The James Catalogue of Western Manuscripts

On the fly-leaf, (1) a statement of measures of length (xiv). (2) Issta scriptura inuenitur in libro melkini qui fuit ante merlinum. Insula auallonis auida funere paganorum pre ceteris.
-erunt aperta hec et viuentibus declarata (xiv).
(Hearne, Joh. Glast. p.55.)

1. f.1 Prologus W. Malmesburiensis de Antiquitate Glastoniensis ecclesie
Domino in christi uisceribus multum amplectendo.
ed Hearne in Adam de Domerham, 1727, p.1.
There are additions to the text in Latin, in at least 3 hands (xiii-xv).
At the bottom of the page is a letter in French (xiii?)
gisynt a la Grysse abbe de la seynte croys. Sire W. de Durk' apres ceo ke il aueyt seysine de les teres ke sire P. li done etc.
Ends f.18b
habet enim hec proprium ut quamquam laudanda faciat laudari tamen erubescat. Finito libro etc.

2. f.19 Consuetudo luminarii seu cereorum in ecclesia glaston. per sacristam loci ad diuinum officium exhibendorum
De consuetudine luminarii in eccl. Glaston. sciendum. ed. Hearne in Johannes Glastoniensis, p.358.

3. f.20 Another hand
Iste sunt villate que debent claudere in parco.

4. Hand of cent. xvi, neat, imitating older writing.
f.20b Constructiones quorundam Monasteriorum
Constructio monasterii Glastoniensis A^o doⁱ. 166.
The list then gives the dates of foundation of Westminster, St Augustine's Canterbury, St Benet of Holme, Chichester, St Botulph's at Ykene, Abingdon, St Alban's, Cluny, Ramsey, Ely, Bury, Bec, Battle, St Mary's York, Canons of St Botulph's, Norwich, St Osith's, Walden, Coggeshall, Sibton, Waltham, Leiston, Friars in England, and lastly Remocio veteris et constructio noue Abb^ie de leystone a^o doⁱ 1363.
It must then be copied from a Leiston document.

5. In the first hand.
f.21 Adam de Domerham's Chronicle
Libellus de rebus gestis Glastonie et primo de H(enrico) Episcopo.
Quoniam uniuersos ecclesie sue historiam scire monet honestas.
Ed. Hearne, 1727, pp.303-596.
There are many marginal notes, mostly early xiv?
The hand changes very distinctly to one of a charter-type at f.52 and becomes still more of a charter-hand.
Ends (under Abbot John) f.73b honorifice sepultum. Expl. de Abbate Johanne de Tantonia (Hearne, p.596).
5a f.73b Bounds of Blackmore Forest etc.
Ends: nec honeste domino suo nudi seruire propter.
Note of xvth cent. hic deficit.

6. f.75b Hec sunt nomina eorum quibus tenebatur J. Abbas pro predecessoribus suis.
Ed. Hearne in Johannes Glastoniensis, p.366.
On f.77 the first hand is resumed.

7. In the first hand, list of charters.
f.77 Carte contente in libro terrarum Glaston.
Ed. Hearne l. c. 370-418.

8. Cent. xiv.
f.88 Confirmation by Henry II of lands to Glastonbury
Hearne, p.419.

9. Cent. xiii but not the first hand; this is clearly resumed on f.93b
Priuilegia paparum etc.
f.98a Charta de foresta

10. Cent. xiv.
a. f.99 Headed (xv). De phisica. A receipt
Quoniam per opiliones(!) antiquas infirmitates periculose corpori humano superuenerunt ut puta artetice ydropicis etc.
b. f.99 Consuetude luminarii
In primis ergo sciendum quod cereum paschalem.

11. The first hand.
f.100 Compendium de britannia siue Anglia
Quoniam simplicioribus foret difficilis prolixiores historias.
Finished in a different hand.
et uocatur fossa . tenditque per lincolniam.

12. f.101 In the first hand: lists of Kings of England, a well drawn head of Egbirtus in the middle. Continued by different hands down to Edward VI.

13. Cent. xiv.
f.101b Redditus maneriorum, in the 9th year of Abbot John de Cancia and the 4th year of G. Fromund, respectively

14. f.102 Numerus librorum Glastoniensis ecclesie
In the first hand, with many erasures and additions.
Ed. Hearne (Joh. Glast. p.423-447), and Williams' Somersetshire Libraries.
Ends f.104 with books received from Galfrid of Bath.

15. f.104 List of Relics (no heading), cent. xiv
De Sanctis Beda et Gilda.
Ed. Hearne, pp.445-454.

16. Cent. xiv.
f.105b Charters relating to estates: the first is headed (xv)
De Insula S. Michaelis de lammana cum omnibus pertinenciis suis. (Hearne, Adam de Domerham, vol. II.)
On f.106b
De ecclesia Basseleth cum aliis (Hearne, l.c.).
On f.107b: De terris in hibernia.

