Add MS 63593

THE ASHLEY PSALTER: England, possibly co. Northt. or London; circa 1300-1310. Latin. The inclusion of prayers for the souls of 'fratrum propinquorum et benefactorum' in the Litany and 'pro fratribus nostris absentis' (f. 70v) might indicate that the volume was intended for monastic use. St Benedict leads the confessors in the Litany. The unusual use of a cursive bookhand for a liturgical manuscript of this period might also indicate an origin outside of mainstream production. Extensive additions to the Calendar include 'Dedicatio ecclesie beate marie de Asshele', on 24 Sept. Ashley, co. Northt. is a likely candidate, although there are too many villages of this name to permit a positive attribution. The Calendar also includes numerous entries relating to the Ashley family, including obits of Richard Ashley (d. 1443, f. 2), Rose, his wife (d. 1459, f. 3) and Thomas, their son, who married Agnes de Frisby at Barrowden, Rutland, in 1440 (f. 6). Entries relating to historical events, including royal celebrations, details of the Wars of the Roses, Jack Cade's rebellion and a visit by Thomas Ashley to the Welsh shrine of St Winifred's Well (26 Sept. 1457, f. 5) are also recorded. 'This Book was newly bound in October 1664, John Blancks' (f. 4); Blancks' initials, I. B., also appear on the covers. A late 17th cent. armorial bookplate (f. i) of Paul Jodrell of Duffield, co. Derb., Clerk of the House of Commons, is loosely inserted as a lining to the upper binding board. The volume passed by descent to Sir Alfred Jodrell, 4th Bart. (d. 1929), by whom it was sold at Sotheby's, 18 April 1921 (lot 29). It was again sold at Sotheby's, 10 June 1963 (lot 154), by Robin Combe of Bayfield Hall, co. Norf., who had inherited it from his uncle, Commander Hon. Roger Coke. It was purchased by Francis Edwards who, at the Antiquarian Book Fair in 1963, exchanged it for a Wynkyn de Worde with Mrs June O'Donell. Purchased at Sotheby's, 25 June 1985, lot 91.

Vellum; ff. xxv+70. Sec. fol.: 'Kalends Marcius'. 170 x 125mm. There are 8 paper flyleaves at the front, 8 inserted between ff. 6 and 7, and 8 at the back of the volume, all apparently added during the rebinding of 1664. Gatherings (9) of 8, except i6, iii12, ix4. Ruled (single bounding lines) in light lead point for single columns of 25-28 lines (the Litany in double columns). Written space 143 x 98mm. Script is a cursiva anglicana (English cursive bookhand) by one scribe. Although cursive script began to be used for books from the late 13th cent., it is extremely rare for a liturgical manuscript to be written in such a hand. Catchwords (trimmed) at lower right. English vellum gilt binding of 1664, gilt ruled with corner fleurons, central sprays flanked by the initials 'I. B.', spine in compartments with gilt rosettes, the binding made up from the re-used sides of an English roll-tooled binding of circa 1530, using calf over pasteboards. Two clasps (missing). Sewn on 4 cords.

Contents:

1. ff. 1-6v. Calendar (includes St. Erconwald of London as an original entry, 30 April).

2. ff. 7-69. Psalms.

3. ff. 69-70v. Litany.

4. f. 70v. Office of the Dead (greatly abbreviated).

The decoration consists of the following: 9 major decorated initials of 3 to 5-lines (to Psalms 1, 24, 39, 53, 69, 81, 98, 102 and 110) with foliate decoration and gilded central grounds, extending into partial cusped foliate borders with coloured vine-leaves and some grotesque terminals; approx. 150 2-line initials of burnished gold on blue and red panelled grounds with white tracery (sprouting partial foliate borders with green and orange vine-leaves), of which 58 are historiated, containing human heads wearing a variety of headgears (including crowns, mitres, wimples and what may be Jewish hats). These are in the general style of the Walter de Milmete Treatise at Oxford, Christ Church, MS. 92, which has been ascribed to London, 1326-1327 (see L. F. Sandler, Gothic Manuscripts, 1285-1385, 1986, no. 84). Line-fillers in gold and colours. Litterae notabiliores of gold with purple or blue flourishing or of blue with red flourishing.