Record Commission

“ Our right trusty and well-beloved Councillors Charles James Fox, and William Windham, Our three Principal Secretaries of State, or Our three Principal Secretaries of State for the Time being; Our right trusty and well-beloved Councillors Charles Abbot, Speaker of the House of Commons, or the Speaker of the House of Commons for the time being; and Sir William Grant Knight, Master of the Rolls, or the Master of the Rolls for the time being; Our trusty and well-beloved Henry Erskine Esquire, Our sole and only Advocate for Scotland, or our sole and only Advocate for Scotland for the time being ”

“ A Period of nearly Seventy Years has elapsed since the last General Parliamentary Inquiry upon this Subject; and, during this Interval of Time, the Change which has taken place in the Language and written Character of Judicial Proceedings, as well as the large Accumulation of Materials which has been progressively superadded in every Department, have increased the Difficulties of methodizing the several Repositories, or applying their Contents to Purposes of practical Use. ”

“ Tomlins and Illingworth of their Journey last Year, and the Result of their Searches in England and Ireland for Originals, Records, and Manuscript Copies of the Charters and Statutes in England; with an Appendix, containing Transcripts of Charters, Statutes, and other relative Documents, annexed thereto ”

“ Stepħus Dei gr̃a Cantuar̃ Archiep̃s tocius Anglie pimas & sc̃e Rom̄ Eccl̵ie Cardin̄, Henr̃ eadem gr̃a Dublin̄ Archiep̃us, Wil̴l̴mus London̄, Petrꝯ Winton̄, Joscelinꝯ Bathon̄ & Glaston̄, Hugo Linc̃, Walt͛us Wigorn̄, Wil̴l̴s Coventr̃ & Benedc̃us Roff̴, divina miserac͠one Ep̃i, & Magr̃ Pandulfus domini p̃p subdiaconus & familiaris sal̵t̃m in dño. ”