An earl's borough inside the old Roman walls, breached after the town was taken in 1173: a wool and cloth town governed by its gild merchant, whose rolls survive from 1196.
Who holds it
- Name
- Robert de Beaumont IV, earl of Leicester
- Title
- Earl of Leicester
- Confidence
- high
Lord in 1200
The earl of Leicester, lord of the borough, its castle and its courts.
How things stand that morning
At peace under the earl.
Charter
The earls' charters (Robert of Meulan, 1103-18; Earl Robert II, 1159-62) and Henry I's confirmation; Ballard also lists a confirmation by John dated 1199 (reading uncertain).
Council
The portmanmoot under the earl's reeve; the gild merchant with its alderman and jurats (gild rolls from 1196).
Communities
Not recorded for 1200.
Fairs and markets
The earl's markets and fairs (dates not pinned).
Militia
The burgesses' levy; the town was stormed and burned by the royal army in 1173.
Walls and castle
The Roman walls (breached after 1173) and gates; the earl's castle and hall on the south-west.
Trade and crafts
Wool, cloth (dyers and fullers), leather.
Where the sources disagree
Evidence: Charters from Ballard; gild rolls are a well-known series.
Primary sources for England
Chronicles, registers, sagas and inscriptions written in or near 1200 that cover this entry. Each has its own page with editions, translations and where to read it.
- Chronicle of Jocelin of Brakelond, Jocelin of Brakelond (about 1198 to 1203). An inside account of Bury St Edmunds under Abbot Samson, written while the events were fresh. Read online
- Chronicle of Melrose, Anonymous (monks of Melrose abbey) (about 1173 to 1270, in many hands; the 1200 entries are near contemporary). The main Scottish annal for the year, kept at a Cistercian house on the Tweed. Read online
- Chronicle of Roger of Howden, Roger of Howden (about 1192 to 1201). The fullest single narrative for the year. Read online
- Chronicle of the Princes, Anonymous (Welsh translation of a lost Latin chronicle kept at Strata Florida) (Latin original to about 1282, compiled from contemporary annals; Welsh versions about 1300 and later). The native Welsh record of the year. Read online
- Chronicle; Deeds of the Kings, Gervase of Canterbury (Chronica about 1188 to 1199; Gesta Regum about 1199 to 1210). The Chronica stops in 1199, so for 1200 the witness is the briefer Gesta Regum, which notes John's peace with Philip, the coronation of Isabella at Westminster on 8 October 1200, and matters touching Canterbury: the archbishop Hubert Walter as chancellor, the cathedral priory's quarrel with him, and the Lambeth college dispute lately settled by the pope. Read online
- English Chronicle of Ralph of Coggeshall, Ralph of Coggeshall (about 1200 to 1224, in stages). Short but independent entries for 1200 from a Cistercian house in Essex: John's levy on the Cistercians and the carucage, the peace with Philip, the king's new marriage and the queen's coronation, and the death of Hugh of Lincoln. Read online
- Flowers of History, Roger of Wendover (about 1220 to 1235 at St Albans). For 1200 Wendover is mostly Howden rewritten, so he is a second witness only where he adds St Albans material: a long account of Hugh of Lincoln's last months, death and funeral, and anecdotes about John's conduct toward the Cistercians and his new queen. Read online
- Images of History, Ralph de Diceto (about 1188 to 1202). A London view of the year from the dean of St Paul's, who knew the justiciar and the bishops personally. Read online
22 more in the sources library for The British Isles.
Sources and studies
Last revised 4 November 2026. Published 4 November 2026. Suggest a correction on the OMNIA Discord.