The Production and Use of English Manuscripts 1060 to 1220

Thom Gobbitt

Cambridge, Corpus Christi College, 383

MS Items

fol. 30v/ 20-26 and fol. 10r/1-3, fol. 30v/20, fol. 10r/3-19, fol. 10r/6, fol. 10r/19 to 11r/9, fol. 10r/22-24, right margin, fol. 11r/10 -12r/20, fol. 11r/10-11, right margin, fol. 12v/2-26, fol. 12v/1, right margin, fol. 13r/1 - 14v/24, fol. 13r/1-2, right margin, fol. 14v/25 - 15v/26, fols 14v/24-15r/17, fol. 16r/1 - 30v/19, fols 16r/3-30v/12, margins and empty line space, fols 38r/1-52v/1, fols 38r/6-51v/4, margins and empty line space, fols 52v/9-54v/2, fol. 54v/4 - 55r/6, fols 55r/7-56r/11, fols 56r/12 - 57r/14, fols 56v/21-57r/10, margins and empty line space, fols 57r/17 - 57v/23, fols 57v/2 -58v/4, fol. 57r/23-25, right margin, fol. 58v/6-59r/6, fol. 57r/23-25, right margin, fol. 59r/6-20, fols 59r/21-59v/16, fols 59v/17-62r/2, fol. 62r/3-63r/ 26, fols 63v/1 - 66v/23, fols 63v-66v/23, margins and empty line space, fol. 66v/24-69r/14, fol. 66v/23, fols 69r/15-69v/2 and fol. 69v/3-26.

Physical Description

Object Description

Hand Description

Decoration Description

Additions

Binding Description

Accompanying Material

History

Additional Information

Administration Information

Surrogates

Bibliography

Back to List of MSS and Descriptions

Law-codes and related texts

Date: s. xiiin

Summary:

A collection of Anglo-Saxon law-codes and related texts. The manuscript has been given various dates from the late eleventh century through to the second quarter of the twelfth century. Early twentieth-century descriptions of the manuscript proposed a date of 1125-1130 (see Liebermann 1903, James 1903, pp. 230-231). Ker 1957 revises this to an earlier date of s. xii/xii (pp. 110-13). The date can be further refined to s. xiiin following the dating criteria for twelfth-century vernacular hands given by Treharne 2000.

The marginalia in Latin and French (pp. 48-52) are s. xii/xiii; lines in French (p. 5) are s. xiii.

Manuscript Items:

Item: fol. 30v/ 20-26 and fol. 10r/1-3
Item: fol. 30v/20
Item: fol. 10r/3-19
Item: fol. 10r/6
Item: fol. 10r/19 to 11r/9
Item: fol. 10r/22-24, right margin
Item: fol. 11r/10 -12r/20
Item: fol. 11r/10-11, right margin
Item: fol. 12v/2-26
Item: fol. 12v/1, right margin
Item: fol. 13r/1 - 14v/24
Item: fol. 13r/1-2, right margin
Item: fol. 14v/25 - 15v/26
Item: fols 14v/24-15r/17
Item: fol. 16r/1 - 30v/19
Item: fols 16r/3-30v/12, margins and empty line space
Item: fols 38r/1-52v/1
Item: fols 38r/6-51v/4, margins and empty line space
Item: fols 52v/9-54v/2
Item: fol. 54v/4 - 55r/6
Item: fols 55r/7-56r/11
Item: fols 56r/12 - 57r/14
Item: fols 56v/21-57r/10, margins and empty line space
Item: fols 57r/17 - 57v/23
Item: fols 57v/2 -58v/4
Item: fol. 57r/23-25, right margin
Item: fol. 58v/6-59r/6
Item: fol. 57r/23-25, right margin
Item: fol. 59r/6-20
Item: fols 59r/21-59v/16
Item: fols 59v/17-62r/2
Item: fol. 62r/3-63r/ 26
Item: fols 63v/1 - 66v/23
Item: fols 63v-66v/23, margins and empty line space
Item: fol. 66v/24-69r/14
Item: fol. 66v/23
Item: fols 69r/15-69v/2
Item: fol. 69v/3-26

Physical Description:

Object Description:

Form: codex

Support: Parchment with a consistent texture and hue throughout the manuscript. The hair-side of the parchment is pale yellow and slighlty darker than the off-white coloured flesh-side.

