Miracula S. Thomae Herefordensis; Hereford?, England, s. xiv

Title

Miracula S. Thomae Herefordensis; Hereford?, England, s. xiv

Shelfmark

Exeter College MS. 158

Place of origin

Hereford?, England

Date

s. xiv

Language

Latin

Contents

Form

codex

Support

parchment

Physical extent

60 leaves preceded and followed by one medieval membrane flyleaf

Hands

Written in a large number of gothic bookhands, some with documentary features such as the splitting of heads of ascenders. Punctuated by low point. Finucane, Miracles and Pilgrims, pl. 1, reproduces fols. 29 v–30r, much reduced.

Decoration

Plain red initials, some ½-line and others with extenders; rubrics; red running titles, red paraphs.

Binding

Sewn on four bands between cushion-bevelled wooden boards covered with pink whittawed leather, now shiny (s. xv). On the front cover is a strap held by three nails and on the back cover a hole from the corresponding clasp. The cords enter through tunnels in the side of the boards and are held by wooden pegs.

Provenance

The book’s medieval history is unknown but the use of a fragment of a document concerning the diocese of Hereford (item *A) suggests that it came from there and perhaps from someone in the episcopal familia or one of the cathedral clergy.

On fol. 1v is a pen-trial, ‘William Mullowe’, c. 1600.

On fol. iv ‘Vide Catal: MSS. Glynne 87.’ and ‘87’ (s. xviii) refer to the catalogue of the library of Sir William Glynne (CMA ii. 49–54, no. 2011. 87), with the majority of whose manuscripts the book came to Exeter by bequest of Joseph Sandford: see MS 87, History.

Exeter library identifications are, inside the front cover, the book stamp and, on fol. 1v, ‘Coxe CLVIII’ (pencil). On the cover, in ink but rubbed, is a title ending ‘Coxe CLVIII’. ‘87’ is on a square paper label on the spine.