Book of Hours, Use of Sarum — c. 1430; English

Title

Book of Hours, Use of Sarum — c. 1430; English

Shelfmark

MS. Gough Liturg. 9

Date

c. 1430

Language

Latin

Contents

Form

codex

Support

parchment

Physical extent

i + 285 (284) + 2 fol.

Decoration

Good miniatures (fols. 127, 146v, 176v, 242).

Good borders.

Good initials.

Binding

Medieval binding: leather on boards, with traces of clasps.

Acquisition

Bequeathed by him to the Bodleian.

Provenance

Perhaps written for a lady (fols. 180v, 222, 259) but the male forms of address also occur (196v, 210v, 223).

'Thys boke ys Jone Bruyn of Kent': probably Joan (d. 1462), wife of Richard Bruyn, daughter of John Rickhill (d. 1431) and grand-daughter of Sir William Rickhill (d. 1407). Obits in the calendar of the Bruyn family include Joan Brewyn, 16 June 2 Edw. IV (1462); Richard Bruyn, 14 Aug.; Cecily Bruyn, 6 Dec.; obits of the Rickhill family include John (4 April), William, knight (20 June), John (16 Sept.), Nicholas (9 Dec.); also the obit of William Lee, Oct. 31, probably the man (d. 1442) who was a kinsman of Richard Bruyn (for William Lee, Richard Bruyn and John Rickhill see the entries in History of Parliament). Also obits of 'Margarete Knyght' (Dec. 6), 'Emmote Malerye' (Dec. 14).

Obit (Jan. 8) of 'Margarete Pympe abbatisse anno regni regis Ricardi tercij primo' (1484), perhaps abbess of Malling (the only nunnery in Kent with an abbess): cf. 'Margaret' [no surname] recorded as abbess of Malling in 1481, 1483, no longer abbess in Michaelmas 1484 (Heads of Religious Houses, Supplement (2018) p. 333). Joan Bruyn's will (TNA: PROB 11/5/30, dated 14 June 1462) includes various bequests to Malling, although no books are mentioned; the present volume was tentatively associated with Malling by the Summary Catalogue and Pächt and Alexander, but was not listed in MLGB.

'Elesabeth Greenfeild her book' (about A.D. 1700)

'Wm. Herbert, 1771': William Herbert, 1718-1795.

Richard Gough, 1735-1809.

Title

Hours of the Virgin Mary according to the use of Sarum

Shelfmark

MS. Gough Liturg. 9

Summary

Hours of the Virgin Mary according to the use of Sarum, preceded by a calendar, and followed by:

'De quinque gaudiis' (fol. 62v: beg. 'Gaude Virgo mater Christi') and prayers

'Septem Psalmi penitenciales' with litany (fol. 82v)

The Office for the Dead and Commendatio animarum (fol. 93v)

'Psalterium beati Jeronimi', with preface (fol. 145)

'Psalmi Passionis Domini nostri Ihesu Christi' (fol. 164v)

'De septem gaudiis celi' (fol. 173: beg. 'Gaude flore virginali')

The 'XVcim Ooys' (fol. 183v), etc.

Many prayers are interspersed

In the calendar the Festum Reliquiarum is on Nov. 7

Miniatures occur at fols. 127, 146v, 176v, 242

Date

Written in the first half of the 15th century

Language

Latin

Physical facet

On parchment, with miniatures, illuminated borders, etc., binding, leather on boards, with traces of clasps

Physical extent

287 Leaves

Custodial history

Later obits of the Rykhill and Bruyn (1462, etc.) families occur in the calendar, and also (Jan. 8) 'Obitus Margarete Pympe abbatisse anno regni regis Ricardi tercij primo', 1484, 'Obitus Willelmi Lee' (Oct. 31), 'Obitus Margarete Knyght' (Dec. 6), 'Obitus Emmote Malerye' (Dec. 14). From these and other points it is clear that the nunnery for which the book seems to have been written was in Kent, and the only nunnery which had an abbess in that county was at Mailing, but the connecting evidence is not conclusive.

'Thys boke ys Jone Bruyn of Kent' (16th century): 'Elesabeth Greenfeild her book' (about A.D. 1700): 'Wm. Herbert, 1771.'.