This volume serves as a critical scholarly compilation of primary source documentation regarding the administrative and legal authority of the Anglo-Norman monarchy between 1066 and 1154. Building upon the foundational research of H. W. C. Davis, editors H. A. Cronne and R. H. C. Davis provide a rigorous cataloging of royal charters and writs. The work functions as an essential reference for historians seeking to understand the evolution of governance, land tenure, and diplomatic practice during the reigns of King Stephen and the Empress Matilda.

Historians and medievalists regard this series as a foundational reference for the study of twelfth-century English governance. Scholars frequently note the high level of technical detail and the necessity of these facsimiles for verifying the authenticity of royal administrative records.