What is believed to be the earliest surviving written document in Greater Manchester has been preserved for posterity by the city council.
The Assheton of Middleton estate archive collection, purchased by Manchester City Council, consists of 1400 items and will be stored in Manchester Central Library.
The collection includes the earliest surviving written document from the region, the 1197 Articles of Agreement which divided lands within the Assheton estate between Roger de Middleton and William de Radcliffe in the Greater Manchester area.
The purchase of the collection was made possible by funding support from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, The V&A Purchase Fund, the Friends of the National Libraries and Manchester Central Library Development Trust.
Cllr John Hacking, Manchester City Council’s Executive Member for Skills, Employment and Leisure said: ‘After many years of hard work behind the scenes, we are immensely pleased to have finally secured the future of this nationally significant archive for the future of Greater Manchester and to be able to give it a permanent home with Greater Manchester County Record Office at Manchester Central Library.’
‘This is a fascinating and rich collection of documents showing colourful glimpses into medieval English life and is an important part of Greater Manchester’s early heritage,’ he added.
