Close Rolls
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
Mandates, letters, and writs of a private nature, addressed, in the Sovereign's name, to individuals, and folded or closed and sealed on the outside with the Great Seal.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “Close Rolls” mean?
Mandates, letters, and writs of a private nature, addressed, in the Sovereign's name, to individuals, and folded or closed and sealed on the outside with the Great Seal.
Is “Close Rolls” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.