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Queens' College : Book of Hours in Dutch and Latin

Queens' College

<p style='text-align: justify;'>Compilation and translation by Geert Grote.</p><p style='text-align: justify;'>Dated 1453, this opulently produced Book of Hours (written in ‘Gothic bookhand’ script) was made in Amsterdam with the exception of its seven miniatures of the life of Christ, which were created in Haarlem. These are likely to be the work of the Dutch illuminator known only as the Master of the Haarlem Bible. The red, violet and blue initial ornamentations found throughout the manuscript exemplify ‘mask-group’ pen-flourishing, a style of ornamentation which originated in Amsterdam.</p><p style='text-align: justify;'>The manuscript was presented to Queens’ College on 23 April 1930 by Joseph Yelverton Dawbarn, LL.M., of Liverpool (1857-1943) who matriculated at Queens’ in 1874. Dawbarn received the manuscript as a bequest upon the death of Thomas Craddock (1832-1930) whose ownership inscription states: ‘bought 1846’. The volume was also owned by John Maule of Inverkeilor (1706-1781), son of Henry Maule, styled 5th Earl of Panmure, as shown by the bookplate on the front pastedown with the Maule of Panmure family crest.</p>

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Book of Hours in Dutch and Latin (Cambridge, Queens' College, MS 50)

Compilation and translation by Geert Grote.

Dated 1453, this opulently produced Book of Hours (written in ‘Gothic bookhand’ script) was made in Amsterdam with the exception of its seven miniatures of the life of Christ, which were created in Haarlem. These are likely to be the work of the Dutch illuminator known only as the Master of the Haarlem Bible. The red, violet and blue initial ornamentations found throughout the manuscript exemplify ‘mask-group’ pen-flourishing, a style of ornamentation which originated in Amsterdam.

The manuscript was presented to Queens’ College on 23 April 1930 by Joseph Yelverton Dawbarn, LL.M., of Liverpool (1857-1943) who matriculated at Queens’ in 1874. Dawbarn received the manuscript as a bequest upon the death of Thomas Craddock (1832-1930) whose ownership inscription states: ‘bought 1846’. The volume was also owned by John Maule of Inverkeilor (1706-1781), son of Henry Maule, styled 5th Earl of Panmure, as shown by the bookplate on the front pastedown with the Maule of Panmure family crest.

Information about this document

  • Physical Location: Queens' College Library
  • Classmark: Cambridge, Queens' College, MS 50
  • Origin Place: Amsterdam
  • Date of Creation: 1453, provided by colophon: Dit boec is ghesceven int iaer ons heren. M cccc ende liij Gheeijnt op sinte augustijns avent. Bidt voer die scriven een enghelsche gruet om maria wille (207v).
  • Language(s): Middle Dutch, Latin
  • Note(s): Secundo folio: ghevest comet laet (fol. 17r); workshop of the Master of the Haarlem Bible
  • Extent: 208 leaves Leaf height: 155 mm, width: 110 mm.
  • Collation:

    The manuscript comprises twenty-six quires composed mainly of eight leaves. Quire 14 is composed of four leaves and quire 23 is composed of six leaves. There are leaves missing from quire 1. Several quires have added leaves.

    • Quire 18-2 (ff. 1-6: first two leaves missing)
    • Quire 28 (ff. 7-14)
    • Quire 38+1 (ff. 15-23: 1 leaf added before first leaf)
    • Quires 4-78 (ff. 24-55)
    • Quire 88+1 (ff. 56-64: 1 leaf added before first leaf)
    • Quires 9-108 (ff. 65-80)
    • Quire 118+1 (ff.81-89: 1 leaf added before first leaf)
    • Quire 128 (ff. 90-97)
    • Quire 138+1 (ff. 98-106: 1 leaf added after fourth leaf)
    • Quire 144+1 (ff. 107-111: l leaf added after last leaf)
    • Quires 15-178 (ff. 112-134)
    • Quire 188+1 (ff. 135-143: 1 leaf added before first leaf)
    • Quires 19-228 (ff. 144-175)
    • Quire 236+1 (ff. 176-182: 1 leaf added after last leaf)
    • Quires 24-258 (ff. 183-198)
    • Quire 268+1 (ff. 199-207: 1 leaf added after last leaf)

    18-2 (1-2 missing) 28 38 (+1 before 1) 4-78 88 (+1 before 1) 9-108 118 (+1 before 1) 128 138 (+1 after 4) 144 (+1 after 4) 15-178 188 (+1 before 1) 19-228 236 (+1 after 6) 24-258 268 (+1 after 8)
  • Material: Parchment
  • Format: Codex
  • Binding:

    Sixteenth-century brown calfskin over wooden boards, sewn on five double supports; blind-stamped panel design of central foliate motifs, concentric bands of blind roll with busts of men in contemporary costume, shields of arms, and snake around tau cross; both boards with bevelled centre of foredge, upper and lower edge and inner bevelling; blue and yellow endbands; traces of two straps.

