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[ Text Only: Homepage ]
[ Graphical: Channel4 Homepage ]
Rochester is a wonderful siege to investigate, not only because it was the greatest
siege of its age, but because the evidence we have for it is so good.
Up until the end of the 12th century English kings had been in the habit of
sending out dozens of written orders to their deputies on a daily basis. King
John, however, made an important innovation: he instructed his clerks to keep
a copy of all his letters. Every order that the king sent out, his chancery
clerks would dutifully transcribe onto large parchment rolls, and these rolls
still survive today in the Public Record Office..
The transcript from the voice over for the video:
"From the start of John’s reign, we have Chancery rolls which a copy
of every order that John’s sends out. We have got the date and the place
so we can track John’s movements exactly. So we know that John arrived
at Rochester on the 13th of October and on the 14th of October he sent this
writ. King to the men of Canterbury, we order you, that just as you love us,
that immediately that you see these letters, you cause to be made by day and
night, all the picks that you can. And then here he goes on to say, that the
Smiths in the city of Canterbury should stop all other work except for the manufacture
of picks. And send them to us at Rochester as quickly as possible. Given by
our hand, at Rochester on the 14th October 1215."
Graphic version
Includes layout and images.