Ancient hanaper, 1860. A 14th-century container, used for the preservation of title-deeds of the Crown. The '...hanaper of twyggys is exactly 480 years old. Its story is interesting. It was discovered not long ago stowed away among a number of unexamined documents in one of the branch Record Offices in which the contents of the Royal Treasuries of Westminster had been deposited. The strings by which it was fastened were no doubt those originally attached, and on the strip of parchment at its side, looking something like a ribbon, was a description of the deeds it contained. When opened, the identical instruments were found in the place they had occupied for nearly five centimes. Young King Richard II., when visiting his domain at Berkhampstead, took a fancy to some land adjoining his own, and purchased it of the widow Hunt, to whom it belonged. Nothing can be more concise than the record of this negotiation and the description of the land. To keep all safe the indentures were then sent to the Royal muniment room, basketed, ticketed, and entered in the catalogue of its contents, a.d. 1380, to reappear in the same frail depository a.d. 1860'. From "Illustrated London News", 1860.
Pixel Dimensions (W x H) : 4960x3112
File Size : 45,222kb