Stowe manuscripts
Encyclopedia
The Stowe manuscripts are a collection of about 2000 Anglo-Saxon
and later medieval manuscript
s, nearly all now in the British Library
. The manuscripts date from 1154 to the end of the 14th century.
The manuscripts were originally collected by George Nugent-Temple-Grenville, 1st Marquess of Buckingham
(1753 - 1813) and his son Richard Temple-Nugent-Brydges-Chandos-Grenville, 1st Duke of Buckingham and Chandos
(1776 - 1839) at Stowe House
near Buckingham
. The manuascripts were then sold to the 4th Earl of Ashburnham in 1849, having been prepared for sale by auction; the printed books were auctioned over two days in 1849. The manuscripts were subsequently purchased by parliament for the British Museum
(since 1973 moved to the British Library
) under Edward Augustus Bond
in 1883 from the 5th Earl of Ashburnham. Several Ireland-related manuscripts from the collection were allocated to the Royal Irish Academy
, with the cumdach
or book-shrine of the Stowe Missal
subsequently being transferred to the National Museum of Ireland
.
The 1085 Stowe manuscripts at the British Library continue to be catalogued as a separate, closed, collection.
Anglo-Saxon
Anglo-Saxon may refer to:* Anglo-Saxons, a group that invaded Britain** Old English, their language** Anglo-Saxon England, their history, one of various ships* White Anglo-Saxon Protestant, an ethnicity* Anglo-Saxon economy, modern macroeconomic term...
and later medieval manuscript
Manuscript
A manuscript or handwrite is written information that has been manually created by someone or some people, such as a hand-written letter, as opposed to being printed or reproduced some other way...
s, nearly all now in the British Library
British Library
The British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom, and is the world's largest library in terms of total number of items. The library is a major research library, holding over 150 million items from every country in the world, in virtually all known languages and in many formats,...
. The manuscripts date from 1154 to the end of the 14th century.
The manuscripts were originally collected by George Nugent-Temple-Grenville, 1st Marquess of Buckingham
George Nugent-Temple-Grenville, 1st Marquess of Buckingham
George Nugent-Temple-Grenville, 1st Marquess of Buckingham, KG, PC was a British statesman. He was the second son of George Grenville and a brother of the 1st Baron Grenville.-Career:...
(1753 - 1813) and his son Richard Temple-Nugent-Brydges-Chandos-Grenville, 1st Duke of Buckingham and Chandos
Richard Temple-Nugent-Brydges-Chandos-Grenville, 1st Duke of Buckingham and Chandos
Richard Temple-Nugent-Brydges-Chandos-Grenville, 1st Duke of Buckingham and Chandos KG, PC , styled Earl Temple from 1784 to 1813 and known as The Marquess of Buckingham from 1813 to 1822, was a British landowner and politician.-Background:Born Richard Temple-Nugent-Grenville, he was the eldest son...
(1776 - 1839) at Stowe House
Stowe House
Stowe House is a Grade I listed country house located in Stowe, Buckinghamshire, England. It is the home of Stowe School, an independent school. The gardens , a significant example of the English Landscape Garden style, along with part of the Park, passed into the ownership of The National Trust...
near Buckingham
Buckingham
Buckingham is a town situated in north Buckinghamshire, England, close to the borders of Northamptonshire and Oxfordshire. The town has a population of 11,572 ,...
. The manuascripts were then sold to the 4th Earl of Ashburnham in 1849, having been prepared for sale by auction; the printed books were auctioned over two days in 1849. The manuscripts were subsequently purchased by parliament for the British Museum
British Museum
The British Museum is a museum of human history and culture in London. Its collections, which number more than seven million objects, are amongst the largest and most comprehensive in the world and originate from all continents, illustrating and documenting the story of human culture from its...
(since 1973 moved to the British Library
British Library
The British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom, and is the world's largest library in terms of total number of items. The library is a major research library, holding over 150 million items from every country in the world, in virtually all known languages and in many formats,...
) under Edward Augustus Bond
Edward Augustus Bond
Sir Edward Augustus Bond KCB was an English librarian.-Biography:Bond was born at Hanwell, the son of a schoolmaster. He was educated at Merchant Taylors' School, Northwood, and in 1832 obtained a post in the Public Record Office...
in 1883 from the 5th Earl of Ashburnham. Several Ireland-related manuscripts from the collection were allocated to the Royal Irish Academy
Royal Irish Academy
The Royal Irish Academy , based in Dublin, is an all-Ireland, independent, academic body that promotes study and excellence in the sciences, humanities and social sciences. It is one of Ireland's premier learned societies and cultural institutions and currently has around 420 Members, elected in...
, with the cumdach
Cumdach
A cumdach or book shrine is an elaborate ornamented box or case used as a reliquary to enshrine books regarded as relics of the saints who had used them in Early Medieval Ireland...
or book-shrine of the Stowe Missal
Stowe Missal
The Stowe Missal, which is strictly speaking a sacramentary rather than a missal, is an Irish illuminated manuscript written mainly in Latin with some Gaelic in about 750. In the mid-11th century it was annotated and some pages rewritten at Lorrha Monastery in County Tipperary, Ireland...
subsequently being transferred to the National Museum of Ireland
National Museum of Ireland
The National Museum of Ireland is the national museum in Ireland. It has three branches in Dublin and one in County Mayo, with a strong emphasis on Irish art, culture and natural history.-Archaeology:...
.
The 1085 Stowe manuscripts at the British Library continue to be catalogued as a separate, closed, collection.
Some manuscripts
All are illuminated, and are now in the British Library, unless stated:- Stowe MissalStowe MissalThe Stowe Missal, which is strictly speaking a sacramentary rather than a missal, is an Irish illuminated manuscript written mainly in Latin with some Gaelic in about 750. In the mid-11th century it was annotated and some pages rewritten at Lorrha Monastery in County Tipperary, Ireland...
- Irish c. 750, now RIA - Stowe 2 (Psalter) - late Anglo-Saxon
- Stowe BreviaryStowe BreviaryThe Stowe Breviary is an early-fourteenth-century illuminated manuscript Breviary from England, providing the divine office according to the Sarum ordinal and calendar ....
- English, early 14th century - Stowe 54 (Histoire ancienne)Stowe 54 (Histoire ancienne)British Library, Stowe 54 is a French illuminated manuscript from the first quarter of the fifteenth century of the Histoire ancienne jusqu'à César , a medieval historical compilation recounting tales of the ancient world, especially the Trojan War, the conquests of Alexander the Great , and the...
, early 15th century ancient history
Images
External links
- British Library record for "Stowe 57" - General information as well as highly legible photographs.