Westminster Abbey Library & Research | Books, Records, Documents & More

Book Collection

There are more than 14000 books here that were printed before 1801, about 60  manuscripts from the medieval period, and a massive manuscript music collection. 

Some Famous manuscripts include the Litlington missal available in two volumes, Liber Regalis and the prayer book of Lady Margaret Beaufort. These manuscripts are present in the Queen's diamond jubilee gallery in the library. 

Apart from its valuable medieval collection, the library also houses some popular modern collections. These include the history of Westminster Abbey and Saint Margaret’s Church. There you can also find books on British coronations and other similar topics. 

Muniment Collection

The center of attraction at the Westminster Abbey library is the magnificent Muniment collection. The muniment collection includes records of the land held by the Abbey throughout its history. The abbey had a vast land in Southern England and the midlands of the United Kingdom. This collection also shows us the financial records of many administrations of monarchs.

Other documents of significance include Royal charters, minutes of the Chapter meetings, records of properties that the abbey had leased, records of the coronation and funerals of significant figures, an extensive collection of letters, bills of the tradesmen, documents in the Hebrew language and records of the coroner's inquest in the city of Westminster during 1760-1880. Today, you can find all the old records of the chapter house in the National Archives.

Photographic collections

The Westminster Abbey library itself has a large collection of high-resolution pictures that you can view to get a sense of the beauty of the abbey from afar. You can also download them for personal use. 

View Westminster Abbey’s photo gallery here. 

Record Series

The Westminster Abbey record series was created in 1997. This series publishes items of historical significance and interest. These documents are mostly related to the Abbey and its history and include records, calendars, lists, and indexes. The intention behind making these records is to provide the contents of the collection of the Abbey to the general public and scholars who need the resources for academic purposes. 

Catalogs

The abbey has an extensive cataloging and indexing system for their medieval, early modern, and most of their modern archives. Westminster Domesday, Liber Niger, and St. Martin Le Grand are the three main Abbey medieval cartularies. There are also separate indexes for collections and leased books. Westminster Abbey is also setting up a digital database that will have a separate card index to view the library’s contents. 

Online records

Some of the records available from the Westminster Abbey library are coroner's inquests, Manor and the court rolls, denizens' rolls, and the list of Church of England clergy. 

The coroner’s inquiries cover the various judicial inquisitions from 1760 to 1799. However, some of these records are missing. The court rolls keep a record of the manors, their rent paid, and the tenants of the manors. A complete list of the record is available at the National Archives. 

Denizens’ rolls were very useful in keeping the record of the population and the immigrants of the country. The roll is 160 feet long. However, the role doesn't mention the names of wives and children in the original document.