Is there a comprehensive list of Magna Cartas and their locations?

Question

I'm getting more interested in traveling to view Magna Cartas because it looks like I've seen three out of four 1215 copies plus two others. However it's very difficult to get a concrete answer as to where the non-1215 copies reside in order to view them.

The 1215 copies are on view at:

• the British Library (x2)
• Salisbury Cathedral
• Lincoln Castle

Wikipedia lists another 10 on view at:

• the Bodleian Library (1217 x3 and 1225)
• Durham Cathedral (1216, 1217 and 1225)
• Hereford Cathedral (1217)
• the Australian Parliament, Canberra, Australia (1297)
• the National Archives, Washington D.C., U.S.A (1297. The only privately owned copy.)

The British locations align with the list at a dedicated Magna Carta website but it's hard to say if this list is exhaustive. To confuse matters the Hereford Cathedral copy (at a minimum) is going on tour through some of the U.S. in the coming year.

Are there any other permanent locations of Magna Cartas that people know of?

Answer 1

The four extant 1215 copies are on view at:

• the British Library (x2)
• Salisbury Cathedral
• Lincoln Castle

Part of the problem of making a complete list is that different sources given different total of extant copies, however the exhaustive list can be found in the sale catalog produced by Sotheby's for the sale of the Magna Carta in private hands.

There are 17 pre-1300 copies surviving. There are four 1215 copies, a single 1216 issue, four 1217 copies, four 1225 copies and four 1297 copies. Other sources have different totals, and part of the confusion may be about Durham Cathedral's third copy - Durham Cathedral lists it as a copy from 1300, but a number of other sites list it as being from 1217.

Calling them out separately as is common practice, the pre-1300 publications reside at:

• Durham Cathedral (1216 and 1225)
• the Bodleian Library (1217 x3 and 1225). These are not currently on view.
• Hereford Cathedral (1217)
• the British Library (1225)
• Society of Antiquaries of London / National Archives, London (1225 and 1297)
• the Australian Parliament, Canberra, Australia (1297)
• the National Archives, Washington D.C., U.S.A (1297. The only privately owned copy.)
• the London Guildhall. Occasionally on view. (1297)

According to the Magna Carta's 800th anniversary map, we now have the set of pre-1300 locations right. Interestingly this actually differs from the same site's list of locations.

The engrossments from 1300 are located at/in the archives of:

• Westminster Abbey
• City of London
• Faversham Town Council
• Durham Cathedral
• Oriel College
• Bodleian Library
• Sandwich, though residing in Maidstone

Answer 2

Comprehensive list, not really. It depends what you mean by 'copies' of the Magna Carta. There were only four official ones at the time of signing, and as you've indicated, and I've found as well, they're the only ones in existence, at:

• two at the British Library
• Salisbury Cathedral (I saw this one)
• Lincoln Cathedral

Then in later years, official copies were issued. It's hard to know how many there are of these, but 4 king-signed ones were issued in 1297, by King Edward the 1st. One of these is in the US (National Archives, Washington DC).

However, given the impending 800 year celebration, arguably one of the most defining lists of them is on the official 800 year celebration website.

This lists the original copies, as above, as well as:

• Durham
• Hereford
• Oxford

It's worth noting from the list of exemplifications that you missed the burnt Dover Castle copy is on display at the British Library as well.