Petitions are vital sources for our knowledge of life in the middle ages. A selection is presented here with English summaries, notes, and introduction.

In the middle ages clergy of all ranks, from archbishops to parochial clergy, sent proctors to parliament, whether as representatives of constituency groups - diocesan clergy and cathedral chapters - or substitutes for those expected to attend in person. The National Archives series SC 10 contains 2,520 surviving letters of appointments by these parliamentarians, both groups and, more especially, individuals, cathedral deans, archdeacons, and many bishops; especially valuable are the letters sent by bishops whose registers have not survived, as in the case of Chichester and of the Welsh...