Add MS 5924

LEGAL COLLECTION; late 13th - mid 14th cent. Latin and FrenchOrigin: England. For current bibliographical information on many of these texts see Baker and Ringrose (1996), which has an index of manuscripts. Loss of text between ff. 36v-37, 37v-38, 47v-48. Marginals chiefly contemporary. Marginal in code, 15th cent., f. 40. Title page, 17th-18th cent., f. 1. Names written, possibly of owners: (a) 'Johannes Haliday de Wrangle', i.e. Wrangle, co. Lincs?, 15th cent. f. 40;- (b) John Wynstow, 16th cent. f. 54. Possibly owned by Langford?, 16th-17th cent., see bookstamp below. Subsequently owned by: (a) John, Baron Somers, Lord Chancellor (d.1716), see f. 1. The volume appears in the catalogue of Somers MSS, Harley 7191, f. 63;- (b) Sir Joseph Jekyll, Master of the Rolls. Jekyll was Somers' brother-in-law, and on Somers' death his library passed to Jekyll. After Jekyll's death in 1738, the collection was sold, see A catalogue of valuable manuscripts. . .collected at the Expence of the late Lord Somers and since belonged to the Right Hon. Sir Joseph Jekyll. . ., 26 Feb. 1739, p. 7, lot 164;- (c) Edward Umfreville, whose ex libris, dated 1738, appears on f. 1. The item was sold at Umfreville's sale on 1758, Manuscripts, lot 98 (see Add. 5923);- (d) John Topham, whose bookplate and autograph occur, ff. i, 2v. Topham sale, lot 710.

Vellum; ff. i+59. 17th? cent. foliation 1-57 throughout ff. 3-59. Sec. fol. 'vous sur quel'. Composite manuscript, each article being a separate item. Articles 1 and 2, 280 x 180mm. approx. Art. 3, 220 x 160mm. approx. (cropped at head). Gatherings: i12, ii14, iii8, f. 37 irregular, iv6, v4, vi-vii6. Catchwords,

ff. 14v, 47v?, 59v. Single columns. Each article in a separate documentary cursive script. Art. 1 = quires i-ii. Art. 2 = quires iii-vi. Art. 3 = quire vii. Art. 2 has initials in red and blue, headings, etc., underlined in red. Art. 3 has one initial in blue. Mounted inside the boards are brown leather covers from a 16th-17th cent. binding. Both bear an heraldic bookstamp in gold, crest of a duck, standing, wings displayed, a crescent on its breast, within a laurel wreath. For a similar device see Langford, Visitation of London, Harleian Soc., 17, p. 43.

Contents:

1. ff. 3-28v. Pleas before the Justices on Eyre for the County of Northampton, 3 Edward III; 1329-1330. French. The Eyre began on Monday, 6 Nov. 1329. The pleas are preceded by the writs, etc., under which the justices acted. The Northampton Eyre of 1329-1330 and its manuscript records are discussed in R. V. Rogers, 'The John Rylands Library manuscript of the Eyre of Northampton 3 Edward III (1329)', Bulletin of the John Rylands Library, 34 (1951-1952), pp. 388-431.

2. ff. 29-53v. Section from a legal collection; late 13th cent. Latin. Mainly consists of abbreviations of statutes, the full text of which are printed in Statutes, i. (a) Statute of Marlborough; 1267. Statutes, i, pp. 19-25. ff. 29-30v;- (b) Provisions of Merton; 1235-1236. Ibid., pp. 1-4. ff. 30v-31v;-

(c) Statute of Westminster I; 1275. Ibid., pp. 26-39. ff. 31v-36;- (d) Statute of Gloucester; 1278. Imperf. from clause xi. Ibid., pp. 45-50. ff. 36-36v;- (e) Fragment of a legal treatise. Imperf. at beginning. ff. 37-37v;-

(f) 'Articuli brevium qui narrando' or 'Narrationes brevium'. Beg. 'In breve de recto expressive'. See Add. 5761, art. 12. ff. 38-41v;- (g) 'Exceptiones eorundem'. Beg. 'Potest excipi contra personam'. See Add. 5761, art. 13. ff. 41v-47v;- (h) Memoranda on dower. Beg. 'Nota quod dos est'. Incomplete? f. 47v;- (i) Statute of Westminster II; 1285. Imperfect at beginning. Ibid., pp. 71-95. ff. 48-53v;- (j) First few lines of Hengham's 'Judicium Essoniorum'. See Add. 5761, art. 4. f. 53v.

3. ff. 54-59v. Pleas before William de Herle, Chief Justice of Common Pleas (d.1347), and others: temp. Edward II - Edward III. French. Fragment.

Bindings ENGLISH: Brown leather covers, gilt heraldic stamp: 16th-17th cent.

includes:

• covers Bookplates and Book-stamps: Heraldry: Langford: Bookstamp with crest of(?) — Langford: 16th-17th cent.
• f. i Bookplates and Book-stamps: Heraldry: John Topham, Deputy Keeper of State Papers: Armorial bookplate of J. Topham: late 18th cent.
• f. 1 Edward Umfreville, coroner of Middlesex: Signature and memoranda: 1738.
• f. 2v John Topham, Deputy Keeper of State Papers: Memoranda and signatures: bef. 1803.
• ff. 3-28v Law OF ENGLAND: Northamptonshire: Pleas of the Northampton Eyre: 1329-1330: Fr.
• ff. 29-53v Law OF ENGLAND: Abbreviations of statutes, treatises, etc.,: late 13th cent: Lat: Fragments.
• f. 40 John Haliday, of Wrangle, in(?) county Lincolnshire: Name written: 15th cent.
• f. 47v Law OF ENGLAND: Memoranda on dower: late 13th cent: Lat.
• f. 53v Ralph de Hengham, Chief Justice of Common Pleas: 'Judicium Essoniorum' attrib. to: late 13th cent: Lat: Fragm.
• f. 54 John Wynstow: Signature, as(?) owner: 16th cent.
• ff. 54-59v Law OF ENGLAND: William de Herle, Chief Justice of Common Pleas: Pleas temp. Ed. II-Ed. III bef. W. de Herle and others: mid 14th cent: Fr: Fragm.