Add MS 49613 A

REGISTER OF PAPAL BULLS concerning the rights, possessions and liberties of the Order of Knights Templar with special reference to England; circa 1253-1257. Latin. Imperfect, by the loss of a bifolium between ff. 27 and 28. The register includes 156 bulls issued by eleven popes, from Eugenius III (1145-59) to Alexander IV (1254-61). Most deal with matters of general interest to the Order, but nearly forty relate to English properties or matters of direct concern to the English Templars. The bulls are grouped under the popes who issued them, but with no further arrangement. The register begins (ff. 1-27b) with the largest section, 60 bulls of Innocent IV (1243-54), and works roughly backwards in date, but the 16 bulls of Alexander IV (1254-61) are added at the end (ff. 55-65b). The 16 bulls of Innocent III (ff. 41-46b) are calendared in The Letters of Pope Innocent III 1198-1216 concerning England and Wales, ed. C. R. and M. G. Cheney, Oxford, 1967, pp. 33-5, 40, 53, 64, 89, 96, 97, and printed in full, generally from the present MS., in the Appendix. The bulls of Alexander III

(ff. 47-51b), Urban III (ff. 52-53), Clement III (ff. 53-53b), Lucius III (ff. 53-54), Eugenius III (f. 54), and Adrian IV (f. 54b) are listed with reference to this MS. and printed by Rudolf Hiestand, 'Papsturkunden für Templer und Johanniter', Abhandlungen der Akademie der Wissenschaften in Göttingen, Philologisch-Historische Klasse, Dritte Folge, No. 77, 1972, pp. 158-60 (Departmental Pamphlet 2191), 239-401 passim. Complete edition by Julie E. Munn, 'A Register of Papal Bulls Relating to the Knights Templar', unpublished M.A. thesis, Manchester University, 1972. See also B.M.Q., xxii, 1960, p. 18. Hiestand also used a similar, but not identical, copy of the register, MS. P.16 in the Pfarrarchiv St Remigius at Königswinter (Departmental Microfilm M 884). MS. P.16 is written throughout in one English cursive bookhand circa 1300, and follows the same order but contains only 120 bulls, omitting most of the bulls concerned with particular properties and adding a few general bulls not here included. Notes, etc., 16th cent, passim, including notes of ownership by 'Andree [Andrew] Hemerford de Medio Templo', of East Coker, co. Somerset, admitted to the Middle Temple, 20 Dec. 1558, at f. 65b, and John Buller, Esq., of Liltesdon, co. Somerset, at f. 66, with the names of the latter's five sons, two of whom were also admitted to the Middle Temple, viz. John, 10 Oct. 1571, and Richard, 1 May 1579. Other names which occur are those of Francis Oliver (f. 2), perhaps the second son of Robert Oliver of Blandford, co. Dorset, admitted to the Middle Temple, 3 Mar. 1568; Thomas Waferer (ff. 3b, 13b), who perhaps matriculated at Caius College, Cambridge, 1569; William Houldecrafte (f. 33), and 'Mr Read Stafford of Burfielde in the countie of Berk. Esquier' (f. 53). Notes in the margins of ff. 1-28, 18th cent., record the date of each bull with any previous issues, and note (f. 28) the 'Hiatus' between ff. 27 and 28. Possibly the same register as that owned by the antiquary John Topham (sale-cat., 9 Feb. 1804, lot 677), although these annotations do not appear to be in Topham's hand. Sotheby sale-cat., 19 May 1958, lot 60A.

Vellum; ff. ii+66. 165 x 125mm. (cropped). Mid XIII cent. Written in England, probably at the New Temple, London, in three contemporary charter hands. The main hand, ff. 1-54b, is of the third quarter of the 13th cent., carefully written, the latest bulls (ff. 20b, 21) being dated 30 Jan. 1253, with red rubrics as well as initials and numbering for bulls in red and blue. Bulls of Alexander IV, the latest (f. 62b) dated 13 Feb. 1256, which according to the general plan should occur at the beginning, have been added (ff. 55-64b) in a second hand with rubrics and coloured initials. A third, less formal, hand, without decoration but with spaces left for coloured initials, has added bulls at the ends of sections for Innocent IV on ff. 24-27b, Gregory IX on ff. 30b-31b, Honorius III on ff. 40-40b and Alexander IV on ff. 64b-65, the latest of which (f. 64b), dated 6 Mar. 1257, is printed by H. Prutz, Malteser Urkunden und Regesten zur Geschichte der Tempelherren und der Johanniter, Munich, 1883, pp. 64-5. Collation irregular. A bifolium is missing between ff. 27 and 28, but the missing text can be partially supplied from MS. P.16. Sec. fol. 'fratribus in simul.'. The bulls are numbered throughout from 102 to 249, 15th-cent., indicating that the present register is the second of two original volumes. Added on ff. 65-65b is a description of the provision made at the Council of Vienne, 1312, for the transfer of the Templars' property to the Hospitallers, 15th cent. White vellum binding.