  • Accompanying Material:

    With the manuscript in a separate envelope is a short handwritten letter, dated Apr 23 1930, from Joseph Yelverton Dawbarn, LL.M. (1857-1943): "Presented to my college for its Library. Joseph Yelverton Dawbarn M.A: LL.M. 1878 and former scholar. This illum? ms belonged to Thomas Craddock Esq. a former graduate of the College circum 1850 and bequeathed to me on his death."

  • Script:
    Gothic bookhand (textualis)
  • Foliation:

    Foliated in pencil 1-112, 1 unfoliated leaf, 113-207. Unfoliated leaf numbered 112A after digitisation.

  • Layout: Written height: 80 mm, width: 55-60 mm. 18 long lines, ruled in black ink, written below top line.
  • Decoration:

    Miniatures:

    Seven full-page framed miniatures with full or three-sided acanthus and spraywork border with half- or full-length angels and devotional figures:

    • fol. 15v Hours of the Virgin, Matins, Annunciation
    • fol. 56v Hours of the Eternal Wisdom, Christ among the Doctors
    • fol. 81v Hours of the Holy Spirit, Pentecost, frame inscribed 'Veni sancta spiritus reple tuorum corda fidelium et tui amoris in eius igne et accende qui per diversitatem linguarum cunctarum gentes in unitate'
    • fol. 102v Hours of the Cross, Betrayal, frame inscribed 'Christus passus est pro nobis'
    • fol. 111v Penitential Psalms, David penitent, frame inscribed 'Miserere mei deus secundum magnam misericordiam tuam et secundum multitudinem miseracionum tuarum dele iniquitatem meam'
    • fol. 135v Office of the Dead, Last Judgement, Christ’s head flanked by lily and sword, Virgin Mary and John the Baptist interceding for tonsured figure rising from grave
    • fol. 182v Eucharistic Prayers, Christ washing St Peter’s feet.


    Red and blue parted initials (5-8 ll.) with occasional internal voided decoration and infill of acanthus, animals and profiles on richly pen-flourished ground highlighted in green and forming full or three-sided borders at main text divisions (e.g. H, 16r; H, 112r; M, 135r).

    Blue initials (3-4 ll.) with internal voided decoration and extensive red pen-flourishing incorporating foliage and grotesques, frequently highlighted in green, and forming one-sided borders for lesser text divisions (e.g. B, 78r; H, 120v; O, 164r).

    Alternate blue and red initials (2 ll.) with red and violet pen-flourishing and occasional green highlights (e.g. H, 113r; M, 160v).


    Alternate red and blue one-line penwork initials.


    Red penwork geometric line-fillers.

  • Provenance:

    John Maule of Inverkeilor (1706-1781), son of Henry Maule, styled Earl of Panmure (bookplate with Maule of Panmure family crest inside front cover); inscription ‘bought 1846’ on bookplate of Thomas Cradock (1851-1912); his gift to Joseph Yelverton Dawbarn, LLM, of Liverpool (1857-after 1940); his gift to the College, 1930, described in a letter accompanying the manuscript.

  • Data Source(s): This catalogue entry derives from Catalogue of western book illumination in the Fitzwilliam Museum and the Cambridge colleges, Nigel Morgan & Stella Panayotova (eds) ; with the assistance of Martine Meuwese ... [et al.] (Cambridge, 2009), pp. 59-61, and draws on material from R.M. Thomson's catalogue of the medieval manuscripts of Queens' College, Cambridge (forthcoming).

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  1. Item Metadata

    Information about this document

    • Physical Location: Queens' College Library
    • Classmark: Cambridge, Queens' College, MS 50
    • Origin Place: Amsterdam
    • Date of Creation: 1453, provided by colophon: Dit boec is ghesceven int iaer ons heren. M cccc ende liij Gheeijnt op sinte augustijns avent. Bidt voer die scriven een enghelsche gruet om maria wille (207v).
    • Language(s): Middle Dutch, Latin
    • Note(s): Secundo folio: ghevest comet laet (fol. 17r); workshop of the Master of the Haarlem Bible
    • Extent: 208 leaves Leaf height: 155 mm, width: 110 mm.
    • Collation:

      The manuscript comprises twenty-six quires composed mainly of eight leaves. Quire 14 is composed of four leaves and quire 23 is composed of six leaves. There are leaves missing from quire 1. Several quires have added leaves.

