Add MS 56279

WARREN DAWSON PAPERS. Vol. XXII. The Aston Commonplace Book, chiefly containing music and heraldic and genealogical material; 17th cent. W.D.22. At ff. 29-45 are miscellaneous documents collected by Warren Dawson, including medical recipes; 17th cent.-1823. Some fragments. For a full description, with detailed listing of the music, see P. J. Willetts, 'Silvanus Stirrop's Book', Royal Musical Association Research Chronicle, no. 10 (1972), pp. 101-107. The book is associated with the Aston family of Aston, co. Chest., see below. Probably the property of Sir Roger Aston (d.1612), Master of the Great Wardrobe to James I, it may have passed to his heir, Sir Thomas Aston (d.1613) and his son John, see Willetts, op. cit., p. 106. The following notes of ownership occur: [James?] Davies, an officer serving under Sir Charles Morgan during the Thirty Years' War; circa 1627-1630 (f. 3). The name Thomas Davies or Davis is also written, f. 3.;- Silvanus Stirrop; 17th cent. f. 12. For other signatures of Stirrop (fl. 1682-1686) see Add. 4759, particularly ff. 36, 43. Dawson states in a note dated 1933 (f. 1) that he purchased this MS. at Sotheby's in 1931.

Paper and vellum; ff. 45. British Library binding. Old foliation, late 17th-early 18th cent., 1-6, 11-14 through ff. 6-15, indicates missing folios. The volume was in a fragmentary state when acquired by Dawson (f. 1): see also the list on f. 2v, a former fly-leaf, of 'alle the sarrvices in this booke', a table of composers' names whose works do not occur in the manuscript. The front and back covers of the original binding are mounted in the volume between ff. 1-2 and 25-26. Brown leather binding, gilt-stamped on front and back covers with the arms of James I and the initials 'R.A' (Sir Roger Aston). 305 x 190mm. Probably formerly with clasps, now missing. Two strips from a 16th cent. legal document, formerly used as binding strips, are mounted as ff. 26-27.

Contents:

1. ff. 2-3. Fly-leaves, bearing notes of ownership, an unfinished sketch of arms, medical recipes, etc.; 17th cent.

2. f. 4. An unfinished sketch of arms; 17th cent.

3. f. 5. 'two verses more of hermitt pore'; 17th cent. Beg.: 'my foode shall bee'. The second and third stanzas of 'Like to a Hermit poor', attributed to Sir Walter Ralegh, see f. 15.

4. ff. 6-15. Lyra viol music in tablature; 17th cent. The title-page of this section should be f. 12, which is bound out of order. Added at f. 15 is 'the base to hermitt powore', see art. 7 below.

5. f. 16. Extracts from medieval deeds, relating to Aston, co. Chest.; 17th cent.

6. ff. 17-20v. Blazons of arms by Jacob Chaloner, Arms Painter of Chester, and genealogies; bef. 1627. Painted. The blazons are on rectos. On the versos are genealogies of the Aston family, ending with John Aston (d.1615) and Thomas Aston, 1st Bart 1628, his son and heir. The genealogies probably pre-date 1627, as they do not show Thomas Aston's marriage in that year.

7. ff. 21-24v. Six songs with a bass; circa 1620. One of the songs, 'Harke you Ladies that dispise', f. 21v, is printed in full in Willetts, op. cit., p. 107.

Bindings ENGLISH: Brown leather, gilt-stamped: bef. 1612.

includes:

• ff. 1-28 Commonplace Books: Aston family; of Aston, Cheshire: Commonplace book of the Aston family: 17th cent.
• f. 2 Heraldry: Preliminary sketches for a blazon of arms: 17th cent: Pencil.
• f. 2v Medicine and Surgery: Medical recipes: 17th cent.
• ff. 4, 17, 18, 19, 20 Heraldry: Jacob Chaloner, arms painter: Blazons of arms by Jacob Chaloner: 17th cent: Painted.
• f. 5 Sir Walter Ralegh, alias Raleigh; military and naval commander; author: Poetry ENGLISH: Two verses of 'Like to a Hermit poor' by Sir W. Ralegh: 17th cent.
• ff. 6-15 Music: Lyre viol music: 17th cent.
• ff. 15, 21-24v Music: Poetry ENGLISH: Six songs, etc., with a bass: 17th cent.
• f. 16 Aston, Cheshire: Extracts from medieval deeds rel. to: 17th cent.
• f. 17 Heraldry: Matthew de Holgrave: Blazon of arms of Matthew de Holgrave: 17th cent: Painted.
• ff. 17v, 18v, 19v, 20v Genealogies: Aston family; of Aston, Cheshire: Genealogies of the Aston family: 17th cent.
• f. 18 Heraldry: Richard de Kingesley: Blazon of arms of Richard de Kingesley: 17th cent: Painted.
• f. 19 Heraldry: Sir Piers de Thornton: Blazon of arms of Sir Piers de Thornton: 17th cent: Painted.
• f. 20 Heraldry: John Harewell, of Woton: Blazon of arms of John Harewell: 17th cent: Painted.
• ff. 38, 39 Medicine and Surgery: Medical recipes: 18th cent.
• f. 40 Trade and Commerce: Ships and Shipping: Printed Matter: Advertisement for cargo for a ship: 1795: Printed.
• f. 41 Trade and Commerce: Printed Matter: List of commodities, probably a cargo: 18th cent: Printed.
• f. 42 Matthew Baillie, MD; physician to George III: Biographical memoranda on: 1823.
• f. 45 Josiah Brotherton, barber-surgeon: Charles Brotherton, son of J Brotherton: Indenture of apprenticeship to his son Charles Brotherton from his father Josiah Brotherton: 1764: Signed.