Durham University Library Archives & Special Collections Catalogue
Manuscript codex made up of nine or more distinct portions, possibly put together in the 15th century, but some perhaps in added in the 17th century, when the volume was bound for George Davenport, who listed some of the contents (f.iiv); flyleaves were inserted at that time between (B) and (C), and between (D) and (E), possibly when they were first brought together. Wormholes and early damp stains suggest that the several sections may have existed separately for some time. Medieval additions in (A), (C) and (D) and similar leaf signatures in sections (D), (F) and (G) are evidence of their early association; probably likewise the binding strengtheners in (D) and (F)-(I). Item (28), an addition to (I), is in the same hand as items (21) etc., in (H). Almost all leaves, including the 17th but not the 19th century additions are discoloured by damp along top and upper part of fore-edge, so in or after Davenport's time; washed-out text restored by galling in (D). The primary content of the manuscript are series of recipes.
Paper, quarto, some deckle edges in (C). Parchment (outer and inner bifolia of (E), f.61, 66-67 and 72). Watermarks: (A) twin: Colonne, with three steps at each end, cf. Briquet 4347 and Mosic 3118, but both dated uses 1353; the former says Italian type, ceasing 1364-1425, thereafter other variant types; (B) also Colonne as above; (C) Etoile, cf. Briquet 6017-8, used in Flanders and France 1412 16; (D) circle and cross (?); (E) three mounts with cross, cf. Briquet 11678 et seq., Heawood 1929, fig.67 (Durham 1435-56); (F) f.75-76 and 82, cf. Basilic, Briquet 2648-82 (1389-1512), Drache, Piccard X.ii.386-669 (1393-1492), Heawood 1929, fig.88 (1378, 1411, 1453); f.77, three mounts with cross as in (E) ?; (G) none; (H) none; (I) a quadruped passant (horse with head turned back ?), not found in Briquet or Piccard. f.ii, 26-9, 57-60 and 101-4: 17th century, fleur de lys in crowned shield with maker's monogram WR below.
Foliated i-ii, 1-105, in pencil by A.I. Doyle. c. 1951; also f.30-40 foliated 1-11 in ink, 15th century; and f.1-21, 22-25 and 61-72 separately paginated in ink by R. Harrison, 18th century.
Excluding 17th century leaves (f.26-9, 57-60 and 101-4).
(A): f.1-21. 114 wants 4 after f.3, and 11 after f.9, 28 + one (f.21) after 8
(B): f.22-25. 36 wants 1(?) before f.22 and 6 (blank ?) after f.25
(C): f.30-46. 418 wants almost all of 1 (a fragment of it now between f.45 and 46)
(D): f.47-56. 512 wants 9-10 after f.54 (stubs transposed and stuck to f.51), offsets on f.52v-53r of a now missing strip of parchment (?) ms as in (F+G) below used to strengthen central fold
(E):
f.61-72) 612
(F)+(G): f.73, 75-82 + G: f. 74, 83, an intruded bifolium. 716 wants 5-6 after f.76, 13-14 after f.82, and 16 (blank ?), parchment strip (civil law ms, 41 lines, 14th century) stuck upside down to the inner margin of f.73 as a guard with return stub stuck to f.83v, offsets on f.78v-79r of a similar strip now missing used to strengthen central fold
(H): f.84-93 (of which f.88-89 form a bifolium of earlier origin). 812 wants 1(?) before f.84, and 12 (blank ?) after f.93 (a blank fragment), parchment strengthener from the same ms as in (F+G) above stuck to f.88v-89r;
(I): f.94-100) 96 + one (f.99, blank) before 10, parchment strips from the same ms as in (F)+(G) stuck to f.100v with stub return before f.94 and to f.95v and 96v-97r, strip of paper ms stuck to f.99 (to secure insertion ?).
(A) Framed in ink, written space 179 x 114 mm, 40-44 long lines or, f.1r-v, 3 columns.
(B) Framed in ink, written space c. 180 x 112-114 mm, 40-44 lines long lines.
(C) Framed in brown, written space 178-183 x 110 mm, 34-39 long lines.