The only damage to the parchment predating or contemporary to the manuscript's production is a vertical slit in the upper margin of fol. 55. The parchment has suffered abrasion and water damage subsequent to its initial production, particularly on the outer faces of quires. The gutters of the manuscript have been water damaged throughout, although it is particualrly noticable in Quire 7.

Quire 1 (fols 1-9) and Quire 2 (fols 31-37) are both sixteenth-century additions. The parchment is a much paler hue in both of the additional quires and neither has suffered notable damage, although there are three holes on fol. 8.

Extent: ix 21 vii 32 iii

ca. 186 mm x ca. 116 mm (dimensions of 1r-61v - size of leaves)

ca. 188 mm x ca. 119 mm (dimensions of 62r-69v - size of leaves)

ca. 186 mm x ca. 116 mm (dimensions of 70r-72v - size of leaves)

ca. 137 mm x ca. 78 mm (dimensions of 10r-30v, 38r-69v - size of ruled)

Foliation and/or Pagination:

Current foliation is in pencil on the upper right corner of the recto of each folio and runs consecutively from 1 to 72.

Archbishop Parker's pagination in red crayon:

fols 1r-4v are paginated a-h and fols 5r-9v are paginated j-s on both the recto and verso of each folio.

fols 10r-30r are only paginated on the recto, and run consecutively from 1 to 41. The missing folio from Quire 2 (originally located between fols 20 and 21) does not disrupt the pagination, indicating that it had already been lost by the sixteenth century. Likewise, Quire 1 must have already been moved to its current position from its original location following Quire 3, as can be seen from the Blaseras item.

fols 31 and 33-37 are unpaginated, while fol. 32r is paginated as 44.

fols 38r-53r are paginated consecutively on the recto from 43 to 73.

75 is omitted although there is no corresponding loss of a folio, and fols 54r-58r are paginated consecutively on the recto from 77-85.

87 is omitted although there is no corresponding loss of a folio, and fol. 59r is paginated as 89.

Number 89 is duplicated on fol. 60r, and fols 60r-70r are paginated consecutively on the recto from 89-109.

fols 71r-72v are unpaginated.

Collation:

Quires:

fols 1-9: A10 (wants 10), s. xvi.

fols 10-30: 16, 28 (wants 6), 38, s. xiiin

fols 31-37: B10 (wants 8-10), s. xvi

fols 38-69: 48, 58, 68 (3 and 6 are singletons), 78 (3 and 6 are singletons), s. xiiin

fols 70-72: C (three additional folios), s. xvi

Diagram:

See the diagram

Condition:

The manuscript is in relatively good condition overall. The original quires have suffered some water damage and abrasion, which is particularly pronounced on the outer faces of each of the quires (fols 10r, 15v, 16r, 22v, 23r, 30v, 38r, 45v, 46r, 53v, 54r, 61v, 62r and 69v). The gutter of the manuscript is also more damaged than the main sheets. A patch of discolouration from water damage runs through the upper margin of fols 27-30 and 38-47, and another through the centre of the text-block from fols 46-49. A vertical slit extends from the upper edge of fol. 55 to the fourth line of the ruling grid; Hand 1 repsects this cut, indicating that the damage predated the writing. The edges or corners have been cut on fols 12, 19, 27, 50, 52, 57, 60, 63, 65 and 66. Seven of these ten folios are one side of the centrefold of a quire, with the exceptions of fols 52, 60 and 63.

