Durham University Library Archives & Special Collections Catalogue
Manuscript codex Breviary of York Use, a large coucher book, about half of which is now apparently missing from the start and end, used at the parish church of Hutton Rudby (N. Yorks.). The book is made up of five distinguishable sections (A)-(E). It is possible that item 11, the principal item of (C), was the first part of the book to be made: it is different from the rest in written space, hand and illuminated initials. The other sections are uniform in written space and number of lines, but the whole of (B) and the start of (E) are in different hands from the hand that was responsible for the original part of (A), for (D), for the completion of (E) and for the addition of item 12 at the end of (C). All the sections contain the work of a single distinctive flourisher, who also decorated the cadels. A little later items 4 and 5 were added at the end of (A).
Parchment, quires with flesh side outermost; a few natural edges and flaws, all edges cropped. Original patch lost early from f.84.
(A) f.1-19: 12 (f.1-2), 28, 38, 1 leaf (f.19). (B) f.20-25: 48 wants 1 (blank, or possibly f.19) before f.20 and 3 after f.20. (C) f.26-48: 58 wants 8 after f.32, 68 wants 1 before f.33, 78 wants 4-5 after f.42, 84 (i.e. 8 wanting 4 after f.48. (D) f.49-60): 98 wants 1-2 before f.49 (now bound as 2 quires with stubs before the second, f.53), 106. (E) f.61-106: 118 wants 1 before f.61, 128 wants 3-7 after f.69, 138 wants 6 after f.75, 14-168, 175 (f.102-106). Items (4)-(5) were added to (B) on spare space and an apparently extra leaf at the end of quire 3 or first of quire 4, mid 15th century.
No evidence of pricking. Ruling in sharp greyish black or, f.61-67 (quire 11), brown. Two columns, or, item (10), long lines.
(A)-(B), (D)-(E) Written space 410-415 x 280-285 (127.28.130) mm; 63 lines.
(C) Written space 400 x 280 (128.28.128) mm, 52 lines; f.48, 394 x 282 (130.21.131) mm, 62 lines.
Written in liturgical textura, proficiently, by six hands:
Initials:
Flourishing, also cadels and elaborated text descenders, in a single hand, with a distinctive feature of “o=o” across marginal tendrils terminating in a clover leaf.
Cadels, largely by the same hand as the flourishing of type (ii, iii) initials, see distinctive features, with human profiles in (C) and occasionally elsewhere (f.49v, 50v, 89v seq.), executed in part at least after flourishing of initials, see f.43v-44r. Those of f.80r-83v, 86r-87r, 93r-v and 97r-98v, apart from sketchy profiles, not fully decorated; likewise in items (4) and (9), both added.
Text capitals and cadels stroked with yellow. Paraphs in items (1)-(3), (10), (12)-(14), blue. Descenders of bottom line occasionally elaborated, by main flourishing hand, e.g. f.34v, 65r, 81r.
Early corrections in textura, over erasures, e.g. f.13r/b, 32r, 34v (a whole psalm squeezed in, by hand I), 105r, some following cursive marginal notes; others by later hands, 15th-16th century, indicative of attentive use. f. 92v/b.
Standard Tuckett binding, mid 19th century full brown calf over thick wooden boards (Charles Tuckett, binder to the British Museum, rebound many Durham manuscripts in the 19th century)
Written in northern England, mid 15th century, perhaps before 1456 since Osmund was not originally in the Kalendar, but the style of illumination in item (11) is not much earlier.
Inscription: “Whoso owne me that dothe loke | Iame the chowrche of rudbyys bowke | Who so dothe say the contrary | I reporte me to awll the parysshyngby”, early 16th century, f.23r, referring to the church of Hutton Rudby (N. Yorks.); pentrials in the same hand, “manvs merytary debys(?)”, “vale ne tutubes mandata que franggas”, f.21r. “Thomas Saye[..]”, f.78r, and, in the same hand, “Thomas Sayer Ropayer hollun Roger armestrag”, early 16th century, f.21r. “Thomas bekjvertt (?)”, early 16th century, f.47r, erased.
Additions to the Kalendar, item (10), include “Induxcio ven. magistri et dompni Cuthberti Conyers doctoris et rectoris ecclesie parochialis de Rudby” 1513 (27 Aug.); “Bellum quod vocatur flodun” 1513 (12 Sept.). Among obits several refer to the parish of Hutton Rudby: Cuthbert Conyers Doctor of Decrees archdeacon of Carlisle and rector of [Hutton] Rudby and Weym 1517 (7 Apr., and cf. in another hand, 10 Apr. “Obitus Domini Cuthberti Conyers De”), Master Cowper formerly rector of Rudby 1517 (23 Aug.), Thomas Lovell Doctor of both laws and rector of Rudby 1524 (3 July), Thomas Laton of Saxhowe armiger 1524/5 (12 Jan.), Joan Wissehede of Hotton 1528 (14 Oct.), Thomas Huntter of Hotton iuxta Rudby 1529 (9 May), Thomas Lyndley of Skotteskelfe armiger 1530 (8 May), William Pacoke “parochus ecclesiarum parochialium de Rudby” 1545 (25 June), and cf. Cuthbert Place clerk formerly rector [rest lost] (4 Aug.). Other obits are: Simon Gudwen 1518 (22 Nov.), William Robynson 1520(?, 11 Mar.), Margaret Heryson 1522 (5 Aug.), Alice Tonstall 1524 (13 June), Margery Laton 1525 (31 July), Alison Modersall 1528 (21 Sept.), Ralph Smyth 1529 (in red, 26 Sept.), Cecilia Hunt 1530 (10 Sept.), Dominus Thomas Armestrange 1537 (26 Aug.), Robert Smythe 1538 (29 Mar.), Perceval Reyd 1553 (2 May), William Elden 1553/4 (5 Mar.).