(D) f.47r-54v: No sign of frame or ruling, written space c. 170 x 105 mm, 3 columns of 31-32 lines.
(D) f.55r-56v:No sign of frame or ruling, written space 170-201 x 125+ mm, 24-29 long lines.
(E) Framed in softish brown, written space 173-185 x 120-125 mm, 32-33 long lines.
(F) No sign of frame or ruling, written space 192-207 x 120-134 mm, 42-51 long lines per page.
(G) No sign of frame or ruling, written space up to 183 x 130 mm, up to 35-37 long lines.
(H) No sign of frame or ruling, written space 150-200 x 105-125 mm, 23-25 long lines.
(I) Traces of framing in sharp grey, written space 170 x 115 mm, 26-28 long lines.
(A) Written in anglicana formata, with single-compartment a and sometimes secretary final s, proficiently, brown ink.
(B) Written in anglicana formata with single-compartment a and secretary final s, or, for larger headings, two-compartment a and kidney-shaped final s, expertly, blackish ink.
(C) Written in anglicana with single-compartment a, competently, brown ink.
(D) f.47r-54v: Written in a set secretary, expertly, pale greyish ink.
(D) f.55r-56v: Written in leftwards leaning secretary with anglicana g, proficiently, or, f.56v/14-29 and marginal additions, by another hand, in a mixture of anglicana and secretary, competently, dark brown ink.
(E) Written in leftwards leaning anglicana, competently, brown ink.
(F) Written in anglicana, f.77r-79r/4 by a different hand with single-compartment a, competently, brown ink.
(G) Written in leftwards leaning anglicana, competently, blackish ink.
(H) Written in anglicana, unevenly, variable ink, or, f.86v-87v, by another hand, in anglicana sometimes with single-compartment a and final secretary s, proficiently, grey ink, or, f.89r-v, by an older hand, later 14th century, in a squat anglicana, competently, pale brown ink.
(I) Written in anglicana with single-compartmant a, proficiently, grey ink.
(A) Capitals in quire 1 to each line of item (1) and to each recipe of item (2) lined with red, titles on f.2r-3v boxed in red, red paraphs, initials in plain red (i) to items (1b)-(1c) 2-line, (ii) to item (1a) 4-line.
(B) Virgules in red, capitals lined with red, paraphs in red or, f.22r, alternately blue.
(C) Double virgules in red, titles underlined in red over ink, likewise braces on f.46r and boxing, red paraphs, initial to item (4) plain red, 2-line.
(D) f.47r-54v: Capitals lined with red, headings boxed in red over ink, also braces on f.47r only, red paraphs.
(D) f.55r-56v: Capitals lined with red f.55r and 56v, braces in red over ink f.56v, red paraphs f. 55r.
(E) Capitals lined with red, headings boxed in red, a few red paraphs, initial to item (11) plain red, 2-line.
(F) Capitals lined with red, virgules, underlining, boxes and line-fillers in red, red paraphs.
(G) Capitals lined with red, virgules and underlining in red, red paraphs.
(H) Capitals lined with red, virgules, underlining and line-fillers in red, paraphs red or, f.90v, blue.
(I) Headings in red.
Titles added, mid 15th century, in black ink, by a hand which also makes some literal corrections, f.3r-21v, 34r-45r and 49r-51v, i.e. in sections (A), (C) and (D). Corrections and notes by other hands in (C). Notes on hyssop in Latin by a 15th century hand of rather humanist duct, f.52r and 53v. On f.4r outer margin “in the name of god amen in this yeare of owere lord god a 155”; ends of six lines of text, mid 16th century, on fragment of leaf torn out between f.45 and 46; “god grant vs peaces the lord be wyth you”, 16th century, f.72r; two recipes in pale brown ink, mid-late 16th century, f.81r-v; mid-late 16th century pen trial, f.84r; three early 16th century recipes, f.88v.
Bound in Durham, mid 17th century, speckled calf with blind double fillets and Hutchinson' roll F on both boards, and on board edges his dash-and-dot roll B gilt; the spine replaced and lettered in mid 19th century.
Written in England, earlier 15th century.