Layout description:

Layout:

Layout type: LO22
Columns: 1
Written Lines: 26
Locus: This ruling grid is used for the majority of fols 10-30.
Dimensions: ca. 137 x ca. 78; ruled
Overview: The ruling grid is produced in hardpoint with single vertical bounding lines. From the extension of horizontal lines across the centrefold it is apparent that the two halves of each bifolium were ruled simultaneously. The ruling is consistently from the hair side of the parchment throughout the manuscript. The writing begins above the topline throughout the manuscript. The extension of the first, third, antepenultimate and final lines to the outer margin and the first and final three lines across the centrefold is consistent throughout most of this part of the manuscript. See diagram. Six instances of subtle variation can be identified:
- fols 12 and 13, where the fourth line is also extended across the centrefold. Note that these two folios form a single bifolium;
- fol. 18, where the penultimate line rather than the antipenultimate is extended to the outer margin;
- fol. 21, where the final line is not extended to the margin;
- fols 23 and 30, where the penultimate line rather than the antipenultimate is extended to the outer margin and the antipenultimate line is not extended across the centrefold. Note that these two folios form a single bifolium.

Layout:

Layout type: LO23
Columns: 1
Written Lines: 26
Locus: This layout is used consistently from fols 38 to 69
Dimensions: ca. 137 x ca. 78; ruled
Overview: The ruling grid is produced in hardpoint with single vertical bounding lines. From the extension of horizontal lines across the centrefold it is apparent that the two halves of each bifolium were ruled simultaneously. The ruling is consistently from the hair side of the parchment throughout the manuscript. The writing begins above the topline throughout the manuscript. The extension of the first, third, antepenultimate and final lines to the outer margin and across the centrefold is used throughout all of this part of the manuscript. See diagram

Hand description:

Number of hands:

Summary:

2/4

Hundredgemot

I Æthelred

Methods of Alteration:

Hand:

