The British Library has added five extraordinary medieval manuscripts to its collection, offering new insights into Jewish-Christian relations, civic governance, theology, and devotional practices in the Middle Ages. The manuscripts were acquired from the private library at Longleat House, with funding from the National Heritage Memorial Fund, Art Fund, and several other supporters.
British Library Add MS 89788 fol. 169r
Spanning two centuries, the five volumes highlight the complexity and diversity of medieval life in Britain and Ireland. Among the most notable is a trilingual volume compiled around 1250 by monks of Ramsey Abbey in Cambridgeshire. Working with Jewish scholars, they created a dictionary of more than 3,500 Hebrew words, translating them into Latin and medieval French. The manuscript also includes a Hebrew grammar — the most sophisticated Christian-authored grammatical work on Hebrew from the period — and a Psalter written by Jewish scribes. This rare cooperation predates the expulsion of Jews from England in 1290 and offers a window into moments of scholarly collaboration.
British Library Add MS 89789 fol. 27v
Another significant acquisition is The Red Book of Bath, a 15th-century civic volume retaining its original red-dyed leather cover. Created for the officials of Bath, the book contains a unique Middle English life of King Arthur, a rare biography of St Katherine of Alexandria (the town’s patron saint), two sketch maps of the Mediterranean, and various texts on local customs and commerce. Unusually, a recess inside the front cover was used to hold weights and scales — a testament to its function in municipal administration.
British Library Add MS 89790 fol. 115r
Also included in the acquisition is a manuscript of Richard Rolle’s The Form of Living, tailored for a woman in 15th-century Ireland and written in the Hiberno-English dialect. It is believed to include Rolle’s own selection of his works and is bound with A Revelation of Purgatory, a vivid visionary text authored by an English anchoress. This combination sheds light on female literacy and mystical devotion in medieval Ireland.
British Library Add MS 89791 fol. 12v
The collection features a unique manuscript of Middle English sermons written shortly after 1400 by a Cambridgeshire cleric. The sermons emerge from a turbulent period in Church history, addressing the challenges posed by reformist ideas like those of John Wycliffe. Though the author remains anonymous, another of their works — Dives and Pauper — was condemned by the Archbishop of Canterbury, adding to the manuscript’s historical significance.
The final volume, a devotional Arma Christi manuscript, contains an unusual sequence of illustrations and has been attributed to Theodericus Werken, a Dutch-born scribe who relocated to London by the mid-15th century. Its imagery and layout reflect the growing emphasis on personal piety and lay devotion during the later Middle Ages.
“The five manuscripts we’ve acquired from the private library at Longleat House help to illuminate a 200-year period of political, religious and civil change in Britain and Ireland,” explains Julian Harrison, Lead Curator of Medieval Historical and Literary Manuscripts at the British Library. “The manuscripts are broad in scope, encompassing relationships between the Christian and Jewish communities, the running of a medieval town, unique literary and devotional works and debates in Christian theology. They represent a significant addition to our collection of medieval manuscripts and will be an invaluable resource for researchers in the future.”
The acquisition was supported by a £1 million grant from the National Heritage Memorial Fund, with further contributions from Art Fund, the American Trust for the British Library, the British Library Collections Trust, and the Friends of the National Libraries. The manuscripts were secured in a Private Treaty Sale brokered by Christie’s.
“Each of these five magnificent manuscripts offer unique perspectives and glimpses into medieval life, religion and society,” said Eilish McGuinness, Chief Executive of the National Heritage Memorial Fund. “Now, in their new home at the British Library and through digitisation they can be discovered and enjoyed by people across the UK and beyond.
“The Memorial Fund exists to save the UK’s finest heritage and create a timeless collection that belongs to us all, as a permanent memorial to those who have given their lives for the UK. We are delighted that these five medieval manuscripts are now part of that growing collection.”
The British Library has digitised all five manuscripts, making them publicly accessible to scholars and readers around the world.
