noun
- Plural of cartulary; medieval manuscripts or registers containing copies of charters, deeds, and other legal documents belonging to a monastery, church, or estate.
Usage: historical; archival
Examples
- The monastery's cartularies preserved records of land grants dating back several centuries.
- Historians consulted the cathedral's cartularies to trace the ownership of medieval properties.
- Many cartularies were carefully copied by monks to ensure the preservation of important documents.
- The cartularies revealed the extent of the abbey's holdings across multiple regions.
- Scholars studying feudal society often rely on cartularies as primary sources.