There are several collections containing medieval manuscript books here. The Cosin manuscripts contain the largest group of items, nearly 100 written in Latin, medieval French, Middle English, and English, containing theological, liturgical, legal, literary, historical, medical, scientific, and culinary texts. Many have quite miscellaneous content but there is a notable quantity of Middle English (including a copy of Troilus and Criseyde, a holograph Hoccleve manuscript, Mirk's Festial and several works by Lydgate). Several other items are from Durham Priory Library. Most of them were collected by George Davenport, Bishop Cosin's chaplain and rector of Houghton-le-Spring.
Fourteen manuscripts are featured in Treasures of Durham University Library, edited by Richard Gameson (London: Third Millennium, 2007).
The Cosin Manuscripts were previously catalogued in an appendix to Catalogi veteres librorum Ecclesiae Cathedralis Dunelm. Catalogues of the library of Durham Cathedral, at various periods, from the conquest to the dissolution, including catalogues of the library of the abbey of Hulne, and of the mss. preserved in the library of Bishop Cosin, at Durham. (Surtees Society, v.7. London, 1838), p.136-191.
| Manuscript | Contents | Date | Description | Digitised |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MS Cosin V.i.1 | Origen, Homeliae in O.T. | s.xii2 | Catalogue | Digitised |
| MS Cosin V.i.2 | Breviarium sec. usum Ebor., cum notis, defect. | s.xv med. | Catalogue | Digitised |
| MS Cosin V.i.3 | Breviarium sec. usum Sarum, cum notis, defect. | s.xv1 | Catalogue | Digitised |
| MS Cosin V.i.4 | P. Lombardus, In Psalmos | s.xii ex. | Catalogue | Digitised |
| MS Cosin V.i.5 | P. Lombardus, Sententiarum libri iv | s.xii ex. | Catalogue | |
| MS Cosin V.i.6 | P. Lombardus, Sententiarum libri iv | s.xiii med. | Catalogue | Digitised |
| MS Cosin V.i.7 | Rog. Waltham, Compendium morale; etc. | s.xv med. | Catalogue | Digitised |
| MS Cosin V.i.8 | Anselm; Augustine | s.xiv1 | Catalogue | Digitised |
| MS Cosin V.i.9 | Giles of Rome, Gouvernement des rois | s.xiv ex. | Catalogue | Digitised |
| MS Cosin V.i.10 | J. de Mandeville (in French) | s.xv in. | Catalogue | Digitised |
| MS Cosin V.i.11 | Aelred of Rievaulx; Achard of St Victor | s.xii/xiii | Catalogue | Digitised |
| MS Cosin V.i.12 | Ephrem Syrus; etc. | s.xv med. | Catalogue | Digitised |
| MS Cosin V.i.13 | Bernardus, Rabbi Samuel, Origen, H. Suso, etc. | s.xiv/xv | Catalogue | |
| MS Cosin V.ii.1 | Liber Numerorum, cum glossa | s.xii ex. | Catalogue | Digitised |
| MS Cosin V.ii.2 | Ruth - Esther cum glossa, Aelred; Augustine | s.xii in. - ex. | Catalogue | Digitised |
| MS Cosin V.ii.3 | Augustinus, Methodius | s.xiv ex; xv1-xv med. | Catalogue | |
| MS Cosin V.ii.4 | Peter Aureolus; tabula patristica | s.xiv ex./xv in. | Catalogue | Digitised |
| MS Cosin V.ii.5 | Miscellanea theologica, etc. | s.xiv1 | Catalogue | Digitised |
| MS Cosin V.ii.6 | Symeon, Historia Ecclesiae Dunelm. | s.xii in., ex., xvi ex. | Catalogue | Digitised |
| MS Cosin V.ii.7 | William Peraldus, Summa de vitiis | s.xiv med. | Catalogue | Digitised |
| MS Cosin V.ii.8 | Sermons of Odo, Peter of Rheims, etc. | s.xiii med. | Catalogue | Digitised |
| MS Cosin V.ii.9 | Quaestiones theologicae | s.xiii med.-xiii/xiv | Catalogue | Digitised |
| MS Cosin V.ii.11 | Boethius, cum Comment. N. Trivet, etc. | s.xiv ex. | Catalogue | Digitised |
| MS Cosin V.ii.12 | G. de Columnis, Ps.-Turpin, etc. | s.xv in. | Catalogue | |
| MS Cosin V.ii.13 | Chaucer, Troilus and Criseyde; etc. | s.xv med. | Catalogue | Digitised |
| MS Cosin V.ii.14 | J. Lydgate, Sege of Thebes; etc. | s.xv med. | Catalogue | Digitised |
| MS Cosin V.ii.15 | Boethius, trans. J. Walton, De consolatione philosophiae | s.xv2 | Catalogue | Digitised |