17. In the first hand:
f.108 Confirmatio cartarum libertatum Anglie et de foresta
followed by, cent. xiv,
Porciones Vicarie de sturminstr'.

18. Cent. xiii, xiv. Charter-hand.
f.109 Appropriatio parochialis ecclesie de merlinch
Two other appropriations, of Doulting and East Brent, and of Newton (Nyweton). (Hearne, l.c.)

19. Cent. xiv.
f.110b Inquisicio mag. Reginaldi de ffontibus clerici d. Huberti Cantuar. Archiep. per maneria Abbatie Glaston. de valencia eorum. Anno ab incarn. domini M. CC. I.
f.116b Diuisio prati in Kynwardesmore (1189)
f.117 Scriptum de cursibus aquarum in Wrentemar'
Continued on f.119.

20. The first hand.
f.118 Carte de rebus assignatis specialiter conuentui. Carta H. Abbatis de molendino de strete assignato conuentui
Continued on f.120, and on f.124 and f.126a
f.121a De Prioratu. (Hearne, l.c.)

21. Cent. xiv.
f.122 Ffeouda glaston

22. Cent. xiv.
f.124b Hide que pertinent ad abbathiam Glaston
Continued on f.125b.
f.126b is blank.

23. Cent. xiii.
f.127 Feoda of the Abbey
Sumersete. Apud sceptune . Dundene etc.
With additions of cent. xiv.
Followed by Memoranda in the same hand (xiii), of homages (1255, 1263, 1264).

24. Cent. xiv.
f.130b Inquisicio facta de expedicione canum Abbatis Glaston.

25. f.131 Cent. xiii, xiv. 2 columns
Sumersete. Terra S. Marie Glaston. sicut continentur in libro scaccarii londonie qui dicitur Domus del quem componi fecit rex Willelmus primus subacto sibi et pacificato Regno Anglie. (Hearne, l.c.)

26. Cent. xiv.
f.137 Estimacio valoris omnium maneriorum Abbatie Glaston.

27. Cent. xiii, xiv.
f.138 Taxacio Norwicensis

28. Cent. xiii, xiv.
Ceo le entendement coment le tenement Roberd moryz de . myntern en la manere de Doclande deveynt frank.

29. f.140 Cent. xiii, xiv. 2 cols.
Tempore quo regnum Anglie pluribus regibus subiacebat diuisum erat in regno Westsaxonum in comitatu deuonie miles quidam strenuus nomine laedemaduc'.
This is the 'case of a king's daughter' alluded to in the title of the MS.
Ends f.140b
ex quibus comites deuonie processerunt, terras et possessiones opulentas relinquens.

30. Cent. xiv.
f.141 A homage of 1255
Nomina militum qui tenent de domo Glaston.
Other names of tenants follow.

31. Cent. xv in 3 columns.
f.142 A list of Kings, Arviragus to Edmundus
Bishops and Saints. Hedde -Alwynus.
Archbishops? Aelsius -Wylfyn.
f.142b blank.

Ker, N. R., Medieval Libraries of Great Britain, Royal Historical Society Guides and Handbooks 3, 2nd edn (London, 1964), Glastonbury.

Keynes, S., Anglo-Saxon Manuscripts and Other Items of Related Interest in the Library of Trinity College, Cambridge, Old English Newsletter Subsidia 18 (Binghampton, NY, 1992), no. 29 + pl. XXIX.

Sharpe, R., et al., , English Benedictine Libraries: the Shorter Catalogues, Corpus of British Medieval Library Catalogues 4 (London, 1996), B39.193.

Scott, J., ed., The early history of Glastonbury: an edition, translation and study of William of Malmesbury's De antiquitate Glastonie Ecclesie (Woodbridge, 1981)

Patterson, R. B., 'An un-edited charter of Henry Fitz Empress and Earl William of Gloucester's comital status', The English Historical Review 87 (1972), 755-7.

Crick, J., 'The Marshalling of Antiquity: Glastonbury's Historical Dossier', in The Archaeology and History of Glastonbury Abbey, ed. L. Abrams and J. P. Carley (Woodbridge, 1991), pp. 217-43.

Williams, T. W., Somerset Medieval Libraries (Bristol, 1897), pp. 52-78.

Carley, J., 'John Leland and the Contents of English pre-Dissolution Libraries: Glastonbury Abbey', Scriptorium 40 (1986), 107-20.

Carley, J. P., 'Melkin the Bard and Esoteric Tradition at Glastonbury Abbey', The Downside Review 99 (1981), 1-17.

The Acts of Welsh Rulers: 1120-1283/ Edited by Huw Pryce; with the Assistance of Charles Insley (Cardiff,2005)

Luxford, J. M., The Art and Architecture of English Benedictine Monasteries, 1300 - 1540 : a Patronage History, Studies in the History of Medieval Religion 12 (Woodbridge, 2005)

Luxford, J. M., A Leiston Document from Glastonbury, Proceedings of the Suffolk Institute of Archaeology and History 40 (Ipswich, 2003), p. 278-88.