Adolphus Ballard (1867–1915) was an English historian specialising in the medieval history of the borough. This volume, first published in 1913, was the first major examination of borough charters from the early medieval period. Ballard analyses an extensive collection of municipal documents and charters dating from before 1216 to understand the stages in the origin and development of boroughs, their mercantile and jurisdictional privileges and the relationship of burgage privileges and finances to those in other boroughs. The first half of the book discusses these topics in detail, with three supplementary essays concerning the essentials of the borough, its development as a legal entity, and comparisons with borough developments in other European countries which provide additional historical context. The second half gives the Latin text and English translations of the collection of documents analysed in the first part.