A catalogue of Western manuscripts at the Bodleian Libraries and selected Oxford colleges

Exeter College MS. 167

Statutes of Edward III, in French; England, s. xv1

Contents

1. (fols. ir and Iv)
Incipit: Compotus Johannis Kolne Messor(?) Johannes Michel apud brenn a festo Pascalis anno regni regis Ricardi ⟨II⟩ post conquestum tercio

The entries include the names Stephen de Bernham and Robert Crouch which, together with the mention of Colne, a common name in Essex, and Ipswich, on the Essex-Suffolk border (see History below), suggest a connection with that area.

Language(s): Latin
2. (fols. 1r-128v)
Statutes, 1–50 Edward III (1327–77)
Incipit: Le statut lez Dispensers fait a primer parlement apres le corounement. Come Hugh le Dispenser le Piere et Hugh le Dispenser le fitz
Explicit: portez cea en arere sibien ||

pr. SR i. 251–396. Through the loss of the next quire our text ends in 50 Edward III ch. 3, SR i. 396b/20 (with catchword ‘parmy lez guerrez’).

Language(s): Anglo-Norman

Physical Description

Secundo Folio: counsail.
Form: codex
Support: parchment FHHF
Extent: 128 leaves preceded and followed by one medieval membrane flyleaf
Dimensions (leaf): 193 × 52 mm.
Dimensions (written): 120 × 85–90 mm.

Collation

1–168. Catchwords by the scribe. No quire numbers or signatures.

Layout

One column, 27 lines. Ruled in crayon across full sheet.

Hand(s)

A good mixed anglicana (d, e, r, s) and secretary (a, g, s) hand, legal in character, punctuated by occasional punctus elevatus.

Decoration

None. Spaces with guide letters for initials remain blank.

Binding

Sewn on two bands in a stiff membrane cover with two green ribbon ties on each cover. The flyleaves (fols. i, I) are a single sheet wrapped round the spine.

History

Origin: s. xv1 ; England

Provenance and Acquisition

Unknown before the 17th century, but see item *1 above.

Among the many pen-trials on the flyleaves are (fol. 1r) ‘Willelmus Fall de Gippinwic’, s. xivin, which, if the place-name means Ipswich, may suggest that the book has an Essex connection, and (fol. ir) ‘Vinter(?) Vyner [or ‘Varners’] de Wilsingham’, s. xiv. ‘Godefreidus Haukyn’, fol. iv, s. xv2, may be an owner’s name.

On fol. 1r ‘96’ and ‘Statuta Regni ad an. 1 Ed. III ad 46 Ed: III, vide Cat. MSS Glynne Barti’ and the same number on both the spine and the front cover, refer to the catalogue of the library of Sir William Glynne (CMA ii. 49–54, no. 2020. 96), with the majority of whose manuscripts the book came to Exeter by bequest of Joseph Sandford: see MS 87, History.

Exeter library identifications are a label inside the front cover, on which are ‘Exeter’, ‘Coxe CLXVII’ (also on the outer front cover) and the book stamp.

Record Sources

Andrew G. Watson, A descriptive catalogue of the medieval manuscripts of Exeter College, Oxford (Oxford: Oxford University Press), 2000.

Availability

For enquiries relating to this manuscript please contact Exeter College Library.

Funding of Cataloguing

Conversion of the printed catalogue to TEI funded by the Rector and Fellows of Exeter College.

Last Substantive Revision

2020-04-29: First online publication

See the Availability section of this record for information on viewing the item in a reading room.