John Mirk — 1450s × 1490s; England

Title

John Mirk — 1450s × 1490s; England

Shelfmark

Jesus College MS. 1

Place of origin

England

Date

1450s × 1490s

Language

Latin

Contents

Form

codex

Support

parchment

Physical extent

135 + iii leaves

Hands

A single medium-quality anglicana formata hand.

Decoration

Blue initials with typical red flourishes.

Small capitals in text are sometimes highlighted in red.

Binding

15th-cent., leather on boards, sewn on three raised bands, no endbands. Holes for two catch plates in the bottom cover.

Acquisition

The manuscript had entered the College by 1649, as it appears in Mansell’s account as Liber Collectionum – Manuale Sacerdotis. (Jesus College Archives, College Register of Dr F. Mansell, 1649, p. 11.) The transfer probably happened not much before that year because the seventeenth-century individuals in inscriptions are not recorded in J. Foster, The Members of the University of Oxford 1500–1714 (Oxford, 1891–2). The names hint that the book came into the possession of the College from Wales. Pressmarks: spine: ‘J. Arch. S–J’, 17th cent. (paper label); ‘MS. Jesus Coll. Ox. F. 1.’, 20th cent. (paper label).

Provenance

Apparent 15th-cent. pressmarks: number I manuale sacerdotis (paper pastedown); 37 (fol. 1); Num. I (fol. 1); (80) (fol. 1).

Liber Domini David, second half of the 15th cent. or first half of the 16th cent. (fol. iii recto).

Hugh Vaughan, 16th cent. (fol. 1r).

R. ap Morgan, 16th cent. (fol. 45v).

The above wryttyng is the hand of William Jankyn, 16th cent. (fol. ii verso).

William David Morgan is the true owner of this booke, 17th cent., cancelled (fol. 104r).