Winchester College Bursars' Accounts

Record title: Winchester College Bursars' Accounts
Repository: Winchester College Archives
Shelfmark: 22218
Repository location: Winchester

The bursars' accounts were kept annually by the two bursars, one of whom was elected each year and served as the junior bursar, becoming senior bursar the following year. Their accounts included all the college finances, beginning with receipts from the rents of manors and estates owned by the college. Expenses are divided into sections: the chapel, hall, the kitchen, pantry, stable, and garden; stipends to chaplains, scholars, and others; external expenses and gifts (the last two the sections where payments to entertainers were normally entered). In 1556 the system of annual rolls adopted at the founding of the college was changed to keeping the accounts in book form. The accounts run from Michaelmas to Michaelmas but with each year divided into quarters.

The manuscript flyleaves are 'apparently 4 leaves from book on Martyrs including St Sebastian' (Himsworth, Winchester College Muniments, vol 1, p 65).

1599–1624; Latin; paper; ii + 656 + ii; 300mm x 200mm; unnumbered; leaves very dog-eared, first 2 leaves of accounts torn out, leaving a 75mm border on which one can discern parts of the usual 'computus' records which open each year's accounts; contemporary parchment binding, remains of leather straps, buckle missing, title on spine: 'Burs: ab 1599 ad 1624.'