General information about the rolls of the Bench for the period covered by this volume is as follows:

HISTORY OF THE ROLLS

A summary of what is known of the history of the rolls, which since about 1890 have been preserved in the series formerly known as ‘Curia Regis Rolls’ and now as ‘Courts of Common Pleas and King's Bench, and Justices Itinerant: Early Plea and Essoin Rolls’, was given in Volume XI.

The trend developed between 1244 and 1249 towards giving the Bench rolls formally engrossed headings which employ the word Bancus was remarked on in the previous volume. All three rolls used for this volume, as well as the unprinted essoin roll, have headings of this sort, but none retains its thirteenth century covers. One (roll 143) has lost its cover in comparatively modern times, and with it the usual notes by record keepers who worked on it from the seventeenth century onwards. The other two (141, 142) have covers apparently given during the overhaul of plea rolls in 1394. Both have notes by Arthur Agarde (deputy chamberlain of the Exchequer 1570–1615), Scipio le Squyer (deputy chamberlain 1620–54, chamberlain 1654–59) and John Todd, who worked under a deputy chamberlain in the 1660s. Crosses, put on many thirteenth century plea rolls during an overhaul in the seventeenth or eighteenth century, appear on one roll (141) and trefoils, from a similar overhaul, on two (141, 143).

The three rolls were all among those which returned to Westminster after the Stapledon array at the Tower of London in 1320–1326.

CURIA REGIS ROLL 141 (Bench, 34 Henry III, Trinity)

This roll seems to have been made by the same team of clerks as rolls 135, 138 and 139. There is no consistent series of marks indicating that the process of the court had issued in particular cases, but a few cases scattered through the roll bear the marginations ‘.b.’ or ’ .b.’

The cover was formerly attached to the foot of rot. 10, but has now been removed and put at the end of the roll. It seems to date from the overhaul of 1394. The main docket, in a late fourteenth century hand, runs: Placita apud Westmonasterium coram R. de Thurkelby et sociis/suis Justiciariis de Banco in octabis Trinitatis anno regni regis Henrici/xxxiiito.