The British Library has added five extraordinary medieval manuscripts to its collection, offering new insights into Jewish-Christian relations, civic governance, theology, and devotional practices in the Middle Ages. The manuscripts were acquired from the private library at Longleat House, with funding from the National Heritage Memorial Fund, Art Fund, and several other supporters.
Spanning two centuries, the five volumes highlight the complexity and diversity of medieval life in Britain and Ireland. Among the most notable is a trilingual volume compiled around 1250 by monks of Ramsey Abbey in Cambridgeshire. Working with Jewish scholars, they created a dictionary of more than 3,500 Hebrew words, translating them into Latin and medieval French. The manuscript also includes a Hebrew grammar — the most sophisticated Christian-authored grammatical work on Hebrew from the period — and a Psalter written by Jewish scribes. This rare cooperation predates the expulsion of Jews from England in 1290 and offers a window into moments of scholarly collaboration.
Another significant acquisition is The Red Book of Bath, a 15th-century civic volume retaining its original red-dyed leather cover. Created for the officials of Bath, the book contains a unique Middle English life of King Arthur, a rare biography of St Katherine of Alexandria (the town’s patron saint), two sketch maps of the Mediterranean, and various texts on local customs and commerce. Unusually, a recess inside the front cover was used to hold weights and scales — a testament to its function in municipal administration.
Also included in the acquisition is a manuscript of Richard Rolle’s The Form of Living, tailored for a woman in 15th-century Ireland and written in the Hiberno-English dialect. It is believed to include Rolle’s own selection of his works and is bound with A Revelation of Purgatory, a vivid visionary text authored by an English anchoress. This combination sheds light on female literacy and mystical devotion in medieval Ireland.
The collection features a unique manuscript of Middle English sermons written shortly after 1400 by a Cambridgeshire cleric. The sermons emerge from a turbulent period in Church history, addressing the challenges posed by reformist ideas like those of John Wycliffe. Though the author remains anonymous, another of their works — Dives and Pauper — was condemned by the Archbishop of Canterbury, adding to the manuscript’s historical significance.
The final volume, a devotional Arma Christi manuscript, contains an unusual sequence of illustrations and has been attributed to Theodericus Werken, a Dutch-born scribe who relocated to London by the mid-15th century. Its imagery and layout reflect the growing emphasis on personal piety and lay devotion during the later Middle Ages.
“The five manuscripts we’ve acquired from the private library at Longleat House help to illuminate a 200-year period of political, religious and civil change in Britain and Ireland,” explains Julian Harrison, Lead Curator of Medieval Historical and Literary Manuscripts at the British Library. “The manuscripts are broad in scope, encompassing relationships between the Christian and Jewish communities, the running of a medieval town, unique literary and devotional works and debates in Christian theology. They represent a significant addition to our collection of medieval manuscripts and will be an invaluable resource for researchers in the future.”
The acquisition was supported by a £1 million grant from the National Heritage Memorial Fund, with further contributions from Art Fund, the American Trust for the British Library, the British Library Collections Trust, and the Friends of the National Libraries. The manuscripts were secured in a Private Treaty Sale brokered by Christie’s.
“Each of these five magnificent manuscripts offer unique perspectives and glimpses into medieval life, religion and society,” said Eilish McGuinness, Chief Executive of the National Heritage Memorial Fund. “Now, in their new home at the British Library and through digitisation they can be discovered and enjoyed by people across the UK and beyond.
“The Memorial Fund exists to save the UK’s finest heritage and create a timeless collection that belongs to us all, as a permanent memorial to those who have given their lives for the UK. We are delighted that these five medieval manuscripts are now part of that growing collection.”
The British Library has digitised all five manuscripts, making them publicly accessible to scholars and readers around the world.
Top Image: Richard Rolle’s ‘The Form of Living’ and related works: Add MS 89790 © The British Library Board
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