Western Medieval Manuscripts : Bede, Historia ecclesiastica gentis Anglorum (in Old English)

Western Medieval Manuscripts

<p style='text-align: justify;'>This copy of the Old English translation of Bede's <i>Historia ecclesiastica gentis Anglorum</i> was produced at Worcester Cathedral Priory in the second half of the 11th century by a single scribe, who has been identified as Hemming, monk and sub-prior. It contains numerous medieval interlinear and marginal glosses and notes, notably by Coleman (d. ?1113), chancellor of the priory and chaplain to St Wulfstan (c. 1008-1095), bishop of Worcester; and by the so-called 'Tremulous Hand', a scribe associated with Worcester and active in the second quarter of the 13th century, whose additions have been found in at least twenty manuscripts formerly belonging to the priory. It likely remained at Worcester until the Dissolution, and passed through the hands of the antiquary Robert Talbot (1505/05-1558), who added several notes to the manuscript as well. This may be the 'old saxonice bede' to which Talbot referred in note he added to a manuscript now at the British Library (Cotton MS Domitian A.ix). At some point thereafter, it came into the possession of Matthew Parker (1504-1575), archbishop of Canterbury, who donated it to Cambridge University Library in 1574. </p><p style='text-align: justify;'>Dr James Freeman<br />Medieval Manuscripts Specialist<br />Cambridge University Library</p>