These books primarily contain draft translations from Latin petitions addressed to the Chancellor of England, reciting the circumstances of a civil wrong, and praying that the parties be summoned to the Chancery--presumably Bills in Chancery. A few documents are transcriptions of originals in medieval English or Law French.

There is some other matter: e.g. letters from Henry V, De assisa monetae juste et rigide custodienda (Rot. Pat. 6 Joh.).

Date: Few of these documents are dated. The Chancellors are generally addressed as "the bishop of Durham, Chancellor of England" [Langley, 1406-1424?], "the bishop of Bath..." [Stafford, 1432-1443?], "the bishop of Exeter..." [Stafford, 1396-1399?], "the archbishop of Canterbury" [Arundel, 1407-1414??]. One document refers to the 17th year of our lord King Richard that now is (i.e. 1393-1399).

The hand appears to be 19th century, and the binding to be 19th or early 20th.

The translations are distinctly drafts--phrases re-worked, spaces left. Some corrections and directions in another hand. Some footnotes. (It is unclear as to whether the originals were in Latin, but the phraseology makes it likely.) Sources seldom given.

Each document was formerly on a separate sheet (or sheets); this is shown by dirt and occasional docketing. Then each sheet was placed on a stub, and interleaved; bound in purple cloth, half-leather. Spine with gold rules and title, raised bands. Stamped: G (?) Morley binder Leeds. Both volumes uniformly bound.