Odbiorcy dokumentów wpisanych do Metryki Koronnej w latach 1638–1641

Volumes 183 and 186 of the Crown Metrica, preserved in the Central Archives of Historical Records, contain entries of documents issued under chancellory control of Piotr Gembicki. Volume No. 183 contains entries of 142 documents issued in 1638, and volume No. 186 contains 496 entries of documents issued between 28 January 1639 and 11 December 1641. Documents listed in these volumes, however, do not constitute a complete list of all documents issued by the royal chancery in that period. As much as 2/3 of entries in both books pertain to endowments and permits for sale of crown lands. Further 16% of entries are appointments to offices and other functions (e.g. royal appointments for tradesmen), as well as including selected persons in the group of royal courtiers. 13% of entries pertain to various royal endowments, e.g. for towns belonging to magnates or Church dignitaries. The remaining small number of entries are oblata and confirmations of transactions (e.g. purchase/sale of goods between burghers and Church institutions), confirmations of previous royal privileges granted to towns, guilds of artisans, monasteries, professors of Kraków University, etc. In terms of numbers, most recipients of royal documents registered in Crown Metrica volumes 183 and 186 are nobles and magnates. Another important group of recipients of royal documents were also royal and private towns and guilds of artisans, as well as Church institutions and members of the clergy. There are only a few isolated cases of documents issued to peasants