Cartulary of Eynsham Abbey; Eynsham, s. xivex, with additions to s. xvi2/4.

Title

Cartulary of Eynsham Abbey; Eynsham, s. xivex, with additions to s. xvi2/4.

Shelfmark

Christ Church MS. 342

Associated place

Cogges

Rollright

Mickleton

Eynesham

Shyfforde

Stanton St. John

Hundred de Bannebery

Brookend

Tilgarsley

South Stoke

Newbottle

Fylkyng

Wood Eaton

Cantebrigie

Fawler

Langley Park

Charlbury

Cateshambrygge

Carswell

Mylcomb

Place of origin

England (Eynsham)

Date

s. xivex, with additions to s. xvi2/4

Language

Latin

Contents

Form

codex

Support

Parchment (FSOS). The opening three front flyleaves and all at the back are paper added with the binding (two: ‘C&IH’, and Pro Patria (Maid of Dort) watermarks, close to but no match with those in Churchill), but fol. iv-vii are on s. xvi paper (watermark: pot, Briquet no. 12835, Rouen 1535).

Physical extent

Fols: vii + 114 (numbered fols 1–113, but an unnumbered partial leaf after fol. 35) + iii (numbered fols 114–16)

Hands

Written in a variety of anglicana scripts, in the main s. xivex, but many additions up to the 1530s. Generally unpunctuated, occasional point or virgula.

Decoration

The first quire and fols 15–16, 46–51 (all the work of one s. xiv2/2 scribe) have red crowned three-line lombards, red paraphs, brackets, lines, and (at fol. 3v, 4, 6, 7) maniculae. Otherwise without any decoration.

Binding

Brown reversed calf, s. xvii4/4, over millboards, presumably the work of Richard Sedgley (see D&C vi.c.1 (= MS 340), binding). An outline fillet in blind with fleurons in the corners. Sewn on four thongs. At the head of the spine, ‘3’ on a paper tab, obscuring a note of contents written in pen in same hand as on our D&C vi.c.2 (= MS 338) etc; in the upper spine compartment, in gilt on a red leather label ‘Cartulari Eynesham’.

Provenance

The quire signatures demonstrate that this cartulary had taken its present form by the early sixteenth century, and it was in use in the 1530s when a contemporary document was transcribed into the manuscript at fol. 108v-109 (it is Salter, no. 694 [150–52]); as that document is listed at the end of the contents list as ‘A proxye’ (fol. v), the contents list must have been added only after that point, but before the surrender of the monastery, at the end of 1538 (see D&C vi.c.1 (= MS 341), provenance). There is little internal evidence to reveal the volume’s peregrinations immediately post-Dissolution. At the centre of fol. 113, there is a note of five lines, cancelled by scratching, which may be an ownership note, though the first line may read ‘Robertus faryndone abott F’; as he was abbot, 1457–69, this may be a pre-Reformation note.

The first definite evidence for its presence at ChCh are the notes taken from it on 2nd October 1644 by William Dugdale (1605–86) in what is now BodL, MS Dugdale 21, at fol. 10v-11v. After the Restoration, it was certainly seen by another antiquary. At top left of fol. 1: ‘Liber cœnobij Ensham’, in a script identifiable as that of Anthony Wood; for his borrowing and use of the manuscript from ChCh, see the description of its companion, D&C vi.a.2, and D&C vi.c.1. The foliation and folio numbers added to the contents list may be by Wood.

In ChCh, the manuscript was held in the Chapter House, and was included in the 1771 Catalogue of the books located there, along with our D&C vi.a.2 (which see for further details); by a process of elimination, it can be identified as number 27 in the catalogue: Christ Church Archives, D&C iv.a.l, fol. 13. See also the Headnote to Chapter House Manuscripts.