THE 'LOST VOLUME' OF THE COWCHER BOOKS OF THE DUCHY OF LANCASTER: THE INVENTION OF A MANUSCRIPT

摘要

The existence of a lost third volume of the Great Cowcher books of the Duchy of Lancaster was first postulated in the early 19th century. This article traces the historiography associated with the 'lost' volume and considers the origins of the various charters it was supposed to contain, concluding that a series of errors lent plausibility to an otherwise untenable theory. It identifies the origins and location of the charters supposedly contained in the phantom volume.