Items (13) and (16) may point to a connection with Merton College Oxford; item (16) is a copy of a letter by a clerk with Kentish connections. Ends of 6 lines of current writing mid-late 16th century on verso of fragment of leaf between f.45 and 46; “asent leonardes day at euen jn cart<**>ane”, early-mid 15th century, somewhat like the hand of items (21), etc., f.88r foot. Belonged, in part at least, in 1542 to John Bradford, perpetual vicar of Lillington (Warwickshire), died 1553, see item 29; he also wroteother parts. “Holy gos<t> have mercy a ponvs myserable synneris John nycols boke”, mid 16th century, f.92r, running on after item (26d) which is in Bradford's hand. Owned by George Davenport, for whom it was bound in its current form and by whom it was presented to Bishop Cosin's Library around 1670.
Probably for a feast given by Thomas baron Despenser between 1394 when he had livery of his lands and 1397 when he was made earl of Gloucester; the king would be Richard II.
Presumably for Richard II.
List of recipes in item (2)
167 recipes), numbered in pencil by R. Harrison, with an unexplained skip from 160 to 169; boxed original headings for nos 2-5, 7-8, 10-13, 15; added mid 15th century headings for nos 11, 17, 20-41, 47-50, 52-66, 68-71, 74-76, 78-88, 90-93, 97-104, 107-8, 111-2, 114-7, 119-20, 123-7, 129-41, 143-8, 150-3, 155-67.
31 recipes, plus the latter part of another at the start, with original headings; numbered in pencil by R. Harrison, 176-208, (continuing from item (2)). Twelve occur in the collection "liber utilis coquinario" ed. Hieatt & Butler, 81-91, from BL MS Sloane 468, collated with Sloane 374 f.86v-91v, Cosin and a paragraph only in Bodleian Ashmole 1444 p.190. f.26-29 are blank 17th century leaves
195 in English, 96 in Latin: the Latin pieces, often with names of ingredients and other words and headings in English, occur mostly in groups, e.g. f.30r-v, 31r-v, 37v-38r, 38v-39v, 39v-40r and 42r. The same general heading is found with similar but not identical collections, e.g. BL MSS Royal 12.G.IV, f.188v (Coventry Cathedral Priory, end 14th century), also entitled "practica Edwardi universitatis Oxonie, qui fuit optimus in illis partibus cirurgicus", 17.A.VIII (151 chapters), 17.A.XXXII (the latter like Sloane 393), 18.A.VI (165 chapters); Harley 1680, 2378 f.121r (165-9 chapters); Sloane 372, 521, 2579, 4698; Oxford, Bodleian. MSS Bodley 483, Ashmole 1438 (II), f.83r; London, Wellcome Lib., Medical Society of London 136; Cambridge UL Dd.vi.29; Takamiya 61 f.15v. On each leaf of f.30r-33r a contemporary hand added sequences of letters from the beginning of the alphabet in the right margin, no doubt for indexing; this plan was presumably abandoned.
3 lines
List of Olea, Unguenta and Electuaria in two columns.
Medical apophthegm.
Note on the virtues of vervain.
Medical recipe
Six lines on herbal remedies.
Medical recipe
Medical recipe
Medical recipe
2 medical recipes
Trilingual herbal, or Synonyma, in alphabetical order of initial of first Latin name, in three columns (Latin, French, English), ending defectively by loss of two leaves. In BL Sloane 282 f.167v-73v (c. 1409), where it is laid out differently and varies somewhat verbally, it is entitled "sinonima de nominibus herbarum secundum magistrum iohannem Bray" (for this physician (d. 1381) of John of Gaunt, Edward III and Richard II, see Talbot and Hammond, p.125. The Synonyma occur also in Cambridge, Magdalene Coll. MS Pepys 1661 p.245-66 (after 1392), Trinity Coll. MS O.I.13 (1037) f.37v-44r (incomplete), Univ. Lib. MS Dd.XI.45 f.145r-53r, and Glasgow Univ. Lib. MS 185 f.1r-6v.
Maxims of orthography and diction; after the four modes it quotes “regula secundum pricianum in secundo maioris”.
Grammatical mnemonics; two lines of prose and bracketed groups of 87 verses, supplemented by a second scribe. f.57-60 are blank 17th century leaves.
