The 'Poppleton Manuscript' is a 14th century codex (Paris, Bibl. Nat., Ms Latin 4126) named from one Robert of Poppleton, on whose orders it (or a large part of it at least) was compiled at York. The codex contains several texts relating to early Scotland - all of which are in Poppleton's compilation.
  1. 'De Situ Albanie' - a geographical tract. A reference to Andrew, bishop of Caithness, suggests that it was originally composed in the late 12th century - the bishop having died in 1184.
  2. 'Cronica de origine antiquorum Pictorum' - A confused, rambling, treatise purporting to explain the origins of the Picts (and, indeed, the Scots), which is mainly recycled from the work of Isidore of Seville (d.636).
  3. A list of Kings of the Picts - beginning with the, supposed, founding father of the nation, and continuing until the Scots, in the person of Kenneth mac Alpin, gained control in the 9th Century. There are a few exceptions (including Cruithne, in Irish, the eponymous founder), but kings' names appear to have retained their Pictish forms.
  4. The, so called, 'Scottish Chronicle' (known previously, and sometimes still referred to, as the 'Pictish Chronicle') - a list of kings of the combined kingdom of Picts and Scots (Alba), accompanied by a brief chronicle of their rule, beginning with Kenneth mac Alpin and ending with Kenneth II (971-995). A blank, left for the later insertion of Kenneth's reign-length, would seem to suggest that the 'Chronicle' was originally compiled during his reign.
  5. A list of Scottish kings - beginning with Fergus, son of Erc, of Dál Riata, and continuing up to King William of Scotland, whose entry has a blank for his reign-length. This leads into:
  6. Genealogy of King William - ruled 1165-1214. William is remembered as William 'the Lion' (apparently because he chose to use a lion rampant as his coat of arms), however, the 'Poppleton Manuscript', in both his genealogy and 'De Situ Albanie', calls him William Rufus.
  7. A version of the St.Andrews foundation legend.
It would appear that this collection of Scottish items (1-6 anyway) was gathered together during the reign of King William (Marjorie O. Anderson, in 'Kings and Kingship in Early Scotland', suggests 1165x1184), though the whole collection seems to have been transcribed, at least once, before being copied into the 'Poppleton Manuscript'.