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MS. Rawl. B. 333

Summary Catalogue no.: 11671

Chronicon Ramesiensis, etc.; England, early 14th-early 16th century.

Physical Description

Several codicological units linked by a connection with Ramsey Abbey, together at an uncertain date (distinct patterns of wear and annotation in each section) but certainly by 1585, when extracts were made by Robert Glover (W. Macray, Chronicon Ramesiensis, Rolls Series 83 (1886), 314 n. 1).
Form: codex
Support: parchment
Extent: iii (18th-century paper) + 1 (parchment, former front cover) + 2 (parchment endleaves) + 69 + 1 (parchment, former back cover) + i (18th-century paper) leaves; with 2 sheets of paper (blank) interleaved between fols. 12 and 13, 1 between fols. 35 and 36, 1 betweeen 49 and 50, and 4 leaves of paper interleaved between fols. 68 and [69],
Dimensions (leaf): 345 × 240 mm.
Foliation: 1-68, probably by Henry Spelman; first 6 and last 3 leaves unfoliated.

Collation

1(12)-4(12) (fols. 1-48), 5(8-3?) (wants 4-5, with loss of text, and 8 cancelled?) (fols. 49-53) | 6(2) (fols. 54-5) | 7(6) (fols. 56-61) | 8(8) (fols. 62-69). Catchwords, fols. 1-48.

Binding

Parchment over pasteboards, probably 17th century. Fols. [vi] and [70] are the covers from a former limp parchment binding.

History

Provenance and Acquisition

Ramsey, Huntingdonshire, Benedictine Abbey of Saint Mary the Virgin and St Benedict: (MLGB3: evidence from locally specific contents, including obits, scribbles, etc.).

Scraps of English prose added, 16th century (?), fols. 56r, 58r, 68v; proverb in Italian, fol. 67v.

Henry Spelman. His notes throughout: ‘Examinatur cum originali, 27 Junii, 1628, per me Hen. Spelman et Franciscum Boyton. Et in margine correctiones addidi, ut patet, sed interdum ubi una vel altera litera tantum differebat hic liber ab originali, apposui genuinam in apice vel interdum in margine; vitiosam puncto subjecto vel lineola denotavi. Testium item nomina tribus in Privilegio exarantur columnis ordine quo supra. Claret hîc autem quam malefidè transcripserunt monachi chartas, privilegia, codices, exemplaria. Errata enim et mendas libentiùs admitterent in scriptis suis quàm decorem paginæ litura aliqua deturparent. Inde tanta manuscriptorum discrepantia, pugna, et contrarietas’.

Walter Clauell (sale March, April 1738 no. 22 of the MSS. in folio).

Richard Rawlinson, 1690–1755

Bequeathed to the Bodleian in 1755

MS. Rawl. B. 333, part A (fols. 1-53)

Contents

Language(s): Latin

(fols. 1r-53r)
Chronicon Ramesiensis

Ed. W. Macray, Chronicon Ramesiensis, Rolls Series 83 (1886), siglum B; desc. pp. ix-xii; at least two leaves lost between fols. 51 and 52 (Macray 314 n. 1)

cc. 8-62 (Macray 21-107) are listed at BHL 6378 as a life St Oswald of Worcester

Including numerous early charters.

(fol. 53r)

Charter of King John to Ramsey Abbey; pr. Macray 323-324.

Added, 16th century. Preceded by a fragmentary paper note on the boundaries of Higney Marsh, pr. Macray 323 n. 1.

Fol. 53v blank.

Physical Description

Form: codex
Support: parchment

Layout

2 cols., 52 lines; ruled in ink, with ruling for minims; ruled space 265 × 165 mm. ; each column 75-80 mm. wide, approx 10 mm. between columns.

Hand(s)

Textualis; one hand.

Decoration

Fine historiated initial with partial border. (Pächt and Alexander iii. 547, pl. LIV), fol. 1r: initial U, a ram and a bull underneath a tree: the ram is a rebus for Ramsey and the bull alludes to the story of the abbey's foundation where a bull will strike the ground with its right foot (Lucy Freeman Sandler, 'The Historical Miniatures of the Fourteenth-Century Ramsey Psalter', The Burlington Magazine 111, No. 799 (Oct., 1969), 605-611 at 606).

Other initials in alternating red and dark blue, flourished respectively in light blue and red; puzzle initial in red and blue, fol. 23v

Spaces left for initials, fols. 25r-53; rubrication lacking, fols. 39v-46r

History

Origin: 14th century, early ; English, Ramsey Abbey (?)

