Who was J. Ledall?

Tucked between two lines of the upper portion of the Ledall Roll (Additional MS 39564) appears a signature which reads: Amen Quod I Ledall, being translated means: 'confirmed by J. Ledall.' Who was J. Ledall?

The Heraldry of John Ledall

Tucked between two lines of the upper portion of the Ledall Roll (Additional MS 39564) appears a signature which reads: Amen Quod I Ledall, being translated means: 'confirmed by J. Ledall.' It was common in the Middle Ages, as it is in modern times, to confirm a document if it was one's intellectual property and/or exchanged with another party. It has been suggested that this J. Ledall might simply be a scholar who was a later copyist but it was not common for a scholar to confirm a document that didn't originate with him. It is probably that J. Ledall was the originator of this document and while later scribal errors appear due to copyist errors the confirmation of J. Ledall was apparently preserved to preserve the origin and the authority of this document.

The study of the author of the Ledall Roll begins with the Ledall surname (alternatively spelled Ledale & Liddell), which is a unique name in English history. The uniqueness of this surname is what enables scholars to confirm with certainty the identification of the author as a John Ledall who was a British merchant born in York c.a. 1515 and died in 1582 being buried at St. John's Chapel Micklegate.

Ravensworth Castle - Historic home of the Ledall family

To understand more about the John Ledall of the Ledall Roll we should look at his family history. The surname Ledall is an Anglo-Saxon name in origin and appears to have come from the counties of Cumbria and Northumberland in England and Dumfries-shire and Roxburghshire in Scotland. From these English and Scottish borders there remains to this day the Lidell River. The Ledall's also built a castle called Lidell Strength overlooking the same river which was used to defend the Scottish and English borders from raiders. The castle Liddel Strength was eventually completely destroyed by the Normans nearly a thousand years ago. The Ledall ancestors continues moving forward and later in the 13th century built Ravensworth Castle in the village of Ravensworth, North Yorkshire, England. Ravensworth Castle was eventually abandoned due to damages caused by subsidence. It is now designated as a Grade 1 listed building with the English Heritage Foundation.

From this illustrious lineage came a worthy descendant named John Ledall, living his life in the 16th  century, John was awarded Freedom of the City of York in 1529-1530. In medieval times cities were surrounded by fortified walls with their gates being under guard at all times of the day and night. To be awarded Freedom of a City means that one is considered a friend of the city and is granted the ability to pass freely in and out of the cities gates at any time. John Ledall apparently utilized this award for his advantage in being a merchant and he rose to amass great wealth and power. John was married to one Elizabeth who was from a powerful family of Vavasour's who were tenants of the baron and the High Sheriff of Yorkshire which provided access to the Royal Court and both John and Elizabeth were invited and subsequently joined the Guild of Corpus Christ in 1533. A reference to John Ledall is made in the minutes for the Guild of Corpus Christi:

"James Harrington, merchant, son of William Harrington, alderman of York  (see p. 168, antea). Free in 1533, chamberlain in 154-1, sheriff in 1549-50, and  governor of the Merchants' Company from 1552 to 1554. On 24th August,  1558, he was elected an alderman, vice John North, deceased, but he refused to  be sworn. On the 19th of September following, " at commandement of my lord  mayour," he appeared before the city council, " and albeit he was gently exhorted  and requyred, as well by my sayd lord mayour as other his brederne, alldremen,  etc., to take his othe of aldreman accustomed, yet neyther by fayre meanes, ne  otherwise, wold he take his othe, but very obstinately refused soo to doo. And  for soomoch he thus contynewed still in his sayd wilfullnes, and wold in no wise  be persuaded," it was therefore unanimously agreed "that the same Mr.  Haryngton, for his said obstynacy and disobedyens, to the perillouse example of  others, shalbe commytted forthwith to warde unto suche tyme he wilbe justified,  accordyng to his franchised oathe." The council, however, " percey vyng that  the sayd Mr. Haryngton by long sykenesse was weake and feble, considered that  the mayour's kid-cot, where unto franchised men are used to be commytted for  their offens, was to rawe and cold an hows for hym. Therfor, for the bettar  preservacion of his health, they were nowe content and aggreed that he shold be  commytted to the shirefes of this citie, to be by theym kept in warde in John  Ledale's hows, or some other honest hows on the brigge, and there to be taken  hede to and kept as prisoner, withowte great duresse, by some of their officers "  (Corp. Min., xxii., 133 b). At a meeting of the Council on the 14th October, it  was agreed that a letter should " be sent up to Mr. Recordar, desiring him to  declare the playn trueth to Mr. Wray concernyng his broder-in-lawe Mr.  Haryngton's wilfullnes." Mr. Harrington, who was then present, being " gently  desyred and requyred, as well by my lord mayour as all others, to take his oathe  of alderman, did obstinatly refuse that to doo," and was therefore " commytted  to warde, from whens he came, upon Ouse-brige" (Ibid., 136 5). A fortnight  afterwards, aldermen Bean, Watson, and Goldthorpe went to Mr. Harrington's  house, he being sick, and not able to attend at the Common Hall " withoute  perill, and hurtfull to his boddy, — and before them he tuyke his othe of aldermanship accustomyd" (Ibid., 138 b). Alderman Harrington occupied the civic  chair in 1560, and died in January, 1562-3, leaving a widow Cecilia, the daughter  of Thomas Wray, esq., of St. Nicholas, near Richmond."

John must have been a military man, not only for his receipt of the award of Freeman of York but he served as a Bridgemaster of York before being awarded the title of Chamberlain of York in 1547. The latter two accomplishments meant that he started as a lower ranking officer in York designated to have charge over the gates guard and later in his role as Chamberlain became the officer in charge over the management of the household of the aristocracy of York. As a military man John Ledall had military training and an apparent interest in swordplay and as a merchant he was likely well-traveled, particularly to Germany (at that time the Netherlands) wherein he may have had contact with German fencers as he lived contemporaneous with Joachim Meyer.

John Ledall died in 1582 and his last will and testament gives us insight into the wealth of the man himself:

"John Ledall: merchant-Chamberlain 1547. Will dated 13 January 1581. To be buried in the church yard of St. johns, Ousebridge. To my son-in-law, Richard Morton, and to his heirs begotten of Elizabeth; his wife, my daughter, my great house, with the garth, etc., in Felter Lane. To John Ledell, alias Blake, my base begotten son, 'the one-half of all my pewter which I lent to my son-in-law Richard Morton since he was chosen Sheriff and yet remaining in his custody' also my books, both Latin and English. Son of George Ledale, glover (free in 1493), free by pat. In 1530, married daughter of Richard Vavasour, gent of Copmanthorpe, by who he had a daughter Elizabeth. Richard Morton, mercer, Sheriff 1581-82, father of Thomas Morton, Bishop of Durham." (The Register of the Guild of Corpus Christi in the City of York; page 224).

Interestingly, John Ledall left his library of books to his son John (aka Blake). Perhaps the Ledall Roll was included in this collection only to later find its way through history to the acquisition made by Rev. Alfred Fuller who in 1917 donated it to the British Museum and then in 1973 made its final home at the British Library.