YORK BREVIARY

Sion L40.2/L1

YORK BREVIARY

14th century - 15th century

A noted breviary of York use. An imperfect copy (MS. I), which has been made complete by the addition of 71 leaves of another copy, also noted and of York use (MS. II), and a Psalter, Canticles, and Litany on 57 leaves (MS. III). The added pages are 1-32, 61-66, 153-8, 391-504, and 809-906. There is some overlapping. pp. 1-358. Temporale. pp. 358-69. Dedication of church. pp. 369-71. Suffrages (as in the Surtees Society edition 'Breviarium ad usum insignis ecclesiae Eboracensis', i. 939-44). pp. 371-8. Table of dates of Sundays after Septuagesima and Trinity Sundays ('Breviarium ad usum insignis ecclesiae Eboracensis', i. 706-26). p. 378. 'Benedicciones communes' and on special occasions. pp. 379-90. Calendar, graded. pp. 391-504. Psalter, canticles, and litany. pp. 505-70. Common of saints. pp. 571-906. Sanctorale. The noted office of St. William of York, 'In Willelmi laudibus ...' ('Breviarium ad usum insignis ecclesiae Eboracensis', ii. 297), is placed after the Litany (MS. II) and ends imperfectly at the words 'Beatus vir', owing to the loss of a leaf after p. 504. It occurs again in its place at p. 675 (MS. I). The calendar contains added obits of the family of Lovell: Elizabeth, wife of George Lovell, 5 Aug. 1475; Grace Lovell, 7 Oct. 1516; Robert Lovell, 'heres de Lovell', 24 Jul 1521; Anne, wife of Robert Lovell, 28 Aug. 1521; also 'Obitus Iohannis Gylberne de Skelton', 18 Apr. 1506 [The date 1421 given in VCH for the deaths of Robert and Anne Lovell is evidently an error]. An addition (16th cent.) in a blank space on p. 570, 'Ihesu for thy passion grante vs for syn contrition ...', signed 'Robertus Gylbarne rector ecclesie' (rector of Skelton, near York, 1526-9), is printed in 'Notes and Queries', 2nd series v (1858), p. 145. Three leaves of a liturgical Psalter, 15th century, in 2 cols, of thirty-seven lines, were used in the former binding of the breviary. They now form pp. (xvii, xviii, 907-10).

A digital copy is available via the online image management system: http://images.lambethpalacelibrary.org.uk/luna/servlet/s/0dt2p3 Microfilm: Lambeth Palace Library Box 674

Latin

ff. ix + 453 + x

Open

Written for use in the diocese of York. Belonged probably to the church of Skelton, near York, or to the family of Lovell of Skelton (cf. VCH, Yorkshire, North Riding, ii. 170-1: see note in the Description field). The title 'Missale ad usum Sarum' (17th century) on the pastedown suggests that this is the manuscript so called given by Simeon Ashe in 1655 (Sion L40.2/E64, Benefactors' Register, p. 67), and recorded by John Spencer in his catalogue of the Sion manuscripts begun in 1650 with the shelfmark X1(Sion L40.2/E92, f. 24r). Later recorded by Spencer amongst manuscripts which survived the Fire of London (Sion L40.2/E58/2 f. 31v, 'Missale magnum ecclesiae Romanae, folio') with new shelfmark C3; this is found on the pastedown of the manuscript. Listed at Sion College in Edward Bernard, 'Catalogi Manuscriptorum Angliae et Hiberniae' (Oxford, 1697) no. 4069: 'Missale ad usum Sarum, fol.'. Pasted on a flyleaf in the manuscript is a cutting from 'The Ecclesiologist' October 1855 announcing the identification of this manuscript as a York service book. Transferred from Sion College to Lambeth Palace Library, 1996.

Binding of black leather, blind tooled, over wooden boards, with metal clasps. 310 x 225 mm. Late 19th century. Paper leaves 290 x 200 mm. Written space c. 238 x 150 mm. 2 cols. 51 lines (MS. I); 33 and 45 lines (MS. II). ff. 1-453 are paginated 1-906. For pages (xvii, xviii, 907-10) see Description field: pp. (xvii) and (910) were pasted down. Collation (text enclosed in angular brackets, e.g. <. . .> shows MS. II): <1(12); 2(8) wants 5-8 after p. 32>; 3(8); 4(8) wants 7, 8 after p. 60; <5 three (pp. 61-66)>; 6-10(8); 11(8) wants 4, 5 after p. 152: ; 12-24(8); 25 nine (pp. 373-90); 26-29(12); 30(10) wants 10 after p. 504; 31-33(8); 34(8) + 1 leaf after 8 (pp. 569, 570) 35-38(8); 39(8) wants 5 after p. 642; 40-49(8); <50 one (pp. 809, 810, the last leaf of a quire); 51-54(12)>. Initials: (i) in colours on gold grounds decorated in colours; (ii) gold on coloured grounds patterned in white, or, for main initials of the psalter, blue and red with red and violet ornament; (iii) 2-line, blue with red ornament, or (MS. II only) red with violet ornament: (iv) for verses of psalms, 1-line, blue or red. The initial of Ps. 101 is of type (iii); that of Ps. 51 is like (iii), but 4-line. Secundo folio 'Ecce uenit'.