Nix, Richard, Bishop of Norwich, approximately 1447-1535, creator
Contributor
Nix, Richard, Bishop of Norwich, approximately 1447-1535, former owner England. Sovereign (1413-1422 : Henry V) England. Sovereign (1422-1461 : Henry VI) Law Society (Great Britain), former owner
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Description
Collection of writs from the fifth year of the reign of Henry IV (1402) to the thirty-eighth year of Henri VI (1460). It also contains additions from the 16th century, including the alphabetical index. Subjects of writs include lands and manors held by various men from the King; instructions to the King's bailiffs; tenancies and inheritances; and ecclesiastical holdings and prebendaries. In the early 16th century, the contents list, alphabetical index and eight new sections (ff. 33-40, 65-88, 315-44, 358, 359, 400-09) were added in a more recent hand (by Bishop Richard Nix?). Further additions at ends of book include oath of the master of chancery, in French (f. II), a list of charges payable by Genoese and other foreign merchants of chancery, in French (ff. 404v-405), the coronation oath sworn by medieval English kings (f. 410), a short Middle English tract opening, "All writtez of Couenaunt ..." (f. IIv), and two copies of formulas in the name of "Bysshopryk of C" renouncing "all wordys comprised in the Popes Bull made vnto me" and instead promising loyalty to "the kyng our sovreign lord" (f. 404r). ff. i-ii. Table of contents, headed ""Kalendare."". f. ii recto-verso. Oath of the Master in Chancery. Incipit: Sacramento unius magistrorum de cancellarie domini regis. Lang: Anglo-Norman. ff. iii - xxxii verso; f. xxxiii recto-verso blank. Alphabetical index. The material indexes the main run of the codex, i.e. the writs copied on ff. 1-410v. ff. 1-410v. Royal writs. Incipit: [H]enricus dei gratia Rex Anglie et Francie et Dominus hibernie Ballivis suis de N. salutem. Precipimus vobis quod sine dilatione plenum rectum teneatis I. de C. de uno mesuagio cum pertinentiis in M. quod clamat tenere de nobis. English. Parchment, i (paper) + [XXXIV] + 410 (foliated 140, 142-287, 289-359, 400-410 ) + i (paper). Layout: Quires 1-46 of 8 leaves; quire 47 of 6 leaves; quire 48 of 8 leaves; quire 49 of 6 leaves; + 12 leaves (= 1 quire of 8 leaves, and 1 of 4) inserted after quire 49's leaf 5 (ff. 358, 359, 400-409); the 37 original quires are numbered as "37 quaterni" on ff. ii and 410v. Contemporary foliation in ink in the main text. Occasional erratic foliation in pencil. Leaves XXXIV, 134, 137-140 and 344 blank. Written in 38 lines in a single column in black ink; frame ruled in red and black; prickings in the outer margins apparent on some of the leaves. Includes running titles and marginal subject headings and annotations in the main section of the text. Written in England, probably London, in the last quarter of the 15th century, with additions in the early sixteenth century, in an Anglicana script by a number of scribes. 2- to 3-line initials in blue, some with ornate red penwork (on leaves 6r, 7r, 7v, 9r, 15v, 16v, 19v, 41r), mainly in the first third of the text; spaces left for other initials; paragraph marks in red and blue mainly in first half of book; simple line fillers of red penstrokes; some capitals touched in red and opening words underlined in red. Binding: 16th century blind-tooled brown leather over wooden boards with two metal clasps (modern replacements). With Oldham's stamp 234 as a border and 243 and 999 within chevrons on boards; the first two used in the Caxton bindery; cf. J.B. Oldham, English blind-stamped bindings, 1952, p. 27 and pl. xxi. 16th c. inscriptions on back cover (an ownership inscription and a 3-line exhortation in English opening "O glorious lady ..."). HM 81170. Huntington Library, San Marino, CA.
Writs--England--Early works to 1800 Courts--England--Early works to 1800 Law--England--History--Early works to 1800 Writs England 15th century. (aat) Judicial records England 15th century. (aat)
Source
Manuscripts, Huntington Digital Library
Provenance
Manuscript was owned by Richard Nix (or Nykke, approximately 1447-1535), the last Catholic Bishop of Norwich: contemporary inscriptions on verso of f. 410, "Liber Ric[ard]i Nykke ep[iscop]i Norwicen[sis]" and along vertical edge between clasps on backboard, "Lib[er] Nyke Norwych". Inscription on verso of last flyleaf: M[emorandu]m that the C[harter] of the confirmacion of the Collegge of Leycester is xii die Marcii a[nn]o p[ri]mo Henrici octavi. Inscription on upper pastedown: Henry Thomas Barratt 1826, from his father. Bookplate and numerous stamps of the Law Society, London. Given by him to the Law Society, in London: their MS.6 (105.g). Sotheby's, 2 July 2013, lot 56. Purchased from Les Enluminures, July 2015.
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