British Library acquires the Dering Roll

"The Dering Roll, the oldest extant English roll of arms, dating from c. 1270-1280, has been acquired by the British Library following a successful fundraising campaign. The Roll depicts 324 coats of arms, approximately a quarter of the entire English baronage during the reign of King Edward I, making it a vital record for the study of knighthood in medieval England. The Dering Roll was acquired with the aid of the National Heritage Memorial Fund (£100,000), The Art Fund, the UK's leading independent art charity' (GBP40,000), Friends of the British Library (GBP10,000), Friends of the National Libraries (GBP10,000) and numerous donations from individual supporters"