Indenture, on parchment, containing an agreement by Sir John Fastolf to purchase lands in Norwich from Richard Sellyng, who owned them through the inheritance of his wife Alice Heilsdon
Description:
In Middle English., Indented at head of document with chirographic letters., Signed: document signed by the scribe, "Burdon.", Endorsed on the verso in the hand and with the ownership mark of Sir Edward Dering., and Layout: single column of 13 lines.
Subject (Geographic):
England, Connecticut, and New Haven.
Subject (Name):
Fastolf, John, 1378?-1459. and Sellyng, Richard, -1467.
Indenture, on parchment, containing an agreement by Thomas Tuddenham to sell his lands at Alestaneswyck (possibly Stanwick St. John, North Yorkshire) to Edward Grimston for 400 marks, to be paid over 3 years. The contract also specifies that a manor in Suffolk will be surety for the purchase of these entailed lands
Description:
In Middle English., Indented at head of document with chirographic letters., Signed: sign manual of Edward Grimston at end of text., Signed: document signed by the scribe, "Brampton.", Docketed in a later hand., Seal: red wax seal with the crest of Edward Grimston (damaged)., Layout: Single column of fifteen lines., and Script: anglicana.
Subject (Geographic):
England., England, Connecticut, New Haven., and Yorkshire (England)
Subject (Name):
Grimston, Edward, -1478. and Tuddenham, Thomas, 1401-1462.
Manuscript on parchment roll, unevenly trimmed at top and bottom, composed of three membranes segments glued together, the third an addition of the late 15th century. Includes Prayers to be said for a pardon of 32,055 years; and Prayer based on the measurement of the length of the body of Christ. The texts are written on one side of a roll (dorse is blank).
Description:
In Latin and English., Script: Written in gothic liturgical script in brown and red ink., Membrane I: Two miniatures of the Emblems of the Passion, the one above the written space in a gothic architectural setting, with a Saint on either side and instruments of the Passion included around the full-figure of Christ standing with the cross. The miniature below with three exceptionally large nails and a heart enclosed by a crown of thorns and supported by two angels; surrounded by instruments of the Passion. The patron in clerical costume of white gown and blue robe [Austin friar?] in prayer with a scroll. A curling acanthus and floral border, containing birds holding snakes in their beaks; red, blue, pink and orange, framed in blue, with a gentle ogee arch at the top., Membrane II: A large empty cross (17 mm.) drawn in black ink and colored brown, in the center of the written space. One 6-line initial, pink and blue acanthus on a gold ground infilled with an aroid. Three 2-line initials, one blue filled with a pink flower on gold, one pink with white filigree on gold, one gold, filled with blue with white filigree on a pink ground. Floral border, including columbines, roses, in red, blue, pink and green, with insects, against a tan ground with brown dots, framed in red and blue., Membrane III: A miniature of the Christ Child as Salvator Mundi: seated on a red cushion beside the cross, holding the orb and blessing. This iconography, rare and perhaps unknown in English manuscript illustration, is probably of foreign origin. One 3-line initial, pink and blue with white highlights, filled with a blue and pink flower on a gold ground. Border with large blue, pink, green and orange flowers joined by an undulating green stem, with brown hair-spray and gold dots. Framed in blue and pink., and Holes and tears in the margins of the upper two segments; considerably rubbed, with some loss of text.
Subject (Geographic):
Connecticut and New Haven.
Subject (Name):
Catholic Church
Subject (Topic):
Devotional literature, English (Middle), Illumination of books and manuscripts, Medieval, Indulgences, and Manuscripts, Medieval
In English and Latin., Script: Slovenly written mostly by one hand in Gothica Cursiva Currens (Secretary), with calligraphic extensions on the top line. The headings of the chapters are in Northern Gothica Textualis Libraria or more often in a somewhat more solemn form of Secretary., The majuscules are heightened in red. In the middle section of the manuscript the chapter headings are marked by a pointing hand; in the final section (ff. 20r-22v) horse-headed (?) dividers are used. Some initials in the headings are decorated with human heads. Numerous coarse pen-drawings in the margins, in black and red, more or less loosely illustrating the text., Badly damaged paper with leaves pasted onto stubs., and Binding: Nineteenth century. Blind-tooled brown calf over cardboard boards. Spine with gold-tooled title: "OLD ENGLISH VOCABULARY. MS. XV. CENT." Red marbled endpapers.
Subject (Geographic):
Connecticut and New Haven.
