IMC 2026: Sessions

Wakefield Manor in Yorkshire was one of the largest in England. Its records survive from the late thirteenth century through until the early twentieth century. Despite its size and continuity, this manor’s rolls are much less well-known than those of other regions. The rolls are owned by the Yorkshire Archaeological and Historical Society based in Leeds, and held in the Brotherton Library, University of Leeds. Following on from a successful collaboration between the Leeds Institute for Medieval Studies with Wakefield Museums, which aimed to make the rolls better known to local young people, it seemed the time was ripe for making them better known to academic audiences too using a variety of interpretive methods. The papers in this session will explore the written culture of the medieval manor, looking at how the rolls were used by tenants in litigation and land transfer; will read certain cases closely for evidence of how tenants exercised authority and control outside of the formal offices of the manor and court; and will discuss recent creative approaches to the rolls as a methodology for conducting research.