      • Quire 18-2 (ff. 1-6: first two leaves missing)
      • Quire 28 (ff. 7-14)
      • Quire 38+1 (ff. 15-23: 1 leaf added before first leaf)
      • Quires 4-78 (ff. 24-55)
      • Quire 88+1 (ff. 56-64: 1 leaf added before first leaf)
      • Quires 9-108 (ff. 65-80)
      • Quire 118+1 (ff.81-89: 1 leaf added before first leaf)
      • Quire 128 (ff. 90-97)
      • Quire 138+1 (ff. 98-106: 1 leaf added after fourth leaf)
      • Quire 144+1 (ff. 107-111: l leaf added after last leaf)
      • Quires 15-178 (ff. 112-134)
      • Quire 188+1 (ff. 135-143: 1 leaf added before first leaf)
      • Quires 19-228 (ff. 144-175)
      • Quire 236+1 (ff. 176-182: 1 leaf added after last leaf)
      • Quires 24-258 (ff. 183-198)
      • Quire 268+1 (ff. 199-207: 1 leaf added after last leaf)

      18-2 (1-2 missing) 28 38 (+1 before 1) 4-78 88 (+1 before 1) 9-108 118 (+1 before 1) 128 138 (+1 after 4) 144 (+1 after 4) 15-178 188 (+1 before 1) 19-228 236 (+1 after 6) 24-258 268 (+1 after 8)
    • Material: Parchment
    • Format: Codex
    • Binding:

      Sixteenth-century brown calfskin over wooden boards, sewn on five double supports; blind-stamped panel design of central foliate motifs, concentric bands of blind roll with busts of men in contemporary costume, shields of arms, and snake around tau cross; both boards with bevelled centre of foredge, upper and lower edge and inner bevelling; blue and yellow endbands; traces of two straps.

    • Accompanying Material:

      With the manuscript in a separate envelope is a short handwritten letter, dated Apr 23 1930, from Joseph Yelverton Dawbarn, LL.M. (1857-1943): "Presented to my college for its Library. Joseph Yelverton Dawbarn M.A: LL.M. 1878 and former scholar. This illum? ms belonged to Thomas Craddock Esq. a former graduate of the College circum 1850 and bequeathed to me on his death."

    • Script:
      Gothic bookhand (textualis)
    • Foliation:

      Foliated in pencil 1-112, 1 unfoliated leaf, 113-207. Unfoliated leaf numbered 112A after digitisation.

    • Layout: Written height: 80 mm, width: 55-60 mm. 18 long lines, ruled in black ink, written below top line.
    • Decoration:

      Miniatures:

      Seven full-page framed miniatures with full or three-sided acanthus and spraywork border with half- or full-length angels and devotional figures:

      • fol. 15v Hours of the Virgin, Matins, Annunciation
      • fol. 56v Hours of the Eternal Wisdom, Christ among the Doctors
      • fol. 81v Hours of the Holy Spirit, Pentecost, frame inscribed 'Veni sancta spiritus reple tuorum corda fidelium et tui amoris in eius igne et accende qui per diversitatem linguarum cunctarum gentes in unitate'
      • fol. 102v Hours of the Cross, Betrayal, frame inscribed 'Christus passus est pro nobis'
      • fol. 111v Penitential Psalms, David penitent, frame inscribed 'Miserere mei deus secundum magnam misericordiam tuam et secundum multitudinem miseracionum tuarum dele iniquitatem meam'
      • fol. 135v Office of the Dead, Last Judgement, Christ’s head flanked by lily and sword, Virgin Mary and John the Baptist interceding for tonsured figure rising from grave
      • fol. 182v Eucharistic Prayers, Christ washing St Peter’s feet.


      Red and blue parted initials (5-8 ll.) with occasional internal voided decoration and infill of acanthus, animals and profiles on richly pen-flourished ground highlighted in green and forming full or three-sided borders at main text divisions (e.g. H, 16r; H, 112r; M, 135r).

      Blue initials (3-4 ll.) with internal voided decoration and extensive red pen-flourishing incorporating foliage and grotesques, frequently highlighted in green, and forming one-sided borders for lesser text divisions (e.g. B, 78r; H, 120v; O, 164r).

      Alternate blue and red initials (2 ll.) with red and violet pen-flourishing and occasional green highlights (e.g. H, 113r; M, 160v).


      Alternate red and blue one-line penwork initials.


      Red penwork geometric line-fillers.

    • Provenance:

      John Maule of Inverkeilor (1706-1781), son of Henry Maule, styled Earl of Panmure (bookplate with Maule of Panmure family crest inside front cover); inscription ‘bought 1846’ on bookplate of Thomas Cradock (1851-1912); his gift to Joseph Yelverton Dawbarn, LLM, of Liverpool (1857-after 1940); his gift to the College, 1930, described in a letter accompanying the manuscript.