Scope: major
Script: English Vernacular Minuscule
Ker reference: Ker 65 SC1
Description: fols 10r/1-30v/26 and fols 38r/1-69r/14. The hand is rounded, easily legible and carefully written English Vernacular Minuscule with subtly flourished graphs. The ink used is a dark brown-black, creating a striking contrast with the pale parchment. Mostly insular letter forms are used, although Caroline a and s are highly favoured. The scribe shows a wide orthographic range.
Summary of the characteristics of the hand:
Caroline a formed with a usually sinuous shaft that extends diagonally downwards to the right and ends in a pen-flick upwards along the nib-angle at the base-line. The bowl is approximately three-quarters of the minim height.
æ formed from a headless a with the bowl of the e rising from the shoulder and with a flourished pen-flick along the nib-angle.
b rounded on the base-line.
c ends with a pen-flick along the nib-angle.
Insular d with a similar bowl size to ð but a much shorter ascender.
The cross-stroke of the e is flourished diagonaly upwards and to the right in a pen-flick along the nib-angle.
Insular f with the cross-stroke on the base-line and a deep ascender.
Insular g. The down-stroke begins in the middle of the cross-stroke and does not extend above it; the cross-stroke is straight and flat, sometimes with a rounded end to the right. The tail is sinuous and open, ending with a pen-flick diagonally upwards along the nib-angle.
The head of the h is treated in the same manner as all ascenders, and the feet end on the base-line as with minims.
The foot of the l is rounded on the base-line and is flourished diagonally upwards along the nib-angle.
minims: upright with a wedged head, or a curved top for the middle and right minims of the m and n. The foot of the minim ends in a point just below the ruled baseline, and is seriffed up in a pen-flick along along the nib-angle.
The o is sometimes pointed on the base-line, and has flattened edges on the upper left and lower right sides.
The angles of the p are quite pointed, with the head heavily wedged to the left. The descender is deep and is ended with a sinuous cross-stroke.
Insular r with a wedged head. The left stroke treated the same as other descenders and the right stroke the same as the minims.
Predominantly Caroline s with a narrow, rounded, head and a short descender below the base-line. Insular s with a deep descender that is swept to the left, and round s are also occasionally present. For the Latin on fol. 59r/13-16 the scribe employs a slightly different Caroline s with a heavier and more rounded head.
The t is rounded with a flat cross-stroke that the shaft does not extend through.
The hand only uses þ occasionaly. Where present, the ascender and descender are wedged and flourished as with other graphs by this hand. The bowl is roughly two-thirds of the minim height.
The hand shows a strong orthographic preference for ð which is formed in a similar fashion to the insular d but with a much larger ascender and pronounced tagging on the cross-stroke.
The u is formed as two minims with the foot of the left minim ending in a swept curve rather than an angular pen flourish.
The y is usually dotted but not always. The left stroke is heavier than the right, and the foot of the descender is flourished diagonally upwards along the nib-angle.
The descender of the ƿ usually ends in a straight point, rather than being swept to the left.
The right shaft of the A is swept in a curve to the base line and ends in a pen-flourished flick. The left shaft is diagonal and ends in a sinuous cross-stroke at the base-line.
The Æ is similar in form to the A, but with a narrower angle between the shafts. The e part of the graph is identical to that in the æ, but is positioned much higher up on the graph and ruled-space.
The C is an open bowl, similar to the second form of E and much more rounded than the O.
Two forms of E are used: one is a larger version of the e, the other is a heavy, open bowl with a more rounded form than the O and a thin cross-stroke at the head-line.
The F is a larger version of the f with a rounded end to the upper cross-stroke, and the foot of the descender ends in a sinuous cross-stroke.
The end of the upper-right stroke of the G is sinuous, the body heavy and the angles pronounced.
The H is formed from two very tall ascenders with a more pronounced pen flourish on the foot of the right. The cross-stroke is short, producing a very tall and narrow graph.
The N has two ascenders with wedged heads that point to the left. The right shaft descends further below the base-line and is swept to the left. The left shaft ends on the base line. The cross-stroke is diagonal.
The O is tall, narrow and pointed.
The form of the S is tall and rounded, with the upper bowl flaring wide and the lower bowl being notably smaller.
The usual form of the Ð produced by this hand is tall and narrow, with a pronounced sinuous curve to the bowl. The Ð on fol. 10r/19 is unique to the hand, and the shaft and the bowl are each formed with two overlapping strokes to make the lines thicker and appear darker. This is not a later amendment.
The U is formed as a V in which the two strokes are curved to taped into a point just below the base-line. The left hand stroke is much taller, and the head has an upwards pen-flourish along the nib-angle.
The bowl of the Ƿ is rounded and narrow, and bulges diagonally upwards and to the right. The foot of the descender ends in a sinuous cross-stroke.
ascenders: almost as high again as the minim height, usually with wedge-shaped heads, occasionally notched, and with the upper right edge ending in a sharp point.
descenders: approximately half as deep again as the minim height, although there is some variation. The tail either ends in a point that is curved to the left, or is seriffed in a pen-flick diagonally upwards and to the right along the nib-angle.
Abbreviations:
The tironian nota ˥ is used frequently but not consistently by this hand. The descender is short and swept to the left. The top of the shaft extends slightly above the cross-stoke. The cross-stroke is almost flat but has a slight sinuous or downwards curve at the middle.
A þ with a cross-stroke through it is frequently used as an abbreviation graph for 'þæt'.
Final um is often abbreviated to u with a macron.
A cross-stroke is used through the ll to abbeviate either 'scillinga' or 'scillingas'.
Punctuation:
Medially positioned hyphens are used at the end of the lines, usually in the right margin, when a word has been split over two lines. In some, but far from all instances, a hyphen is also present in the left margin of the following line.
The punctus is usually positioned above the ruled base-line, but occasionally is positioned on the base-line.
Correcting technique: Occasional corrections throughout the manuscript. The main hand occasionally corrects their own work through overwriting or interlinear addition. Most of the interlinear instances, however, are difficult to identify and many are probably the work of Hand 3b.
Language: Apart from four lines of Latin (on fol. 59r/13-16), this hand writes exclusively in English. Wormald (1999, pp. 232-36) questions how much experience the scribe had with Old English. Close analysis of the manuscript, however, shows that the main hand was competently copying exemplars and producing a deliberate mise-en-page while amending, correcting and altering the production method to suit changing requirements. The hand is described in Scragg, Rumble and Powell .

