Harley MS 712

Origin:

Edinburgh.

Provenance:

Magnus Mackulloch [Makculloch] (fl 1477-1485), Clerk to William Scheves (b. c. 1440, d. 1497), Archbishop of St Andrews, copied the manuscript at Edinburgh in 1483-1484: this is one of the two manuscripts of the Scottichronicon that he copied for William Scheves; the other one is MS Brechin Castle). He also wrote another manuscript with Latin notes on lectures about philosophy and logic at Leuven in 1477 (now Edinburgh, University Library, 205 ['Makculloch Manuscript']); in Harley MS 712, his scribal signature appears on ff. 11r, 78r, 78v [rubricated], 113r, and 202r: 'M [...] Makculloch'; his name, once in capitals ('Magnus Makculloch') and once as a notarial signature, also features on f. 113v; his notarial signature with his initials ('M M M') are inscribed on f. 150v; his notarial signature with his name ('Magnus Makculloche') are inscribed on f. 168v; his name also features in various explicits: on f. 129v: 'per me magnum makculloch clericum Rossensis diocesis'; on f. 150v: 'per me Magistrum magni makculloch xiii die mensis Marcij Anno incarnacionis dominice Millesimo quadringentesimo octuagesimo tercio secundum compitum Scoticance ecclesieae'; on f. 245v: 'ffinito libro quartodecimo devemendum est ad xli eiusdem in pro festo eximij Confessoris gloriosique patroni florentis oppidi Edinburgh Beatissimi Egidii Abbatis Scriptum per me magnum makculloch ad usum Reverendissum In Christo patris ac domini dominum Guilelmi Schevez Sancti Andree Archiepiscopi magnifici'; and on f. 276r: 'Complevi deo laus septimo die mensis oktobris Anno domini millesimo quadringentesimo octuagesimo quarto ad usum Revendissimum in Christo Patris et Domini domini Wilelmi Schevez Archiepiscopi Sanctiandree mei magistri et domini colendissimi Quem ad michi in meis necessariis subveniendum perducas sprititus sanctus graciarum largitor optimus etcaetera - Per me magnum makculloch clericum Rossensis diocesis Quem per infinita saeculorum saecula custodiat omnipotensisdominus Amen Amen Amen - Pro reverendissimo in Christo patre dominoque meo venerandissimo domino Willelmo Schevez Sanctiandree Archiepiscopo'; his request for prayers from the reader on f. 61r: 'Precor lectori Christum Roget ore fideli ut det scriptori post mortem gaudia celi'.

William Scheves (d. 1497), Archbishop of St Andrews: dedicated to him by the scribe Magnus Mackulloch in various explicits (see above); Scheves's ownership inscription on f. 10v: 'Liber Wilielmi Archiepiscopi Sancti a[n]d[reae'; and, rubricated, on f. 40: 'Partinet liber iste Reverendissimo patri ac domino magnifico Gill[iel]mo Schevez Sanctiandreae Archiepiscopo Scocie prelatorum primato bene digno Scriptus per suu[m] familiare[m] clericum magistru[m] magnu[m] makculloch Edinburgi opido'; he also inscribed his name ('Scheves') with calligraphic flourishes on ff. 1r, 11r, 20v, 40v, 113r, 267v, 276r and 277r (not in Wright, Fontes Harleiani (1972)).

An unknown owner in 1567: their inscription on f. 277v: 'dunfr[?ies] b[...] fru me v[e]la[? st]rant and Sneton [...] ye 9 [Novem]ber 1567 du[m]fr[? ies]'.

Edward Stillingfleet (b. 1635, d. 1699), bishop of Worcester and theologian (see Wright, Fontes Harleiani (1972), p. 316).

Edward Stillingfleet (b. 1661, d. 1708), physician and Church of England clergyman, son of the former; in 1707 acquired by Robert Harley (see Wright, Fontes Harleiani (1972), p. 316).

The Harley Collection, formed by Robert Harley (b. 1661, d. 1724), 1st earl of Oxford and Mortimer, politician, and Edward Harley (b. 1689, d. 1741), 2nd earl of Oxford and Mortimer, book collector and patron of the arts.

Edward Harley bequeathed the library to his widow, Henrietta Cavendish, née Holles (b. 1694, d. 1755) during her lifetime and thereafter to their daughter, Margaret Cavendish Bentinck (b. 1715, d. 1785), duchess of Portland; the manuscripts were sold by the Countess and the Duchess in 1753 to the nation for £10,000 (a fraction of their contemporary value) under the Act of Parliament that also established the British Museum; the Harley manuscripts form one of the foundation collections of the British Library.