7 menus for meals on flesh and fish days
146 culinary and 20 veterinary recipes. Hieatt & Butler conclude, p.27-28, that this copy and BL MS Cotton Julius D.VIII f.90v-104r had a common source, although the latter lacks the veterinary material, which is also found in BL MS Sloane 962. Here it is interspersed without distinction between f.70v/17 and 72r/6; one veterinary recipe in French, "Pur sores de chiuall", f.71v-72r. Many recipes marked F or “extra” in the margin. Numbers added in ink in the margins by R. Harrison from the edition of the Forme of Cury by S. Pegge (1790) or the reprint by R. Warner (1791).
136 medical recipes in Latin, and two charms and a recipe in French (f. 75, Carmen infallibile pro gutta: Cest la charme seint William que seint gabriel lui porta ... ... Pur goutte en osse pernez[es expuncted] herbe yue ... ; f. 77v, Wlnera quinque dei ... Jesu a verrayment cun vous soffristes ... Accipe laminam plumbi ... [cf. Cosin MS V.iii.10, f.10]; an English version of the first charm occurs in MS BL Sloane 962 f.72r-v and cf. f.94r-v below. The collection includes anecdotal reports of cures with many names of persons and places: “hoc est expertus radulphus de dyngeley”, “henricus pounfreyt”, “domina de chaworthe” twice (f.75v); “hoc fr. T. de hamslap conualuit”,“narrauit T. de langehulle qui sta cum donal de Mar”, “vt dix mihi W. le luminour rector de cortynhale misit Oxon pro isto oleo ... Et quia libri medicine volunt ... et experimentatores dicunt” (f.76r); “secundum lanfrancum in suo antidotario capitulo primo”, “Pocio secundum helenam de watford”, “Quatuor receptas predictas scripsi ex libro Bredon” (f.77r); “vt credit Bredon”, “Item arnaldus de noua villa maxime laudat curacionem wlnerum cum locionibus”, “quo vidit Bredon” (f.77v); “secundum dominam de holond” and four times “hec holond”, “hoc expertus est cirurgicus in bello de Ouesham”, “hoc expertus est quidam de Northamton in vacca sua wlnerata”, “hoc M. Rogerus cirurgicus” (f.78r); “hec Johanna hamme de london”, “hec herbularius”, “et de hoc respice gerardum” (f.78v); “Walter de Waldegraue”, ”herbularius” (f.79r); “Linaria fetens quam W. Sir' cant' vocat elaccerium” (f.79v); “hec frater henricus de brynkelow”, “hec Frater T. ... tamen ista medicina videtur contrariari dictis Magistrorum”, “vt expertus est J. fremantel in garcione proprio & hoc habui a M. W. de Wynternburne”, “Item pro hoc respice 7m almansorum capitulo de flegmone d” (f.80r); “hac medicina curatus fuit frater Johannes de dunston”, “& sic Radulphus le plummer ... vt ipse fatebatur”, “hoc est expertum in W. barbour”, “secundum W. cant”, “Hoc agnes de luton”, “hoc J. le clerk qui hoc expertus est in filio suo”, “Hec dominus Rogerus de hegham canonicus” (f.80v); “hoc frater galfridus de loquinore” (f.81r). These all seem like notes from one academically trained medical man's case book. Few of the names have been identified. The battle of “Ouesham” presumably refers to that at Evesham in 1265, while “Donal de Mar” must be one of two earls of Mar, 1281-97 (?) and 1309-32, known in England; thus the references apparently go back a century and more before the date of this manuscript. There was a Walter de Winterbourne O.P. (c. 1274-1304) who died as a cardinal in Italy. The “domina de Chaworth” must be the wife of one of the knights of the Nottinghamshire family, 14th-15th century, and the “domina de holond” could be Maud baroness Holand suo jure, 1373-1423. Bredon is presumably Simon (c. 1310-72), a noted physician and astronomer, who left his books to Oxford colleges, especially Merton, where he had been a fellow 1330-41 (cf. item (16)). There was a Dominican John de Dunston at Oxford in 1415. Talbot & Hammond list a Roger de Heigham as physician to Norwich Cathedral Priory c. 1313-14, and one John Clerk, at Canterbury, in the first half of the 15th century, but no likely candidates for any of the other names, many of which appear to be those of medical practitioners, some healing themselves. Courtenhall is in Northamptonshire, and the range of the topographical references is broadly through the East Midlands. It is possible that this item is mentioned in item (16) below as “vnum quaternum de medicinis fidelissimis ... quas vnus Magister Collegij Merton compilauit sicut equitauit per diuersas partes Anglie”.