MS. Rawl B. 333 - part B (fols. 54-55)

Contents

Language(s): Latin

(fol. 54r-55v)

Charter of Henry VI to Ramsey Abbey, 15 March 1442.

(fol. 55v)
Rubric: Copia commissionis domini episcopi Lincoln' directi domino Johanni Hunt' abbate Rames' pro domino Ricardo Burton rectore de Wardeboys et Walton

Dated 23 Jul. 1494.

Physical Description

Form: codex
Support: parchment
Extent: bifolium

Layout

Long lines; written space 275 × 160 mm.

Hand(s)

Secretary.

Decoration

None.

History

Origin: 15th century, end or 16th century, beginning ; English, Ramsey Abbey (?)

MS. Rawl. B. 333 - part C (fols. 56-61)

Contents

(fols. 56ra-58rb)

Supplementary narrative of abbot Walter of Ramsey, especially for events of 1135-6.

Pr. Macray, op. cit., 325-336

Fol. 58v blank.

Language(s): Latin
(fols. 59ra-60va)
Geste de Burch

A rhyming Anglo-Norman chronicle of Peterborough Abbey, based on the chronicle of Hugo Candidus; text of this ms. pr. T. Hunt, 'The 'Geste de Burch': a manuscript', Medium Ævum, 67/2 (1998), 291-303

Language(s): Anglo-Norman
(fol. 60vb-61rb)
Text on the early history of the abbeys of Peterborough and Thorney
Incipit: In exordio fundacionis ecclesie Burgi
Explicit: de suo dando non optulissent

Printed from BL. Harley MS. 5071 as part of a longer text in T. Hearne, Thomae Sprotti Chronica, pp. 171–220, here ending near the bottom of p. 175.

Rest of fol. 61rb blank; added, a letter in English to 'Mr Mynne', dated 'Woodcott', 30 May 1597; fol. 61v blank.

Language(s): Latin

Physical Description

Form: codex
Support: parchment
Extent: 6 leaves

Layout

2 cols., 43 lines, ruled in ink, ruled space 260 × 160 mm. , each column c. 73 mm., c. 15mm. between columns.

Hand(s)

Textualis, one hand.

Decoration

Spaces for initials, unfilled.

History

Origin: 14th century, early ; English, Ramsey Abbey (?)

MS. Rawl B. 333 - part D (fols. 62-69)

Contents

Language(s): Latin

(fol. 62r-66r)
Rubric: Scutagium per breve domini regis in hec verba

Scutage 'de anno regis Edwardi xxviijo et xxxjo' of the abbot of Ramsey's fees, pursant to a writ of 15 Feb. 8 Edw. II

16th century addition, fol. 66r: ‘Status redditus abbatum de Rameseia alebat sexaginta monachos. Cenobium recipiebat annuatim septem milia librarum unde oblate tria milia per Thomam Wolseiam cardinal' cum cruce de auro et argento mostrabili’ (Macray xii n. 1)

Fols. 66v-69v blank. Fol. [70]r-v (former wrapper) blank.

Initial 'R' on fol. 62r contains 'Robertus Bury'; initial B on the same folio contains 'Bury'.

Four paper leaves between fols. 68 and [69] contain: (a) a catalogue of the abbots of Ramsey from 1234 to 1493 (b) note by Henry Spelman, 1638, on damage done to the manuscript.

Physical Description

Form: codex
Support: parchment
Extent: 8 leaves

Layout

1 col., 50 lines; 255 × 150 mm. ; running heads.

Hand(s)

Secretary with some anglicana forms.

Headings in textualis quadrata.

Decoration

Coloured initials, rubrics; decoration unfinished from fol. 64v.

History

Origin: 15th century, middle English, Ramsey Abbey (?)

Additional Information

Record Sources

Summary description by Matthew Holford, August 2022. Previously described in the Quarto Catalogue (W. D. Macray, Catalogi codicum manuscriptorum Bibliothecæ Bodleianæ...viri munificentissimi Ricardi Rawlinson, J.C.D., codicum...complectens, Quarto Catalogues V, 5 fascicles, 1862–1900).
Summary Catalogue, Vol. 3, p. 199
Quarto Catalogue, Cols. 601–2
Quarto Catalogue, Col. 603

Digital Images

Digital Bodleian (full digital facsimile)
Digital Bodleian (1 image from 35mm slides)

Bibliography

Abbreviations

View list of abbreviations and editorial conventions.

Last Substantive Revision

2022-08: Description revised for publication on Digital Bodleian.