The Magna Carta Project

Charter Rolls

King John was the first king to keep an extensive record of the charters he issued, in the form of charter rolls. The rolls for several years are missing, or perhaps were never compiled. You can read more about John’s charters and charter rolls, and their survival, in the Original Charters section of the Magna Carta Project website. Here you can view images of John’s charter rolls.

The charter rolls were kept by regnal rather than calendar year, which began with the date of the king’s coronation. Because John was crowned on Ascension Day (a moveable feast), the rolls cover slightly different periods each year. You can browse the rolls using the left-hand menu.

Charter Rolls