This volume brings together the late medieval records for the manor of Newmarket. Its publication completes a process begun by the late Canon Peter May, rector of St Mary’s, Newmarket, in the 1970s when he transcribed and translated some of the records, many of which formed the basis of a number of short books and papers that he wrote. The editors wish to acknowledge May's work, not only since it has laid the foundations of this volume, but also because it brought a wider attention to the role played by a small Suffolk town in the marketing structure of late medieval England. We wish to thank the Suffolk Records Society for recognising the significance of the town and its records and for agreeing to make the manorial rolls of late medieval Newmarket the subject of one of its volumes.

In bringing the volume to publication, we would also like to acknowledge the input of a number of individuals who have given their time generously and enthusiastically. In particular, we would wish to thank David Addy for producing the excellent maps which are included in the Introduction, and to thank Nick Amor and Mark Bailey for their invaluable comments on the Introduction, as well as their ongoing responses to various queries. We are also grateful to Keith Briggs for his assistance in identifying a number of place-names. Many thanks are also due to the staff at the Suffolk Archives, Bury St Edmunds, and the staff at the Manuscripts Reading Room of the British Library, for assisting us with our research. We are also grateful to the British Library for allowing us to reproduce the image taken from the account roll in its collection, to the British Archaeological Association for permission to use the drawing of the late medieval purse which appeared in a paper published in its journal and to the Bodleian Library for permission to reproduce a portion of the Gough map showing the location of Newmarket.

March 2022