| MS Cosin V.ii.16 | J. Lydgate, Life of B.V.M. | s.xv med. | Catalogue | Digitised |
| MS Cosin V.ii.17 | Anseis de Carthage, Ogier le Danois (in French) | s.xiii2 | Catalogue | |
| MS Cosin V.iii.1 | Laurentius Dunelm. | s.xii med.-xii2 | Catalogue | Digitised |
| MS Cosin V.iii.2 | Sermones | s.xiii in. | Catalogue | Digitised |
| MS Cosin V.iii.3 | Clemens V, Constitutiones; etc.; Summae super Decretum | s.xiv med.; s.xii2 | Catalogue | |
| MS Cosin V.iii.4 | Bonifacius VIII, Liber sextus decretalium; etc. | s.xiii/xiv | Catalogue | Digitised |
| MS Cosin V.iii.5 | J. Mirk, Festial | s.xv med. | Catalogue | Digitised |
| MS Cosin V.iii.6 | Lollard dialogue; | s.xiv ex. &xvi/xvii | Catalogue | Digitised |
| MS Cosin V.iii.7 | J. Mandeville, Peregrinatio; etc. | s.xv ex. | Catalogue | |
| MS Cosin V.iii.8 | Pseudo-Bonaventure in English | s.xv in. | Catalogue | Digitised |
| MS Cosin V.iii.9 | Thomas Hoccleve | 1421 x 1426 | Catalogue | Digitised |
| MS Cosin V.iii.10 | Medica, Astronomica, Grammatica, etc. (much in English) | s.xv med/ex. & s.xiv/xv | Catalogue | Digitised |
| MS Cosin V.iii.11 | Recipes, etc. | s.xv in. | Catalogue | Digitised |
| MS Cosin V.iii.12 | E. de Evesham, Quadrilogus de T. Becket; etc. | Catalogue | ||
| MS Cosin V.iii.13 | Pontificale cum notis | s.xiii1 | Catalogue | |
| MS Cosin V.iii.14 | Ralph Ardens, Sermones de tempore | s.xv med. | Catalogue | |
| MS Cosin V.iii.15 | Jac. de Cessolis | s.xiv med. | Catalogue | |
| MS Cosin V.iii.16 | Miscellanea theologica | s.xv ex./xvi in. | Catalogue | |
| MS Cosin V.iii.17 | Usuardus, Martyrologium | s.xiv/xv | Catalogue | |
| MS Cosin V.iii.18 | Franciscan tracts on poverty | s.xiv1 (post 1322) | Catalogue | |
| MS Cosin V.iii.19 | R. Higden, Polychronicon extr.; etc. | s.xv in. | Catalogue | |
| MS Cosin V.iii.20 | Isidorus, Ethymologiae; W. Brito, Vocabulari Bibliae | s.xiii med. | Catalogue | |
| MS Cosin V.iii.21 | Manuale Sarum, cum notis | s.xiv/xv | Catalogue | |
| MS Cosin V.iii.22 | Visio Thurkilli; Albertanus Brixiensis; etc. | s.xiv in; s.xiv/xv | Catalogue | |
| [MS Cosin V.iii.23] | Rosarium B.V.M. Note 1 | |||
| MS Cosin V.iii.24 | Doctrine of the Hert; Tree, and Fruits of the Holy Ghost. | s.xv med. | Catalogue | Digitised |
| MS Cosin V.iv.1 | Medica (Latin, French and English) | s.xv in.- ex. | Catalogue | Digitised |
| MS Cosin V.iv.2 | Fasciculus Morum, abridged; etc. | 1477 | Catalogue | Digitised |
| MS Cosin V.iv.3 | Sunday sermons: Advent, Lent, Easter (in English) | s.xv med. | Catalogue | Digitised |
| MS Cosin V.iv.4 | Jan van Wackerzele, Life of St Barbara (in English), etc. | s.xv med. | Catalogue | Digitised |
| MS Cosin V.iv.5 | Statuta Angliae temp. Ed. III | s.xiv2 | Catalogue | |
| MS Cosin V.iv.6 | Contemplations of the dread and love of God. | s.xv med. | Catalogue | Digitised |
| MS Cosin V.iv.7 | Astrologia & Medica (Eng. & Lat.) | s.xv med. | Catalogue | Digitised |
| MS Cosin V.iv.8 | Medical recipes in English. | s.xv in. | Catalogue | Digitised |
| MS Cosin V.iv.9 | J. de Hildesheim; etc. | s.xv1 | Catalogue | |
| MS Cosin V.v.1 | New Testament, etc. (in English) | s.xiv ex. | Catalogue | Digitised |
| MS Cosin V.v.2 | A. de Insulis, etc. | s.xv med. | Catalogue | |
| MS Cosin V.v.3 | Sermones | s.xiii ex. | Catalogue | |
| MS Cosin V.v.4 | Sermones; Sententiae; Alfraganus; etc. | s.xii ex; s.xiii ex. | Catalogue | Digitised |
| MS Cosin V.v.5. | Horae | s.xv in. | Catalogue | |
| MS Cosin V.v.6 | Kyriale, Graduale, Tonale, etc. | s.xi ex. | Catalogue | Digitised |
| MS Cosin V.v.7 | Synodalia | s.xiv med. | Catalogue | |
| MS Cosin V.v.8 | Radulphus; Origen; Bernard | s.xii med. | Catalogue | |
| MS Cosin V.v.9 | Miscellanea (Lat., Eng. & Fr.) | s.xii-xv | Catalogue | Digitised |
