The Black Book of the Exchequer (Latin: Liber Niger Scaccarii) or Little Black Book (Liber Niger Parvus) is a collection of documents compiled for the English Exchequer early in the reign of King John (1199–1216)[1][2] and now preserved in manuscript in the Public Record Office.[3] It is usually attributed to Alexander of Swerford, who later compiled the Red Book of the Exchequer, including much of the same material.[1][2][3]
The Black Book contains the will of Henry I, several treaties, papal bulls, the Cartae Baronum, an account of the royal household in Henry II's reign and a few other matters. The book illustrates the feudal arrangement of England, the distribution of knights' fees and serjeanties, the obligation of military service and the like topics.[3] It was first printed in 1728 by Thomas Hearne.[1]
The Black Book of the Exchequer should not be confused with the Black Book of the Treasury of Receipt, which contains the Dialogus de Scaccario.[3][1]
- ^ a b c d Reginald L. Poole, The Exchequer in the Twelfth Century (Clarendon Press, 1912), pp. 13–15.
- ^ a b Judith A. Green, "Review of Neil Stacy, ed., Cartae Baronum (Boydell, 2019)", The English Historical Review 136/578 (2021): 175–177.
- ^ a b c d One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Percy Winfield, The Chief Sources of English Legal History (Harvard University Press, 1925), p. 119.