Durham University Library Archives & Special Collections Catalogue
Two gatherings, now bound, containing an extract from Ranulf Higden's Polychronicon, written in the early 15th century. Origin and provenance to Bishop Cosin's Library unknown.
Parchment, flayed edge (f.9) and sewn up flaw (f.4); quires with flesh-side outermost, top and outer edges cropped (see f.1, 11). Lower quarter of f.20 cut off.
1-210
No pricking or line-ruling visible. Written space 150 x 100 mm; framed in ink. 41 long lines.
Written in anglicana, expertly, by one hand, with small short r. Item (4), in anglicana of more documentary aspect, with Secretary g.
Paraphs in red. Marginal notes underlined in red. Initials, to item (1) and f.1v red.
Marginal notes in the main hand indicate the content of each extract in item (1), and “Translatio benedicti a deodatus papa.” is marked with two pairs of red strokes (f.9v); “hoc tempore martirizatur sanctus kenelmus” is added at the foot of f.10v in paler ink. Additions on f.20v in different hand and ink, “Genes.io co ... Summa ...”.
Bound by Tuckett binding, mid 19th century, hard grained brown morocco with remains of ties (Charles Tuckett, binder to the British Museum, rebound many Durham manuscripts in the 19th century)
Written in England, start of 15th century.
Possible connection with Winchester (item (1)). No evidence of ownership by Cosin or Davenport. Ex-libris and shelfmark by Thomas Rud, f.1r.
The extracts principally concern basic Christian and papal chronology, the history of religious orders, and of writers and their works; references to Winchester are well represented. They follow MS A most closely, a copy of the “intermediate version”, see Taylor 1966, chapter 6, represented by MSS A and B in Babington & Lumby's edition. The first extract is ibid., ii, 288-290, and the last ibid. viii,338, followed by six extracts from Continuation B or C, ibid. viii,407-420, cf. Taylor 1966, 113-116; after the third of these, for 1360, which is the last entry to have a chapter reference, two brief unidentified entries for 1347 and 1348 are interpolated, and after the sixth, three brief entries end with Gregory XII, elected Pope in 1406. Many of the entries have references to chapters with lettered subdivisions; the chapter divisions are the same as in the edition, but the latter part of Book III, from a point somewhere between chapters xxiv and xxxiii, is treated as part of Book II, with the chapter numbers unchanged, and is followed by an extract from Book III, xviii numbered 3.1 (f.1v). Higden's final chapter is here numbered [7].44, and the first extract from the Continuation (viii, 407) is treated as part of it; the second and third extracts (viii, 409 and 410) are here numbered 46.b and 47.d.
Notes of the Black Death in 1349 and a great wind on St Maur's day [15 January] 1361/2. f.19v blank.
Note of murder of the English chancellor and treasurer in 1381/2.
Brief note on clerical taxation
Brief note on churches, vills and fees
Brief note on King Edward III's actions over alien benefices
Catalogi veteres librorum Ecclesiae cathedralis
dunelm. Catalogues of the library of Durham cathedral, at
various periods, from the conquest to the dissolution, including
catalogues of the library of the abbey of Hulne, and of the mss.
,
Surtees Society 7, (London: J.B. Nichols and Son, [1838]).
Polychronicon Ranulphi Higden monachi Cestrensis , ed. Babington, C. and Lumby, J. R. [Rolls Series 41], (London : Longman & Co, 1865-1886)
Taylor, J. The universal chronicle of Ranulf Higden , (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1966)