Acquisition of the Dering Roll

The Dering Roll is the oldest English roll of arms surviving in its original form, from the reign of Edward I; a vital document for the study of knighthood in medieval England. The Roll was made between 1270 and 1280 and contains the coat of arms of 324 knights, starting with two illegitimate children of King John. Sir Edward Dering acquired the roll during the 17th century and modified it to include a fictitious ancestor of his own.