| MS Cosin V.v.12 | Devotionalia | s.xv/xvi | Catalogue | Digitised |
| MS Cosin V.v.13 | Medica (partly in English or French) | s.xv ex. | Catalogue | Digitised |
| MS Cosin V.v.14 | Theologica | s.xiv/xv | Catalogue | |
| MS Cosin V.v.15 | Wm Rimington, Edmund Rich, Macer | s.xiii2-xv med. | Catalogue | |
| MS Cosin V.v.17 | Biblia | s.xiii | Catalogue | Digitised |
| MS Cosin V.v.18 | Biblia | s.xiii | Catalogue | Digitised |
| MS Cosin V.v.19 | Miscellenea theologica; De S. Johanne Bridlington.; etc. | s.xvi in. | Catalogue | Digitised |
| Add.MS. 482 | Bonaventura, Breviloquium. | s.xv in. | Catalogue | |
| Add.MS. 754 | The Poor Caitiff | s.xv in. | Catalogue | Digitised |
| Add.MS. 767 | Peter Comestor, etc. | s.xiii in.-xv in. | Catalogue | Digitised |
| Add.MS. 1648 | Rule of St Augustine etc. | late 14th / early 15th century | ||
| Add.MS. 1649 | Gerlach, Soliloquium etc | early 15th century | Digitised | |
| Add.MS. 1650 | Book of Hours, Rouen | late 15th century | Digitised | |
| Add.MS. 1993 | Book of Hours, Paris | late 15th century | ||
| Add.MS. 2037 | Book of Hours, Northern Italy | late 15th century | ||
| Bamburgh Select 6 | Psalterium, etc. | s.xii/xiii | Catalogue | |
| Bamburgh Select 25 | Psalterium, etc. | s.xv. | Catalogue | |
| Mickleton & Spearman 27 | Statuta Angliae | s.xiv/xv | Digitised | |
| Mickleton & Spearman 57 | Statuta Collegii de North Cadbury | 1428 | Digitised | |
| Mickleton & Spearman 89 | Peter of Limoges | s.xiii/xiv | Catalogue | Digitised |
| SA 0128/2 (was S.R. 2.B.3) | Sermones, etc. | s.xv2; 1480. | Catalogue | Digitised |
| SA 0131/2 (was S.R. 3.A.4) | Petrus Dorlandus | 1497 | Catalogue | Digitised |
| St Chad's 1 | Antiphonale O.Cist. | s.xiii in. | ||
| St Chad's 2 | Horae | s.xv1 |
SA 0128/2 and 0131/2 are from the Routh collection.
1. Cosin V.iii.23 reported as missing 1 July 1881; now B.L. MS Egerton 1821, and catalogued as acquired in 1860, see Catalogue of Additions to the Manuscripts in the British Museum. 1854-1875, ii, (1877, repr. 1967), p. 889.
Most medieval manuscript fragments in our collections are from bindings: some have been removed from the book in which they were re-used while others still remain in the book as part of the binding. This material is mostly grouped under Additional Manuscripts 1650 sequence: older references to it may mention Portfolio I-III, which relates to the albums in which these fragments were formerly stored in the 20th century. Each fragment (or group of pieces) has been catalogued separately, identifying where possible the text, date and place of writing of the manuscript and the book in which it was found.
The main catalogue for these fragments contains links to more detailed separate descriptions of substantial items or short notes on minor (sometimes unidentifiable) pieces.
Most fragments have been digitised and the images can be browsed
| Current reference | Previous sequence |
|---|---|
| Add.MS. 1950/1- | - |
| Add.MS. 1950/A | Formerly in Portfolio I |
| Add.MS. 1950/B | Formerly loose or oversize in Portfolio I and II |
| Add.MS. 1950/C | Formerly in Portfolio II |
| Add.MS. 1950/D | Formerly in Portfolio III |
| Add.MS. 1950/E | Formerly in Portfolio IV |
| Add.MS. 1950/F | Formerly in Portfolio V |
| Add.MS. 1950/Z | Fragments still in books (subdivided by book collection) |
Single leaves cut from manuscripts are found in two collections.
Leaves from ten manuscripts. Religious service books and two 16th century letters in cipher in French. Catalogue (all digitised)
Pieces from two service books. Uncatalogued.
There are also some leaves amongst the fragments in the Additional Manuscripts 1650 sequence, notably Add.MS 1650/C/33 a leaf from Livy from an Otto Ege portfolio.
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