Medical recipe, added by a different hand.
Medical recipe, added by a different hand.
Sardonic comments concerning Lent, as a stylistic exercise, by a third, much less current, hand, with red paraphs and lining of capitals.
List of fishes, with 13 interlinear English glosses (sturgwn ... lampray), by a third, much less current, hand, with red paraphs and lining of capitals.
In one mid 15th century hand, with red virgules, boxes, braces and lining of capitals.
An actual or exemplary letter, following epistolary format in being written down the length of the page, but beginning with a red paraph, with capitals lined with red and one red virgule. Written to his patron by a clerk awaiting ordination as priest, and mentioning an allegation of Lollardy, and the purchase and transcription of books. A William Edmund resigned as vicar of SS Mary & Edmund, Canterbury, by 31 August 1415 (Reg. Chichele, i, 137). Cranbrook and Biddenden are both in Kent. There is evidence for a possible connection with Merton, and Simon Bredon says he was rector of the latter in his will of 1368, but he died in 1372, rather too early for the accusation “lollard” to be made. Item (13) may be the quire here mentioned in the first postscript. Archbishop Chichele's known treasurer Penwortham was not the incumbent of Cranbrook. “Raymundus” was probably R. de Peñaforte, and the book either his Summa de Penitentia, or perhaps, given the small sum involved, the fourth book of it, De matrimonio, which circulated separately.
Originally blank; additions in a small anglicana formata of documentary character, by one expert hand.
Job 14:1. Pen trial.
Pen trial.
Pen trial (remainder illegible).
Incomplete copy of a document abandoning actions, suits, etc.; evidently invented in part at least, since two Edmund Mortimers were earls of March, 1360- 80 and 1398-1425, but not of Nottingham, which was an earldom held by the Mowbray family 1377-99 and then in combination with Norwich until 1476.
Portion of an epistle of spiritual counsel. Augustine quoted twice; the use of the phrase “eterna sapiencia” may indicate familiarity with Suso's Horologium Sapiencie. f.74 and 83 are two leaves from a separate gathering or codex bound in here.
Largely derived from the Latin translation of the Ancrene Riwle, (edition of D'Evelyn, p. 59/24-31, 84/11-29, 85/1-7, 17-26; also found separately, but with “tribularis” preceding “temptaris” in the incipit and ending at 84/18, in Bodl. MS Laud misc. 111, f.187r and in Cambridge UL MS Mm.VI.17, f.92v-93r, both including Richard Rolle's Judica Me with similar titling; and, with a different explicit, in a group of pieces appended to Rolle's Incendium Amoris in four manuscripts. The first extract from the Riwle (59/24-31) is inserted in chapter 5 of his Emendatio in an appendix to the edition of the Speculum Spiritualium, 1510 (ESTC S4913), sig.A5va lines 11-21: cf. Allen 1923, 2-3, and Writings ascribed to R. Rolle, p. 218, 230, 406; Colledge & Bazire, p. 259-63, with the Laud text in full: their opinion that this Latin version is independent of the full translation of the Riwle is not shared by other scholars. Neither Allen nor Colledge knew of the Cambridge copy, nor the copy here, which goes on with more from the Riwle, including six “causae”, “rationes” in the full text, and then further matter, mostly of quotations from Bernard and Gregory. The last six lines, from the top of f.83v, copied at (20c).
Grammatical note with mnemonic verse similar to Walther 1959, no. 20264.
Verbal exercise
Copy of last six lines of item (19), in the hand and ink of item (29) - John Bradford.
11 recipes for wounds, including popelyon and gracya dei.
