Psalter with missal and breviary; England, Chester (?); 12th century, end (c. 1192–1193 (?)), with later additions

Title

Psalter with missal and breviary; England, Chester (?); 12th century, end (c. 1192–1193 (?)), with later additions

Shelfmark

MS. Tanner 169*

Place of origin

English, Chester(?)

English, Chester (?)

Date

12th century, end (c. 1192–1193)

12th century, end

13th century, end

Language

Latin

Middle English (1100-1500)

Contents

Form

codex

Support

parchment (now very darkened); original patches on several leaves, particularly pp. 113–123

Physical extent

182 pages; inserted unfoliated offprint of Napier (1892) Leaves were trimmed, occasionally causing the loss of decoration, and damaged by mice.

Hands

Two contemporary or near-contemporary scribes (the second takes over on p. 113), both writing in a formal proto-Gothic book script; black ink

Decoration

Miniature of the Crucifixion on p. 149 with figures drawn in ink against painted background. Christ on the Cross with ‘INRI’ inscription; the Virgin Mary and St John, holding a book; the sun and the moon with profile faces; blue background (flaking); square frame, decorated with geometric designs.

Blue, red and green KL monograms with penwork designs in the calendar.

9-line Beatus-initial decorated with floral designs (p. 17). Ayres (1969, p. 42) notes similarities with the decoration in another 12th-century manuscript from St Werburgh’s Abbey, a glossed copy of Pauline Epistles (London, British Library, Royal MS. 4 E. VIII).

6-line initials, decorated with floral designs, at the beginning of psalms 26 (p. 26), 38 (p. 32), 52 (p. 37), 68 (p. 43), 80 (p. 50), 97 (p. 57) and 109 (p. 62).

4-line similar initials at the beginning of psalms 51 (p. 37) and 101 (p. 58).

4-line red, blue and green penwork initials at the beginning of prayers (p. 94), hymns (pp. 125 and 133) and the Canon of the Mass (p. 149).

2- to 3-line red, blue and green initials, many with penwork designs, at the beginning of psalms, canticles, prayers, litany and hymns.

1-line red, green and blue initials at the beginnings of verses and periods.

Rubrics in red ink.

Binding

Polished light brown leather over pasteboard, 18th century. Blind fillet line and blind roll border with floral and geometric designs round the outer edge of both covers. Rebacked in the Bodleian, in the later 19th century, in similar leather, with the original spine relaid. Sewn on five cords (modern cord whenever visible). Five raised bands on spine. Fragments of a paper label on spine with ‘169*’ written over it in ink. Pastedowns and fly-leaves made of 18th-century laid paper, no watermarks. Parchment fly-leaves (pp. 1–2, 177–178), made from a late 13th-century manuscript, have glue marks with offsets of tanned leather from an earlier binding.

Acquisition

Bodleian Library: bequeathed by Tanner, received in 1736. ‘169 Tann .’ on p. 3.

Provenance

Made for St Werburgh’s Abbey, Chester : evidence of the calendar, litany and missal.

Added obits of the abbots of Chester, 14th–16th centuries.

Titles ‘pape’ erased in the calendar presumably at the Reformation, but not the name of Thomas Becket in the calendar or litany.

‘henry maynwaryingby the…’ and ‘henry’ in a 16th-century hand on p. 2.

Thomas Tanner, 1674–1735, see ODNB.

Title

Psalter and masses, with calendar, hymns to the Holy Cross and to St. Oswald, with musical notes, and alliterative poem

Shelfmark

MS. Tanner 169*

Date

12th-13th century

Language

Latin

English

Physical extent

1 item