    • Data Source(s): This catalogue entry derives from Catalogue of western book illumination in the Fitzwilliam Museum and the Cambridge colleges, Nigel Morgan & Stella Panayotova (eds) ; with the assistance of Martine Meuwese ... [et al.] (Cambridge, 2009), pp. 59-61, and draws on material from R.M. Thomson's catalogue of the medieval manuscripts of Queens' College, Cambridge (forthcoming).

    Section shown in images 3 to 4

    • Title: Calendar of important feasts for 1454-1490
    • Excerpts:
      Incipit: 1r: M ccc
      Explicit: 1v: xc ix c viij n

    Section shown in images 5 to 28

    • Title: Calendar
    • Excerpts:
      Incipit: 2r: KL Ianuarius heuet xxxi daghen die maen xxx Iaer dach
      Explicit: 13v: xiij A Siluester paeus

    Section shown in images 33 to 112

    • Title: Hours of the Virgin
    • Excerpts:
      Incipit: 16r: Here du selte op doen mijn lippen
      Explicit: 55r: hemelsche heer moet sijn ghebenedijt van uv tot in eividiet. Amen
      Final Rubric: 55r: Hier eynt die vrouwe ghetide

    Section shown in images 115 to 162

    • Title: Hours of the Eternal Wisdom
    • Excerpts:
      Rubric: 57r: Hier beghint die wijsheit getide
      Incipit: 57r: Miin siel heuet di begheert in der uacht
      Explicit: 80v: onse lichaman Amen
      Final Rubric: 80v: Hiet eynt die wijsheit ghetide

    Section shown in images 165 to 203

    • Title: Hours of the Holy Spirit
    • Excerpts:
      Rubric: 80v: Hier beghint die heilighe gheest ghetide:
      Incipit: 82r: Here du selte op doen
      Explicit: 101r: Ouermits onsen here Iesum Christum Amen
      Final Rubric: 101r: Hier eynt die heilighe gheest getide

    Section shown in images 207 to 220

    • Title: Hours of the Cross
    • Excerpts:
      Rubric: 101 v: Hier beghint in corte cruus ghetide die die [sic] deuoet is
      Incipit: 103r: Onse hulpe si iuden naem des heren
      Explicit: 109v: Die leueste ende regnierste god ewelic sonder eynde. Amen. Pater noster
      Final Rubric: 109v: Hier eynt die corte cruus ghetide

    Section shown in images 225 to 268

    • Title: Penitential Psalms and Litany
    • Excerpts:
      Rubric: 110v: Hier beghint die seuen psalm
      Incipit: 112r: Here in dijnre verbolghenheit en straffe mi niet ende
      Explicit: 132v: den heilighen gheest leuet ende regniert van ewicheden in ewicheden Amen
      Final Rubric: 132v: Hier eynt die vij psalmen

    Section shown in images 275 to 365

    • Title: Office of the Dead
    • Excerpts:
      Rubric: 134v: Hier beghint die langhe vigilie Invigtatorium
      Incipit: 57r: Mi hebben om beuanghen die suchtinghe
      Explicit: 181r: Ende al waer hi doot hi soude leuen
      Final Rubric: 181r: Hier eynt die langhe vigilie

    Section shown in images 369 to 381

    • Title: St Ambrose's Prayer on the Sacrament and other Eucharistic devotions
    • Excerpts:
      Rubric: 183r: Sinte ambrosius ghebet vanden heilighen sacrament les voer sacra
      Incipit: 183r: Ouerste priester ende ghewaer
      Explicit: 189r: Ic loue di ic benedie di ic glorificier di in ewicheit der ewicheit Amen

    Section shown in images 382 to 399

    • Title: Prayers to Christ
    • Excerpts:
      Rubric: 189r: Een innich ghebet tot onsen here ihesum cristum
      Incipit: 189v: Here ihesu criste die inder werlt quames vanden scoet dijns vaders
      Explicit: 198r: Daer laet mi in di iubilieren ende mit milden tonghen discantieren. Amen

    Section shown in images 400 to 407

    • Title: Marian prayers
    • Excerpts:
      Final Rubric: 198r: Een innich ende deuoet ghebet vander alre salichste maghet marien die moeder gods
      Incipit: 198v: Ay uv reyne moeder alre ghenaden bewaer moederlic
      Explicit: 202r: ende di is grote eer inder eerden ende inden palaes des hemels

    Section shown in images 407 to 418

    • Title: Suffrages
    • Excerpts:
      Rubric: 202r: Een deuoet ghebet van onsen enghel
      Incipit: 202r: Ic bidde di heilighe gods enghel die ic arme sondersche bin beuolen
      Explicit: 207v: Du die leues ende regmers ewelic sonder eynde Amen Deo gracias
      Final Rubric: 207v: Dit boec is ghescreuen int iaer ons heren M ccc ende liij Gheeynt op sinte augustijns auent. Bidt voer die scriuen een enghelsche gruet om maria wille
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