Subject (Topic):
Dictionaries, Polyglot, Illumination of books and manuscripts, Medieval, Literature, Medieval, and Manuscripts, Medieval
Manuscript leaf, on parchment, apparently from a collection of law reports (perhaps a Year-book). Actions mentioned include cases of Dower and Quare impedit
Description:
In Law French (Anglo-Norman)., Layout: single columns of 61-62 lines each., and Script: cursive legal script with some anglicana features.
Manuscript on parchment of 1) John Lydgate (ca. 1370-ca. 1451), Life of Our Lady. The beginning is missing (Book I, verses 1-70 ). 2) The Privity of the Passion, an anonymous English translation, here attributed to Walter Hilton (d. 1396), of part of Ps.-Bonaventura, Meditationes vitae Christi
Description:
In Middle English with some Latin., Script: Probably copied by one scribe, writing Gothica Cursiva Libraria (Secretary). The headings in art. 2 are in a larger form of the same script, more close to Anglicana., In art. 2 the scribe left space for 2-line initials (a 3-line initial at the opening) and generally wrote guide-letters, but initials were never added and all other forms of decoration are missing., Low quality parchment, with holes and irregular edges. The upper outer corner of f. 79 is torn away with loss of text., and Binding: Twentieth century. Glossy brown leather over pasteboard, both covers framed with blind-tooled fillets; spine with four raised bands; in the second compartment the gold-tooled inscription "LYDGATE - LIFE OF OUR LADY"; at the bottom: "C. 1450". Sprinkled edges.
Subject (Geographic):
Connecticut and New Haven.
Subject (Name):
Lydgate, John, 1370?-1451?
Subject (Topic):
Devotional literature, English (Middle), English poetry, Literature, Medieval, and Manuscripts, Medieval
In Middle English., Script: Written by a single scribe in a formal style of bastard Anglicana; delicately decorated ascenders and descenders along upper and lower edges of written space., On f. 5v a large coat of arms, Carent quartered with Toomer, in a green, orange, and gold frame, against a dark green ground, perhaps a slightly later addition; f. 6r, a small coat of arms, Carent, in the lower margin, against a gold ground, surrounded by a phylactery wrapped around the bar border. Arms supported by two seated dogs, in black pen, set in an oblong landscape, edged heavily in black., One 8-line (f. 6r), four 6-line (ff. 1r, 21r, 52r, 85v) and one 4-line (f. 106r) initials, blue and red with white highlights, filled with large four-lobed flowers and acanthus leaves, orange, green, pink, blue, and light blue, against irregular gold grounds, edged in black, with full (ff. 1r, 6r), 3/4 (ff. 52r, 85v) or single marginal (ff. 21r, 106r) borders. The full and 3/4 have gold, blue and red bands attached to initial, with curling and braided sections sprouting curling acanthus at corners; often against gold cusps, with spiraling black ink hair-spray vines with small green teardrop leaves, pink, brown, green, and blue flowers, and gold dots with small pink and blue leaves. 2-line gold initials on irregular blue and red grounds with white highlights, each with two sprigs of black hair-spray with green leaves and gold dots, as above. 1-line blue and gold initials, with red or pink penwork. Rubrics throughout., and Binding: Nineteenth century. Brown goatskin blind-tooled, with a gold-tooled title. Bound by Francis Bedford (London, 1800-84), who worked with C. Lewis and set up his own shop in 1841.
Subject (Geographic):
Connecticut and New Haven.
Subject (Name):
Lydgate, John, 1370?-1451? and Mary, Blessed Virgin, Saint.
Subject (Topic):
Devotional literature, English (Middle), Illumination of books and manuscripts, Medieval, and Manuscripts, Medieval
Manuscript on paper (unidentified watermark) of a List of English Knights with Blazons. The names of the knights are arranged by counties. The manuscript was originally part of a larger manuscript
Description:
In French., Script: Copied by one hand in Gothica Cursiva Libraria (Secretary)., Edges and folds of most leaves repaired., and Binding: Twentieth century. Half leather (dark brown sprinkled calf) over cardboard covered with blue-grey marbled paper. On the spine gold-tooled inscription "ENGLISH KNIGHTS. MS - ABOUT - 1480".
Subject (Geographic):
Connecticut, New Haven., and Great Britain
Subject (Topic):
Heraldry, Illumination of books and manuscripts, Medieval, Manuscripts, Medieval, and History