Malmesbury abbey was a seventh-century foundation, re-established in the late tenth century and supported by royal patronage for several centuries. It was famous for its enormous library, and especially the work of the twelfth-century historian William of Malmesbury. This register of charters was compiled in the late thirteenth century and, although some are later forgeries, it is an important collection of Anglo-Saxon documents. It provides vital information about Wessex from the seventh century on, as well as material about the later difficulties between the monks and the bishop of Salisbury. This two-volume edition of the Latin texts with English side-notes was prepared by John Sherren Brewer (1809–79) and completed by Charles Trice Martin (1842–1914). Volume 2 (1880) contains charters relating to the abbey's extensive property holdings. The appendices include royal and papal decrees, as well as evidences of disputes between the abbey and the town of Malmesbury over trade.
