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

MS. Bodl. 39

Summary Catalogue no.: 1892

Collectanea of St Mary's Abbey, York

Contents

Language(s): Latin

1. (fol. 1)
Regula S. Benedicti
Rubric: Regula patris eximii Benedicti

With prologue and list of chapters, and drawings of an abbot and novice: imperfect at end, wanting all after 'subditum & magis' in ch. 60. A form of admission for a novice 'ad monasterium sancte Marie Eboracensis' in the time of Simon de Warwick (abbot 1258–96) is at fol. 1.

2. (fol. 32)
Regula S. Augustini ad seruos Dei
Rubric: Regula sancti Augustini de uita clericorum
3. (fol. 38)
Statutes of Benedictine Chapters

Including: (fol. 38) the papal constitutions appointed in 1268 to be written after the monastic rule: (fol. 46v) Statutes of Ottobonus, made at London in 1268: (fol. 52v) Statutes of a Chapter of the province of Canterbury, 1275: (fol. 67v) Treatise on the obedientiaries and rites of a certain monastery, evidently St. Mary's abbey, see fol. 91v: imperfect, ending with the rubric of a section 'De ingressu nouiciorum ...'

(fol. 92)
Stephen of Whitby, ‘De fundacione abbatie sancte Marie Virginis Eboracensis’

With a list of abbots and brief annals to 1267, with drawings.

(fol. 101)
Thurstan, archbishop of York, Epistola de egressu monachorum Fontanensium

A copy of a letter from Thurstan, archbp. of York, describing the foundation of St. Mary's abbey at Fountains by a colony from the York house in 1132: but foll. 101–9, 113–114 are later copies of about 1400, substituted: foll. 114v-115v are blank.

(fol. 116)
Annals of St Mary's Abbey, York, 1258–1326

Detailed annals of the abbey, with drawings, in perturbed order and with erasures and substituted leaves: at 1284 come in (foll. 135–149) Statutes of Benedictine Chapters of the province of York, 1222–1333; (foll. 150–161) lists of priors or wardens of cells of the abbey. The hands seems to change and be contemporary from about 1312: later substituted leaves are foll. 135, 149, 171, 174. At fol. 205v a late 14th cent. hand has added 'Modus & forma eligendi abbatem'. At fol. 116 is a list of the monks in 1258.

Physical Description

Form: codex
Support: parchment
Extent: ix + 213 leaves
Dimensions (binding): 6.75 × 5 in.

Decoration

Miniatures (pen-and-ink drawings). (Pächt and Alexander iii. 538, pl. LII)

History

Origin: c. 1312–1333 ; English, York, St Mary's Abbey

Provenance and Acquisition

St Mary's Abbey, York: evidence of contents.

'Henricus Jacksonus Oxoniensis. Anno 1600,' erased.

Seemingly acquired by purchase from him in 1619–20.

MS. Bodl. 39 - endleaves (fols. iv-ix)

Contents

Language(s): Anglo-Norman

Urban le Courtois (Dean and Boulton 31)
Walter of Bibbesworth, Tretiz (Dean and Boulton 285)

Physical Description

Form: codex
Support: parchment

History

Origin: 13th century

MS. Bodl. 39 - endleaves (fols. 209–212)

Contents

Language(s): Latin

Excerpts from Hugo de Sancto Victore, etc., except that 211r contains a list of Latin words beginning with P.

Physical Description

Form: codex
Support: parchment

History

Origin: 14th century

Additional Information

Record Sources

Description adapted (March 2020) from the following sources, with additional reference to published literature as cited:
Otto Pächt and J. J. G. Alexander, Illuminated Manuscripts in the Bodleian Library, Oxford, III (1973), no. 538 [decoration]
Summary Catalogue (1922) [contents, physical description, provenance, acquisition]

Digital Images

Digital Bodleian (3 images from 35mm slides)

Bibliography

Last Substantive Revision

2020-03-24: Description revised to include all information in SC with reference to published literature.