3 - The Custody of the Archives 1550–1960

Summary

While the registrary was concerned with producing and keeping the records of university administration and jurisdiction, his authority did not originally extend to the custody of the older muniments of the university. In fact a sharp distinction was drawn between the ‘registers’, books and papers which were housed in the register office and consistory, and ‘muniments’ or ‘archives’. These latter were still considered to be part of the university treasure to be kept by the vice-chancellor and proctors, in whose hands all financial control was vested. These archives therefore remained in the vestry, seldom seeing the light of day between one audit and the next. It was small wonder that, in the course of half a century of neglect, a general ignorance of their contents prevailed.

In the spring of 1552–3 the university was engaged in one of its frequent quarrels with the town, and it occurred to someone that an investigation of the ancient muniments of the university might reveal privileges which would enable the university to score in such disputes. Accordingly a Grace was passed by the senate, deploring the neglected state of the documents, and appointing a commission to examine them, noting especially anything which concerned the liberties and laws of the university, and to inscribe them in a book. The Grace concludes with a request that the ancient statutes in the Proctor's Books may be similarly examined and revised. This Grace incidentally marks the first of various sporadic attempts to codify the privileges and statutes of the university, a task not really performed until 1785.