Add MS 57945

JOHN STOW (d.1605): list of English and Welsh parish livings and religious establishments; circa 1541. Autograph. This work, which was compiled late 16th cent., is based on an unidentified source to which Stowe appears to allude in a note (f. 14v), appended to the list of Somersetshire parishes, of 'diverse cap in com[m] sumess omisse in libro'. The original may be roughly dated by the inclusion of Henry VIII's newly-created sees of Westminster (f. 15), 1540, and Gloucester (f. 13), Sept. 1541, but the omission of Chester, Aug. 1541, and Peterborough, Oct. 1541. Possibly it related to the subsidies of Feb. 1541 or Feb. 1542, or to the benevolence of March 1542. A key to the order of entries in the present list is supplied in the first column of the opening page (f. 1). The order consists of the thirty-nine English counties arranged according to diocese and deanery, along with the five Welsh sees. Parish-churches, religious houses, collegiate churches, chapels, chantries, hospitals and gilds included number 2117. Entries are commonly followed by the abbreviations 'r' for rectoria and 'v' for vicaria, etc., or by a series of letters and numbers such as 'Eboracum. 2035. de 308. Arch. 9.' (f. 2), 'burford cum cap. de fulbroke. v. 31. et p. 15. cap. s. m. 12' (f. 10), or 'Crediton coll .146. et ps ps ps ps ps ps .29.' (f. 17). A means of reference is provided by a thumb-index formed from the letters of the Latin alphabet. The verso (f. 24v) of the final leaf carries a list, headed 'Anno 22. Edward the 4. parishes in England', giving the number in each of thirty-seven counties included to a total of 8,481, circa 1482-1483. This is followed by Stow's note that 'the .3. sheres of Chestar, Richemond & wirsestar wer not there set downe, I thinke theyr churches wer reconyd in some of the othar sheres'. Note pencilled by Sir Thomas Phillipps on f. iv alleges ownership by St. George family of heralds, bef. 1715. Purchased by Phillipps in 1852 from the bookseller Boone and numbered MS. 13764 in his collection (see printed booklabel at foot of f. i and pencil notes on ff. iv and 1). See also Sotheby's sale-cat., Phillipps sale, 15 June 1971, lot 1644. Purchased from Hoffman and Freeman, cat. 36, lot 134, April 1973.

Paper; ff. ii+24. Gathering of twenty-four leaves watermarked with pot incorporating letters R A. Text initially copied at three columns per page, increasing to four from f. 2v, with mutilation resulting in slight loss of text on ff. 2, 2v. Some sections (ff. 2v, col. 4, and 13v, col. 2) deleted and recopied elsewhere (ff. 3, col. 1, and 14, col. 1). Bracketed running total of parishes, reckoned in centuries, concludes (f. 18) at 2,100. Occasional additions and corrections throughout, often in different ink from main entries, some marked with diagonal stroke. Leaves, originally unnumbered, cut away to accommodate thumb-index, now imperfect, composed of lombardic capitals depicted alternately in black and red ink, to which three references jotted inside back cover (f. ii)) in hand of William Camden are keyed. Contemporary covers of limp vellum, extensively repaired. Partially mutilated inscription '[Religio]us House[s] And Chanteries' in later hand at head of front cover (f. i), with 'Index' on back cover (f. iiv). Further undeciphered jottings inside front cover (f. iv) apparently in Stow's hand.