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Richard Cassidy @rjcassidy.bsky.social · 19/06/2026

Spotted an unusual court case - a cat unjustly detained, the culprit amerced 6d. From the Nottinghamshire sheriff’s account, 1258-59. 1 /3 #medievalsky #cats

Extract from a list of fines and amercements: De Thom’ Gerewy pro murileg’ injuste detento - vi d.

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Richard Cassidy @rjcassidy.bsky.social · 28/04/2026

Just published in The Mediaeval Journal, my article about this elephant, drawn by Matthew Paris in the Tower of London. It includes Matthew’s text about the elephant, which surprisingly has not previously been published. #medievalsky

Drawing of an elephant being fed by its keeper, with Latin text explaining that the size of the man demonstrates how big the elephant is.

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Richard Cassidy @rjcassidy.bsky.social · 31/03/2026

Come to Salerno university in the spring, they said. It turned out a bit bleak, but nice people and an interesting workshop on accounts, ancient and medieval.

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Richard Cassidy @rjcassidy.bsky.social · 28/03/2026

Pope Gregory VII says hello, from Salerno cathedral.

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Richard Cassidy @rjcassidy.bsky.social · 30/12/2025

Just received the first book I’ve seen with a 2026 publication date, a present from me to me. But sad to be reminded of the loss of Björn Weiler, as it includes one of his last articles. #medievalsky

Front cover of The Cambridge Companion to Matthew Paris, showing the drawing of Matthew’s death.

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Richard Cassidy @rjcassidy.bsky.social · 30/09/2025

The morrow of Michaelmas - yet another Exchequer year begins.

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Richard Cassidy @rjcassidy.bsky.social · 09/07/2025

Traditional proud author photo, at publishers’ stand at #IMC2025.

Grinning author holding up a slim volume called Approaching Pipe Rolls.

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Richard Cassidy @rjcassidy.bsky.social · 01/05/2025

A carved and half-eaten chicken brought back to life? The most impressive miracle in the Evesham abbey miracle book, from ‘Saint Simon de Montfort’, ed and trans by David Cox. An editorial note speculates that this might have been a joke. #medievalsky

Extract from the miracles of Simon de Montfort: ‘The same man told of a fowl which had been dead, carved up and half eaten. After being measured, it was splendidly brought back to life through the merits of the earl …’

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Richard Cassidy @rjcassidy.bsky.social · 25/04/2025

Received and read the new book by @medievalabby.bsky.social In just over 100 pages, this provides a great introduction to a complicated set of records, with case studies showing how they can be used (for example) to illustrate royal gift-giving and household management. #medievalsky

The front cover of a hardback book, Approaching Records of the Household and Wardrobe, by Abigail Armstrong. The book is propped up by volumes of just such records. The cover is mostly plain shiny black, ideal for showing fingerprints.

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Richard Cassidy @rjcassidy.bsky.social · 24/03/2025

#medievalsky I just received my annual statement from the Authors’ Licensing and Collecting Soc. www.alcs.co.uk Only about £140, but better than nothing, for photocopying etc of my relatively few books and articles. If you haven’t heard of it, UK medievalists might find it worth investigating.

alcs.co.uk

ALCS

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Richard Cassidy @rjcassidy.bsky.social · 14/02/2025

St Valentine’s day is of course memorable as the anniversary of the death in 1257 of Henry III’s elephant in the Tower of London. (See the icon by my name. Recorded in pipe roll for 1257.) #medievalsky

Line of text from pipe roll: Et in sustentatione elephantis Regis et custodis sui … usque ad festum Sancti Valentini antequam idem eleph’ moreretur.

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Richard Cassidy @rjcassidy.bsky.social · 27/01/2025

You’re going to need a bigger bookshelf. Arrived today, all 800 pages of it. #medievalsky

Lego figures of characters from Jaws next to a very large book.

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Richard Cassidy @rjcassidy.bsky.social · 05/12/2024

Shameless plug for my short guide to pipe rolls: just one day left to get the paperback at £5 off. www.routledge.com/Approaching-... #medievalsky

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Richard Cassidy @rjcassidy.bsky.social · 29/11/2024

If you find pipe rolls, like this, a bit off-putting, then you might be interested in my book Approaching Pipe Rolls. It tries to explain what pipe rolls are, and how to read and understand them. The paperback edition is published today (link below). #medievalsky

A section of the 1259 pipe roll - very abbreviated Latin text, recording debts owed to the government.

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Richard Cassidy @rjcassidy.bsky.social · 27/11/2024

Waterloo Bridge and the industrial South Bank, from the Monet in London exhibition at the Courtauld. I would recommend it, esp to Londoners, but it is apparently sold out. Sorry.

Painting by Monet, showing a bridge over the Thames, with factory chimneys in the background.

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Richard Cassidy @rjcassidy.bsky.social · 18/11/2024

A few weeks ago, I told @kfduggan.bsky.social that I vaguely recalled a story about F W Maitland having a monkey in his study. I have now remembered where I read it, in the biography by C H S Fifoot. Maitland seems to have had quite a menagerie in his house in Cambridge.

An extract from a biography of F W Maitland, describing him having a monkey in his study.

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Richard Cassidy @rjcassidy.bsky.social · 08/11/2024

Somewhat to my surprise, the publishers have announced that the paperback edition of the best (and indeed only) guide to reading and understanding pipe rolls will be available in a few weeks : www.routledge.com/Approaching-... #medievalsky

routledge.com

Approaching Pipe Rolls: The Thirteenth Century

This is the first study specifically concerned with thirteenth-century pipe rolls and shows how pipe rolls were compiled, what they contain, and how to read them. These records of English government f...

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Richard Cassidy @rjcassidy.bsky.social · 29/10/2024

Medieval Women In Their Own Words, the new exhibition at the British Library. Well worth a visit, if you can get there. Amazing documents, from the Luttrell Psalter (which you probably know well, but is better in person), to the 1234 close roll with the first reference to Licoricia of Winchester.

An illuminated manuscript with a fish-human hybrid shown in the margin.

A long parchment roll covered in tiny writing!

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Richard Cassidy @rjcassidy.bsky.social · 29/09/2024

Michaelmas daisies in the front garden, flowering on schedule to mark the feast of St Michael - and quarter day, when rent is traditionally due.

Michaelmas daisies flowering against a brick wall.

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Richard Cassidy @rjcassidy.bsky.social · 18/06/2024

If you happen to be visiting The National Archives in Kew next Tuesday, and are interested in pipe rolls (as all reasonable people are), you could listen to me talking about them at 5pm: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/pipe-rolls...

eventbrite.co.uk

Pipe rolls – publishing the ‘most splendid’ records

Join us for the annual Pipe Roll Society Lecture.

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Richard Cassidy @rjcassidy.bsky.social · 29/09/2023

In the front garden, daisies blooming on cue for Michaelmas day.

Michaelmas daisies, sunshine, brick wall

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