Before the appearance of this series (1914-65), the pre-thirteenth-century documents of Yorkshire were largely unpublished. This thirteen-volume collection was well respected for its extensive nature and the high quality of its editing. Volume 4 (1935) is the first of two devoted to the honour of Richmond.

This thirteen-volume series, which first appeared between 1914 and 1965, is an extensive collection of the pre-thirteenth-century charters and related records of Yorkshire, which had previously remained largely unpublished. The first three volumes were edited by William Farrer (1861-1924), after whose death Charles Travis Clay (1885-1978) took up the task. The series was well respected for the quality of Farrer's editing, which was surpassed only by that of Clay in the later volumes. Volume 4 (1935) is the first of two devoted to the honour of Richmond. This volume includes the charters of the lords of the honour as well as texts concerned with land in Yorkshire. Each Latin document is amply annotated in English and accompanied by a discussion of its content and points of interest. The volume also contains facsimile plates of select documents as well as detailed indexes.