The work on this manuscript was first carried out by a group of
artists based at the Bohun family's home at Pleshey, Essex, but
after the deaths of members of the group of artists headed by John
de Tye it was transferred to a London workshop. The manuscript
bears the inscriptions of two royal owners: Elizabeth of York,
queen of Henry VII, d. 1503 (fol. iiiv, '[Thys] boke ys myn.Ely[
]th ye qwene') and Katherine of Aragon, queen of Henry VIII,
divorced 1531 (fol. iiiv, 'This boke ys myn Katherina the qwene').
The manuscript has some missing leaves and illustrations: of the
original ten illuminated frontispieces (for psalms 1, 26, 38, 51,
52, 68, 80, 97, 101, 109) all but two have gone, as well as
illustrations for 34 psalms.
Provenance: Written for Humphrey de Bohun (1342-73), 11th Earl of
Hereford, 12th Earl of Essex, grandson of Edward III. The
manuscript belonged to Elizabeth, queen of Henry VII and to
Katherine of Aragon, queen of Henry VIII. Given to Exeter College
by Sir William Petre (1505-1572). The descent of the book from
Humphrey de Bohun to the Tudor royal family was presumably through
his younger daughter, Mary, who married the future Henry IV, but
died in 1394 before he became king. Sir William Petre was a member
of Elizabeth I's court and donor of printed books to the
college.
Contents: 1. Sarum calendar, with addenda concerning the families
of Henry VII and Henry VIII (ff. 1r [3r] - 6v [8v]). 2. Psalms (ff.
7r [9r] - 101v [103v]). 3. Canticles (ff. 102r [104r] - 111v
[113v]). 4. Litany (ff. 112r [114r] - 114v [116v]). 5. Cues for
Kyrie eleison, Pater noster, etc. followed by prayers and memoriae
(ff. 115r [117r] - 122r [124r]). 6. Sequences of the Gospels. James
22. (ff. 122r [124r] - 124v [126v]). Rosary directions and verses
on the Ten Commandments (f. 125v [127v]).
Hand: 1: gothic bookhand, varying between quadrata and
semi-quadrata, punctuated by low point. 2-5: fine gothic quadrata
bookhand, punctuated by low and medial points and punctus elevatus.
Five hands working in three campaigns have been distinguished and
of these, the senior artist can be identified as Fr John de Tye.
