MSS. Dodsworth 31, 1635, 199 leaves: Deeds and documents relating to Cheshire, transcribed from collections made by a Cheshire antiquary (? John Woodnoth: cf. B.M. Add. MS. 6032) in 1587-1613:

1. Fol. 1. Copies of documents relating to St. Werburgh's abbey, Chester, viz. transcripts:

2. Fol. 20v. Abstracts of 98 charters from a chartulary of Dieulacres abbey in Staffordshire, as in B.M. Harl. MS. Auct. F. 6. 3, p. 40 (for which see Ormerod's Cheshire, ed. Helsby, ii. 864): all but six recur in the Parker chartulary of Dieulacres published in Collections for a History of Staffordshire, Wm. Salt Soc., N.S., ix. 310-65 (nos. 83-136, etc.), but in different order. For a copy of inspeximus of charter of 4 Edw. iii to the same abbey, Feb. 1, 1427 (Cal. Pat. Rolls, 1422-9, p. 407; Cal. Charter Rolls, iv. 153-7), see fol. 161v.

3. Fol. 34v. Excerpts from the leger-book of the abbey of Vale Royal (B.M. Harl. MS. Bodl. 485).

4. Fol. 36. Copies of 12th-16th-cent. charters 'inter evidentias Johannis Davenport de Davenport armigeri', relating to various properties in Macclesfield hundred, with sketches of seals.

5. Fol. 55. A short account of the descent of the Cheshire baronies, in English.

6. Fol. 58v. A family chronicle of the lords of the honour of Halton, to Thomas, earl of Lancaster, 'ex rotulo antiquo igne et fer[umin]e consumpto, penes R. C[aterall?] remanente', shorter than the version printed in Dugdale's Monasticon, vi. 315: beg. 'In maioribus Angliae idem est notabile et memorandum quod.'

7. Fol. 60v. Copies of feet of fines, 9 Edw. ii-7 Eliz., and other records of the Palatinate of Chester: cf. fol. 14v and see art. 10 below.

8. Fol. 85v. Excerpts 'ex rotulo cartarum antiquarum vocato Domesday'. The original roll, now lost, contained enrolments made at the Cheshire county court: see R. Stewart-Brown in Engl. Hist. Rev. xxxvii (1922), p. 481 seq. There are identical sets of extracts in the College of Arms (MS. 1. D. xiv) and at Eaton hall (MS. 28).

9. Fol. 92v. Abstracts of evidences of the descent of various Cheshire families, with sketches of seals, copied in whole or in part from Robert Glover's visitation of Cheshire made in 1580. These consist of:

10. Fol. 125v. Abstracts of deeds and public records, principally relating to properties in the hundred of Nantwich, with sketches of seals, transcribed from collections made in 1587-1613, probably by John Woodnoth of Shavinton:

11. Fol. 169. Abstracts of late 12th-early 16th-cent. deeds 'penes Ricardum Grosvenor de Eaton militem et baronettum', and still at Eaton hall, relating to properties in Broxton hundred (fols. 169, 191); also similar abstracts of deeds of the families of Leigh of Oughtrington (fol. 185v) and Newton of Pownall (fol. 197).

All 12th-century and unpublished 13th-century charters in artt. 4, 9-11, have been included in a MS. slip calendar in the Library. An index nominum to the whole volume is at fol. iii.

MS. Dodsworth 32, 1629-1635, 148 leaves: Copies of deeds and family chartularies, etc.:

1. Fol. 1. Miscellaneous papers in various hands, as enumerated in the Old Catalogue and in Hunter's Three Catalogues, p. 113, artt. 1-26. The more considerable pieces are:

2. Fol. 43. 'Cartae de Luversall' (Loversall near Doncaster), a 13th-cent. chartulary of the Rivers family, 'in quodam vetusto rotulo ... mutuo dato mihi Rogero Dodsworthe, 6 Dec., 1632, per Robertum Rocklay de Rocklay'; calendared in slips.

3. Fol. 47. 'A copy of 3 court rolls belonging to the manor of Barnisley in com. Ebor. [1340, 1341, 1349], sometyme the possession of the prior of Pontefract, lent me by Sir Gervase Cutler of Stayner, kt., 1632': see also no. 4195, fol. 38.

4. Fol. 55. Excerpts 'ex rotulo antiquo, in quo transcribuntur cartae pertinentes olim dominis honoris de Cokermouth in comitatu Cumbriae, ... penes me Rogerum Dodsworthe, 2 July 1634', and now in lord Leconfield's possession: this is a late 14th-cent. chartulary of the Lucys of Cockermouth, and relates to the honour of Cockermouth and barony of Wigton in Cumberland, and to the barony of Langley in Northumberland: the 12th-13th-cent. Cumberland deeds have been included in a MS. slip calendar.

5. Fol. 106. 'Copyes of sundry deedes given unto me, Roger Dodsworth, by my cosen Thomas Stockdale of Bilton parke, nere Knaresburgh, 1633', relating to Eaglesfield in Cumberland (early 14th cent.; nos. 1-7), Ellingham and Preston in Northumberland (Harbottle family, 15th cent.; nos. 8-37), and Newcastle-upon-Tyne (families of Emeldon, Monboucher, etc., late 13th-14th centt.; nos. 38-66): a number of the originals are now in the British Museum.

There is an alphabetical index of personal names at fol. i, and of Yorkshire place-names in MS. Dodsworth 21