Bailiffs' Minute Book of Dunwich, 1404-1430

This database contains the minute book of the bailiffs of Dunwich from 1404 to 1430. Dunwich was one of England's wealthiest ports during medieval times. Today it is the size of a hamlet. This "Minute Book is the only substantial medieval document to have survived from the town's own archive." It is therefore an important set of documents because it fills in a period of history and provides a perspective on Dunwich not obtainable from other records. There are various types of bailiffs with differing offices and duties, but in general a bailiff is a legal officer with some type of authority over a jurisdiction. The types of records bailiffs created would differ depending on what their responsibilities were. In this case, information about Dunwich's finances, government, industry, and other civic affairs are provided.