Hand:

Scope: Minor
Script: English Vernacular Minuscule
Description: fol. 69r/15-69v/26, and occasional amendments throughout the manuscript. The hand is open and slightly angular. The graphs are very legible and written with few flourishes. Most but not all of the graphs without descenders finish above the base-line. The scribe has adopted the mise-en-page produced by Hand 1.
Summary of the characteristics of the hand:
The a is Caroline with an upright shaft and a large bowl.
The æ is formed from a headless a with a large bowl, and the e attached at the shoulder. The cross-stroke extends a far shorter distance than on the e.
Formed with the hands usual form of ascender and a rounded form at the base-line.
The top of the c ends in a sinuous flourish and pen-flick along the nib-angle.
Insular d with a flat topped ascender.
The bowl of the e is angular, and the cross-stroke extends diagonally upwards along the nib-angle in an extended flourish.
The cross-stroke of the insular f is positioned above the base-line and the descender is quite shallow.
The insular g has an open, sinuous upper bowl and the lower bowl is angular. The tail ends in a pen-flourish extended diagonally upwards along the nib-angle that usually almost closes the lower bowl. The cross-stroke is straight and flat, and the tail begins midway along it and does not extend above it.
The h has a regular ascender and an arched bridge between the two shafts. The right shaft is curved in form, and ends in a point just below the ruled line.
The l has a regular ascender and a curved foot, ending at the base line with a short pen-flick.
The o is taller than it is wide with a pointed top, and some slightly angular corners, particularly at the lower right and upper left edges.
The p has a rounded bowl with a straight, deep descender. Except on the final line of the folio where there is a slight pen-flick, the descender usually ends straight and flat.
The r is insular, with a deep descender that curls to the left at the base. The foot of the right shaft ends on or above the ruled line with a strong curve to the right.
The s is Carloine with an angular head and a shallow descender.
The t has an angular curve to the shaft and a flat cross-stroke. The top of the shaft extends through the cross-stroke.
The scribe shows an overall preference for þ, which is formed with a large bowl that angles upwards and a heavy wedged head at the top of the ascender, while the foot of the descender tapers into a straight point.
The ð is only used occasiaonlly, but is formed the same as the d but with a diagonal cross-stroke through the ascender with pronounced tagging.
The u is formed as two minims, with the curve of the left shaft being more pronounced to join the two shafts, and the foot of the right shaft ending in a flatter pen-flick.
The y has a curved, heavy shaft on the left, while the curve of the shaft on the right and descender is less pronounced and the line thinner but ending in thicker rounded wedges.
The ƿ is angular and ends in a straight, narrow descender. The form is very like the þ.
The O is a larger form of the o.

The minims are upright, with wedged heads and slight pen-flicks at the foot.
ascenders: tall with wedge shaped heads.
descenders: generally quite shallow. They usually end either straight and pointed or with a slight turn to the left.

Abbreviations:
The tironian nota ˥ is used frequently by the hand. The cross-stroke is a sinuous line. The shaft is a curve with a rounded top, ending a little below the base-line with a pen flourish diagonally upwards along the nib-angle.
A þ with a cross-stroke through its ascender is used as an abbreviation graph for 'þæt' on fol. 69v/11.
Occasionaly words ending in 'am' are abbreviated to a with a macron above.
Punctuation:
Punctuation consists only of a punctus positioned above the base-line.
Correcting technique: Throughout, occasional marginal and interlinear additions to the text-block.
Language: English. The hand and their contributions are described in Scragg, Rumble and Powell.

Hand:

Scope: major
Script: English Vernacular Minuscule
Description: fols 10r-66v. Rubrics and additional comments and corrections in the margins, interlinear space and in available line space throughout the manuscript. The final quire has only rubrics; no alterations.