“Abraham lay & sclepe on þe monte of oleuete”: by the same hand as (20a) and items (23), (24l), (25) and (28).
In a different hand.
Written in the same hand as (21), (24l), (25) and (28). At the foot of f.87v added but crossed through in red: “<a noþer quere ad> Feche at the + ij leues aftere“, both in lighter ink. The cross referred to is on f.90r. f.88r blank, soiled.
11 in an earlier hand (later 14th century), followed by (24l) added in the hand of (29).
Item (29c) is written twice at the foot of f.89v, in the hand of item (29).
19 medical recipes), in the hand of items (21), (24l) and (28)
f.92v blank, save for “Time Deum/ Fuge Diabolum” at the top and again at the foot after “Omne solum est forti patria”, probably in the hand of item (29), John Bradford. f.93 is the remnant strip of a blank leaf.
Method for catching rabbits assuming kyonnes = coneys ?
Recipe for fish-bait
Medical recipe
Medical recipe
19 or more medical recipes for wounds, including vernale and popyleon; one leaf lost near the start of the latter, between f.94 and 95. Voigts & Kurtz no. 6135 record one leaf in Schoyen MS. 671.
Added by the hand of items (21), (24l), (25) and (28). f.98v-99v blank.
At the top of f.100r, both in the same hand and ink as item (29a-m): “Do Dominus <name torn off>h vicarium de lellyngton'; and between (g) and (h) “When thes verses was writton was the said ser John Bradffurth vicar of lyllyngton The yer off owre lord god A M VC xlij then he beyng off agge lxxviij yere old Omnis spiritus laudet dominum when he did write thes verses abothe writtyn”. On f.100v, originally blank and unruled, are a number of 15th century pen trials, now very faded, some ill spelt: e.g. “Domus noster qui in est”, “Fuit omo missys adeo qui” [John 1:6]. The English includes two fragmentary quotations: “Than saw I noman þat wold” and, based on Chaucer's Troilus and Criseyde, II, 1106-7, “So fer forþ am I broght in louys daunce That endles I hop all way a bovt”.
2 bracketed lines.
Also twice at foot of f.89v and once at foot of f.92v in the same hand.
At foot of f.100v, in the same hand.
2 bracketed lines
2 bracketed lines
2 bracketed lines
Allen, H. E., "Some fourteenth century borrowings from “Ancren riwle”" Modern language review xviii (1923), 1-8
Allen, H. E., Writings ascribed to Richard Rolle, hermit of Hampole, and materials for his biography 
(Oxford: OUP, 1927)
The Latin text of the Ancrene Riwle , ed. D'Evelyn, C., Early English Text Society os 216 (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1944)
Briquet, C.-M., Les filigranes: dictionnaire historique des marques du papier dès leur apparition vers 1282 jusqu'en 1600 (Amsterdam: Paper Publications Society, 1968)
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]).
The Chastising of God's children and the Treatise of perfection of the sons of God , ed. Colledge, E. & Bazire, J. (Oxford: Blackwell, 1953)
Curye on Inglysch English culinary manuscripts of the fourteenth century (including the Forme of cury) , ed. Hieatt, C. & Butler, S., Early English Text Society ss 8 (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1985)
Heawood, E., "Sources of early English paper-supply [I]" The library, series 4, 10 (1929), 282-307
Heawood, E., Watermarks: mainly of the 17th and 18th centuries (Hilversum: Paper Publications Society, 1950)
Piccard, G., Die Wasserzeichenkartei Piccard im Hauptstaatsarchiv Stuttgart: Findbuch (Stuttgart : Kohlhammer, 1961-97)
Talbot, C.H. and Hammond, E.A. The medical practitioners in medieval England a biographical register (London: Wellcome Historical Medical Library, 1965)
Walther, H., Carmina medii aevi posterioris latina 1. Initia carminum ac versuum medii aevi posterioris latinorum: alphabetisches Verzeichnis der Versanfänge mittellateinischer Dichtungen (Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 1959-69)
Walther, H., Proverbia sententiaeque latinitatis medii aevi. Lateinische Sprichwörter und Sentenzen des Mittelalters in alphabetischer Anordnung (Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 1963-86)