Genealogical records among the medieval deeds and evidences in the Court of Wards and Liveries

by Paul Dryburgh ^{^[1]}

Abstract

There are relatively few collections which provide evidence of familial links deep into the medieval past. Alongside wills and inquisitions post mortem one of the best sources is the vast collection of deeds documenting transfers of land and property and thereby often the descent of land between generations. This is particularly true for the collection of deeds and evidences in the Court of Wards and Liveries, the principal early modern institution by which the crown oversaw the transfer of property and protected the interests of minors, which now survives as the TNA series WARD 2. The aim of this paper is to provide an introduction to the riches of that collection and to the work we have been doing at TNA to make it more accessible.

Paper presented at the FMG Conference, University of Durham, 1st September 2017.