The hand often appears small and cramped as, in most instances, the rubric additions are squeezed into available space on the folio. The quill is scratchy, and the graphs tend to be rounded with a short and wide proportions. Many of the rubrics are written entirely or mostly in majuscules.

Summary of the characteristics of the hand:
The a is headless, with a large bowl and an almost vertical shaft.
The æ is formed the same as the a and e with the curled tail of the e added onto the foot of the shaft of the a
The b has a wedged head and is rounded where the shaft meets the bowl. The upper right corner of the bowl is pointed.
The lower arm of the c flares more widely and further to the right than the upper arm. The back of the graph is upright and straight.
The d is insular with a steep angle of ascender and a small bowl.
The e is rounded with a flaring open lower arm that ends in a pen-flourish along the nib-angle. The cross-stroke extends along the line of the nib angle.
The f is insular, with the upper cross-stroke hooking over at the end. The descender is straight and tapered at the end.
The tail of the insular g begins its descent a quarter of the way in from the left edge of the straight, flat cross-stroke. The upper bowl of the tail is sinuous and wide, the lower bowl is oval and completely closed.
On the h the ascender begins with a round dot at the top, and ends with a slight serif. The left shaft is a minim joined with a thick pen-flick and ending in a curve to the right.
The l has a heavy wedged top and a curved foot that ends in a pen-flourish.
The minims are very short compared to the ascenders and nib-width. The heads are wedge-shaped, and the feet are curved to the right, sometimes ending in a pen-flourish.
The o is rounded with slightly flattened edges on the upper left and lower right.
The p has a tapering shaft with a wedged head, and a small round bowl.
The left shaft of the r is a straight descender with a slightly bulged head. The right shaft is a minim joined with a narrow pen-flick and ending in a strong curve to the right.
The s is Caroline, with a wide and smoothly curved head and a foot tapering and swept to the left.
The shaft of the t is a tightly curved bowl, whose top extends above the flat cross-stroke.
The þ has a very large ascender with a wedged head and a deep, straight, tapering descender. The bowl is small and angular.
The ð is formed as an insular d with a long, tapering cross-stroke.
The u is two minims with a stronger right sweep on the foot of the left, connecting the two.
The shaft and tail of the dotted y are straight, with rounded head and foot.
The head of the ƿ is rounded, the descender straight, and the bowl rounded but narrower than the p and with an upward slant.
The shafts of the A are steep, creating a narrow graph. The feet end in curves swept to the right.
The Æ is formed similarly to the A but at a gentler angle and with the right shaft slightly more sinuous. The e part is formed as with the æ.
The B has an upright back with the cross-strokes at the top of the upper bowl and bottom of the lower bowl extended through to the left.
The C is a larger version of the c.
The cross-strokes of the E extend to the left of the shaft, with the one on the base-line extending the furthest. The uppermost cross-stroke ends are curved downwards at the right end.
The upper cross-stroke of the F is a large, sinuous line and the middle cross-stroke a short sinuous line. The head of the shaft is rounded, and the foot ends in a flat cross-stroke curved upwards in a pen-flick at the right.
The G is a narrower version of the O with more pronounced angles and pointed at the foot.
The H is formed as two large ls with a curved, tapering cross-stroke between them.
The I is a larger version of the minim.
The L is a very high ascender, with a cross-stroke added at the base-line, that extends to the left of the shaft and curves upwards in a pen-flick at the right.
The M is angular, with the diagonal down and right strokes having heavy wedged heads and tapering shafts, adn the diagonal down and left strokes ending in hooked curves.
The N has a sweeping diagonal joining the top of the shorter shaft on the left, with the middle of the right shaft and a descender that has a rounded top and ends with a distinct sweeping curve to the left.
The O is a larger version of the o.
The P is a larger version of the p.
The uppermost cross-stroke of the R extends to the left of the shaft. The foot of the upright shaft is seriffed in a sinuous line that sweeps upwards at the right. The right leg is sinuous and ends in a curved pen-flick.
The S is round, with a short arm at the top, and a short and wide lower bowl.
The cross-stroke of the T curves upwards in a horned shape at each end. The foot of the shaft ends in a flat cross-stroke that curves upwards to the right.
The Ð is formed as the D, but narrower and with a thick cross-stroke that almost joins the shaft to the bowl.
The U is a v with straight shafts and a large rounded head on the right.
The Y is a larger version of the y.
The Ƿ is a larger version of the ƿ but with a flat cross-stroke at the foot of the shaft that curls up to the right in a pen-flourish.
ascenders are almost double the minim height, and are usually have a rounded or wedge-shaped top.
descenders are of variable depths end either straight or curved to the left.
accents: Occasional addition of thin pen-flicks angled upwards and to the right above vowels.
Abbreviations:
The ˥ is used frequently by the hand. The cross-stroke is a curving line, joining the shaft in a point. The shaft is sinuous and ends below the base-line in a tapered point.
A þ with a cross-stroke through it is used as an abbreviation graph for 'þæt' on fol. 69v/11.
Occasionally words ending in 'um' are abbreviated to u with a macron above.
Punctuation:
Punctuation consists only of a punctus positioned above the base-line.
Correcting technique: Throughout frequent marginal and interlinear additions to the text-block.
Language: English. The instances cited by Wormald (1999, pp. 233-234) regarding Hand 1's word division all actually belong to this hand. The hand and its contributions are described in Scragg, Rumble and Powell .