Octava Corporis Christi, lectio ii -Dominica v Novembris. Many lections are longer and fuller (e.g. f.2r-v, 3r, 7r, 11r), and there are six, rather than three lections, “de septem pueris” (f.9r-v); the "lectiones feriales in historia" are omitted (f.5).
Octava Pentecostes - Adventus Domini.
Dedication to octave, followed by a cross reference for final three lections.
This supplies in part the omission in item (13), which was perhaps due to the fact that there were no feasts in this class in the York Use, all groups of virgins being martyrs as well. If the addition was made here for more than the sake of theoretical completeness, it was perhaps done to provide for SS Perpetua and Felicity, who occur in the Kalendar below (f.23v) but not in all York Kalendars, and who, although martyrs, were treated as virgins in the Sarum Use; they are not, however, mentioned at the appropriate point in the Sanctorale, item (15) below (f.77r).
Noted. At this point without the prayers; these are in the original text, with the antiphons (no music), of item (8).
Incomplete. Text lost between f.20 and 21 amounting to no more than one leaf (about 250 lines, at 63 lines per column).
Antiphons are as item (5) but without music.
Kalendar, with principal feasts in red, graded for memoria, ix lc. in black or red, duplex festum, duplex festum de minoribus, and duplex festum principale. Deposition of Edward is on 7 Jan. Omissions: Chad (2 March), Theodulus (2 May), archbishop of York as a description of John of Beverley (7 May), Maccabees (1 Aug.), Audeon (24 Aug.), Vedast Bavo & Piaton (1 Oct.), octave of Andrew (7 Dec). Included: Perpetua & Felicity (7 March), Rusticus & Eleutherius (9 Oct.). Later additions: Chad (2 March), Zita (27 April), Osmund (4 Dec.). Visitation added, 2 April, “statutum est celebrari vt festum principale per mandatum synodalem isto die”, in error for 2 July; later erased? None of the differences is reflected in the surviving portion of the Sanctoral itself, item (15). Later obits have been added in various hands.
Incomplete: two gaps, between f.32 and 33, and f.42 and 43. The O.T. canticles and Quicunque vult are with the other canticles, f.44-46. Ps. lxxxix is not displaced, f.37. Seasonal versicles are provided for Sunday matins, f.27v, 28r, 29r; seasonal chapters for matins on Sunday, f.29, and Monday, f.31v. Monday matins ends with Preces minores, Preces maiores and a long rubric (f.32). The rubrics are generally fuller, e.g. f.26r-v, 27v, 29r. Almost half the text on f.34v was erased and rewritten before the decoration was executed, presumably to rectify the omission of Ps. lxxi, or perhaps of Ps. lxxii.
Incomplete at end.
Evangelist - Virgin, Matron, with some longer lections (f.49v, 51r), without lections i-vi Plurimorum martyrum (f.52r-v), Unius virginis non martyris (f.57r-v), Unius matrone (f.58v), or lections vii-ix Plurimorum confessorum (f.56v). The lections Unius confessoris omit Matt. 5:13 and its homily, and have Mark 13:33 before Matt. 5:14, followed by Luke 11:13 with a homily attributed to Bede beginning “De seipso dominus loquitur” (f.55r-v); Luke 11:13 is subsequently only cued, not given in full (f.56v). The omission of any provision Plurimarum virginum was supplied in item (4).
Ten texts, with music.
Incomplete at beginning and end. Andrew - Peter ad vincula. Five leaves missing between f.69 and 70, containing close of Agnes beginning of Conversion of Paul, and one between f.75 and 76, containing Valentine - beginning of Cathedra of Peter. For St William the alternative lections vi-ix are omitted, but three lections are provided for the second, third and fifth days within the Octave, f.90v-91v. Different lections are provided within the Octaves of Andrew, f.62r-v, and John the Baptist, f.99. For Chad three rather than nine lections were provided originally, later (15th/16th century) divided into nine by marginal numbers, f.76v-77r. The first lection is given in full for Mark, f.84v, and John ante Portam Latinam, f.86v. It seems, from changes of ink and the compressed appearance of some lections, that they were inserted into inadequate spaces which had been left blank for them, e.g. Ambrose lection viii and the first part of lection ix, f.83r; George lection iii, f.84r.
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]).
Breviarium ad usum insignis ecclesie Eboracensis , ed. S. W. Lawley, (Surtees Society 71 & 75. Durham: Andrews & Co., 1880-1883)