Rolls recording payments of money, i.e. fines, made to the king for charters, privileges, writs and pardons, for favours and grants, e.g. of land. Here 'fine' is used in the sense of payment. These rolls also contain the appointments of sheriffs and other officials. These documents were also known as 'oblata rolls', where the Latin oblata meant an offering, an *oblate of money. The Latin form of the name was twofold: rotuli oblatorum or rotuli finium. These records begin in 1199. -
Dictionary of Medieval Terms and Phrases. Christopher Coredon with Ann Williams.