a full English calendar of the cartulary, with detailed notes on the documents. The cartulary copies are discussed in relation to the considerable number of original charters surviving from Byland, and antiquarian collections that contain copies of Byland documents no longer extant. The Introduction provides a detailed study of Byland's estates and economic activity, as well as its patrons and benefactors. JANET BURTON is Reader in Medieval History, University of Wales Lampeter.