Hand:

Scope: minor
Script: English Vernacular Minuscule
Description: fol. 11r/9-11. Erasure and amendment of the beginning of the I Æthelred item, and possibly also the beginning of the laws of Ine in Alfred-Ine on fol. 23r/6. A small number of difficult to diagnose marginal and interlinear additions may be this hand or Hand 1.

The aspect of the hand is very similar to that of Hand 1, but individual graphs show strong similarities with Hand 3a. It is most probable that this hand is Hand 3 imitating the aspect of Hand 1 when re-working the introductions of items in the text-block.

Summary of the characteristics of the hand:
Insular a. The bowl is almost as high as the shaft. The foot is swept in a curve to the right.
The æ is formed using the a with the e attached at the shoulder.
The c is rounded with the join between the upper and lower strokes at the back of the graph forming a round blob.
The d is insular with a short ascender of similar height to that produced by Hand 1, but at a steeper angle.
The e has an open bowl, with a short cross-stroke extending along the nib-angle.
The tail of the insular g begins its descent a quarter of the way in from the left edge of the straight, flat cross-stroke. The upper bowl of the tail is sinuous and wide; the lower bowl is oval and completely closed.
The l has a rounded blob at the head of the ascender, and the foot ends in a curved sweep to the right at the base-line.
The minim is produced as a short vertical shaft with a wedged head and the foot flourished diagonally to the right along the nib-angle.
The p has a tapering shaft with a wedged head, and a small round bowl.
The left shaft of the r is a straight descender with a slightly bulged head. The right shaft is a minim joined with a narrow pen-flick and ending in a strong curve to the right.
The s is Caroline with a wide and smoothly curved head and a the foot tapering and swept to the left.
The þ has a high ascender with a wedged head and, a shallow descender which is tapered and curved to the left at the foot. The bowl is small and rounded but with an upwards angle overall.
The dotted y has a wedged head on the right shaft, and the descender is a thin, undecorated line following the nib-angle.
ascenders: high with wedged or blobbed heads.
descenders: varying depths below the base-line, and ending either straight or tapering and swept to the left.
Punctuation:
punctus above the base-line.
Correcting technique: Amendments to the text-block. A small number of amendments made to the text-block may be corrections by this hand, or possibly by Hand 1, such as the insertion of '˥' on fol. 11r/ 6 and 7.
Language: English. Contributions by the hand are described in Scragg, Rumble and Powell.

Decoration Description:

Red initials, usually one line to three lines in height (with the exception of the six-line, red, initial I on fol. 23/3-8) introducing items and sub-divisions of items, as described in the individual items.

