note (deco)
4-line initials in gold, with painted foliate designs, with partial borders of pen-sprays, green leaves, and gold balls
binding
Bound, s. XIX, in polished brown leather (calf?) over pasteboards, the covers framed with blind-stamped hatching, enclosing foliate motifs in the corners and a large lozenge in the center; the spine with three raised bands, the second compartment lettered in gilt "MISSAL"; the head- and tail-bands and joints renewed; a triangular pattern of three green stains at the fore-edge of f. ii was doubtless caused by a metal clasp-fitting of a former binding.
provenance
Written probably in Suffolk, perhaps Bury St Edmunds, as suggested by the feasts of St Edmund written by the original scribe in the calendar, the style of illumination, and the contemporary inserted suffrage to Edmund (f. 29v, the insertion of which appears to have taken place before the decoration was complete). Unidentified owner, s. XV(?), inscribed with a motto(?) at the end of the text: "Non plus ultra" (f. 102) in an uneven hand. Bridget Jernegan (ca. 1506-ca. 1556), daughter of Sir Robert Drury of Hawstead (d. 1536), and wife of Sir John Jernegan (d. 1558) of Somerleyton (approximately 5 miles north-west of Lowestoft) and Hawstead (approximately 3 miles due south of Bury St Edmnds) in Suffolk: inscribed by Robert Bayspoole (d. 1575/6), lord of the manor from 1573 of Lound Hall (approximately 2 miles from Somerleyton Hall): "The premer of the late godlye and / verteous ladye Brygett Jernegan / wife to the Right worshipfull Sir / John Jernegan knight one whose / sowles Jesue have mercie amen [signed] Robt. Bayspole" (f. 102v). The same Bridget Jernegan's name is written twice in the Ellesmere Chaucer (EL 26 C 9, f. ii). The Jernegans were a recusant family, and references to popes and Thomas Becket are not erased. Texts identified in the margins as by an English hand, s. XVI(?) e.g. "Ps 94" (f. 7), and the first 24 leaves after the calendar paginated sporadically. Netherlandish(?) owner, s. XVI: inscribed with a four-line note "Weet hoe veel goude / lijderen dat hede[?] in dit / boeck stan Antwoirdt / 100 en 39" the first word crossed through, and the last word, in Latin, by different hand; i.e. "Know(?) how many good songs that are now in this book Answer 100 and 39" with "meam" added at the end (f. 102v); it may be that an English recusant owner took refuge in the Netherlands. American bookseller, s. XIX(?): "$1-5" stamped in purple ink (f. i). Unidentified owners, s.XIX and/or XX: with erased inscriptions (front pastedown and f. i). Acquired by the Huntington from Sam Fogg Rare Books Ltd, London, in 1996.
