This list of liturgical
manuscripts in British libraries is intended to provide a small
amount of information about as many sources as possible, about
4400 in all, in order to remind users what type of liturgical
book is preserved under a particular shelfmark, and its provenance.
It may also alert users to the existence of books they did not
know about, employing the search facilities for key words.
The information is taken from four reference works:
Column 5: Kmss - N. R. Ker: Medieval
Manuscripts in British Libraries, I: London (Oxford 1969);
II: Abbotsford-Keele (1977); III: Lampeter-Oxford (1983); IV: Paisley-York
(1992) by N. R. Ker and A. J. Piper
Column 6: Klib - N. R. Ker: Medieval
Libraries of Great Britain: A List of Surviving Books
(first edition London 1941; 2nd revised edition 1964); Andrew
G. Watson: Supplement to the second edition (1987)
Column 7: F - W. H. Frere: Bibliotheca
Musico-Liturgica. A Descriptive Handlist of the Musical
and Latin-Liturgical Mss. of the Middle Ages Preserved in the
Libraries of Great Britain and Ireland, 4 fascicles in 2 volumes,
London 1894, 1901, 1930, 1932 (reprint Hildesheim 1967)
Column 8: D - S. J. P. Van Dijk:
Handlist of the Latin Liturgical Manuscripts in the Bodleian
Library Oxford (typescript, Bodleian Library, 1957)
These have been supplemented, mostly for manuscripts
in the British Library, from my own notes. Where differing or
conflicting information was given, I have tried to conflate the
descriptions, sometimes, however, I have given more than one entry
for the same source.
In the file "Terms and abbreviations"
I have explained the conventions followed in the list.
The list has grown somewhat unsystematically
over several years, and not all inconsistencies of presentation
have been ironed out. The accuracy of the information cannot,
of course, be guaranteed. Corrections will be introduced in future
versions of the list, and I should be very grateful to learn of
errors. Despite the obvious imperfections and limitations of the
list, I hope that users will find useful information more often
than they are sent on a wild goose chase.
Compiler: David Hiley |