Red rubrics added by Hand 3a into available line space and margins at the beginning of items and sub-divisions of items throughout the manuscript, as described in the individual items. Although the rubrics are usually associated with points that have had miniaturing on occasion only rubrics or miniaturing are present.

Although somewhat similar under visible light, the red inks used for rubrication and miniaturing appear different under ultraviolet light.

Additions:

fol 1r/1-4v/13 II, III Edgar. s. xvi:
fol. 12r/21-26 and right margin;Anglo-Norman poem copied into the text-block. s. xiii:
fol. 12v/7-10, left margin: locations mentioned in Alfred and Guthrum copied out. s. xvi:
fol. 17v/upper margin: 'ÆLFREDS LAGE CYNINGES' added to upper margin. Uncertain:
fol. 24r/lower margin: Latin note in the corner, trimmed at the right edge 'Matildis bey soror magistri Roberti bey de Abbend [xx] (unclear: trimmed) '. s. xiii:
fol. 26v/upper margin: 'INES LAGE .' added to upper margin. Uncertain:
fol. 28v/6, left margin: lettering marking a sub-division in Alfred-Ine. Uncertain:
fols 32r/1-37v/26: beginning of I, II Cnut. The contents of this addition have been struck through in red crayon where they overlap with the original item. s. xvi:
fol. 38v/4, left margin: lettering marking a sub-division in I, II Cnut. Uncertain:
fol. 40v-42v, lower margin: Latin text.s. xiii:
fol. 42v, upper margin: Latin note. Uncertain:
fol. 42v/4, left margin: lettering marking a sub-division in I, II Cnut. Uncertain.:
fol. 53r/17-18, right margin: 'bocland | folcland', trimmed at the margin. s. xvi:
fol. 55r, upper margin: 'refiriat'. Possibly s. xvi:
fol. 57r/23-26, right margin: locations mentioned in Alfred and Guthrum copied out. s. xvi:
fol. 57v/25, left margin: note identifying item as Laws of Edmund. Uncertain:
fol. 60v/13-14, left margin: Latin note. Uncertain:
fol. 69r/16, right margin: 'dunmor' and a vertical line. Uncertain:
fol. 69r/21-22, right margin: 'pertinet | sancto paulo' in relation to some of the locations in the scipmen list. s. xvii:
fol. 69r/23-24, right margin: Latin note. s. xvii:
Throughout: locations mentiond in items have been underlined. Uncertain:

Binding Description:

1991 from the Cambridge workshop of Desmond Shaw, white alum-tawed pigskin on oak boards (Lucas 2003, p. 75).

Accompanying Material:

Four additional folios added to the beginning of the manuscript, in association with the 1991 binding. A slip of parchment identifying it as '383' and with some of the contents of the manuscript and page numbers listed is affixed to the recto of the fourth of these folios.

Membrane added at the end of the manuscript following fol. 72 in association with the 1991 binding.

History:

Origin:

Possibly produced at St Paul's Cathedral, London or possibly moved there early in the twelfth-century. The argument for St Paul's rests solely on the addition of the [S] (supplied: ) cipmen list to the final folio as the majority of the estates mentioned in the list belonged or had previously belonged to the cathedral.

Provenance:

Ker (1957, pp. 110-113), and Wormald (1999, pp. 228-236), identify the hands of a number of antiquarians: Joscelyn, Nowell, and Lambarde, as well as Archbishop Parker.

Acquisition:

Bequeathed to Corpus Christi College, Cambridge by Archbishop Parker in 1575.

Additional Information:

Administration Information:

Described by Thom Gobbitt, August 2010. The author thanks Takako Kato for her support and answers to all queries, and Elaine Treharne for discussion of palaeography.

Surrogates:

EM Project facsimile

Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, and Stanford University, Parker Library on the Web (http://parkerweb.stanford.edu/parker/; accessed in 2010)

Microfiche in Anglo-Saxon Manuscripts in Microfiche Facsimile (Tempe, AZ: Arizona Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies, 2003), vol. 11: Corpus Christi College, Cambridge I

Bibliography:

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