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15th-century manuscript of the chartulary of Scone Abbey.

 Item
Identifier: Adv.MS.34.3.28

Scope and Contents

Chartulary produced in Scotland containing documents relating to the Augustinian Abbey of Scone, covering the 12th to the 15th centuries. The chartulary is incomplete, but does contain copies of 148 royal, papal, episcopal and other charters and documents.

The documents are written in a variety of hands which appear to be contemporary, or near-contemporary, with one another, with 29 lines to a page. Davis has dated the manuscript to the 15th and 16th centuries. Borland and Innes have suggested that the manuscript was primarily written during the abbacy of Thomas de Camera (1447-1458). On folio 44r there is a memorandum which states: 'Memorandum quod hec confirmacio domini nostri Regis impetrata fuit per recolende memorie dominum Thomam de Camera Abbatem hujus almi monasterii cuius anima per hoc bonum opus et multa alia bona opera que tempore suo operatus est in dicto monasterio post mortem temporalem vitam possideat eternam'.

Innes suggests that the scribe must have had access to the original documents, as the names of the witnesses are given in several instances where they are omitted in the older chartulary (Adv.MS.34.3.29).

The manuscript is decorated with plain penwork initials throughout, many of which have been ornamented with faces and grotesques. Sections between folios 18v and 23r have occasionally been decorated with letters stroked in red.

Spaces have been left at the start of each document for a larger decorated initial, but these were not completed.

Marginal pen drawings are present throughout the manuscript depicting faces and maniculae.

Each charter has been numbered by a later hand in Arabic numerals. This numeration stops on folio 43v with number '99'.

There is a set of foliation, probably of the 17th century, which runs in the upper right corner of each recto side 1-76. This folation skips a blank folio and is incorrect. It has since been superseded by a modern library foliation in pencil.

Folios 78r-82v are blank but have been lined and ruled. Folios 83r-118v are blank and have no lining, ruling, or pricking.

Folios iii and vi are re-purposed vellum flyleaves containing the 'Constitutiones' of Clement V with a gloss.

Each folio has been lined and ruled, recto and verso, except for a section of vellum leaves at the end of the manuscript.

Pricking is evident for the horizontal lines and occasionally for the vertical lines.

There is evidence of contemporary repairs to the vellum.

Horizontal catchwords are present on the following folios: 10v, 20v, 30v, 40v, 50v (cropped), 62v, 72v, 73v, 74v, 75v, 76v (partially erased).

Quire signatures are occasionally visible in the lower margin in the form of Roman numerals.

Dates

  • Creation: 15th century.

Creator

Language of Materials

The majority of the documents are in Latin, with a section in Scots on folios 49r-50r.

Conditions Governing Access

Normal access conditions apply.

Conditions Governing Use

Normal reproduction conditions apply, subject to any copyright restrictions.

Extent

1 Volumes ; 30cm x 21cm x 5.5cm

Arrangement

i-iv + 118 + v-viii folios.

Collation as recorded by Catherine Borland:

a-f¹⁰, f², g-i¹⁰ (6 to 10 blank), k¹⁰ (all blank), l¹⁰, m⁸, n⁸ (all blank)

Collation as recorded by Professor Dauvit Broun:

Gathering I: 10 folios (folios 1–10)

Gathering II: 10 folios (folios 11–20)

Gathering III: 10 folios (folios 21–30)

Gathering IV: 10 folios (folios 31–40)

Gathering V: 10 folios (folios 41–50)

Gathering VI: 2 folios (folios 51–52)

Gathering VII: 10 folios (folios 53–62)

Gathering VIII: 10 folios (folios 63–72)

Gathering IX: 10 folios (folios 73–82)

Custodial History

The manuscript was previously owned by the Murray family of Scone, Viscounts of Stormont. There is an inscription on the recto of folio v which reads: 'Ex libris Stormo[n]t 1664'. In the early 18th century it was noted by both by Sir James Dalrymple and William Nicholson that the volume was still in the possession of the Viscount of Stormont.

The manuscript was presented to the Library of the Faculty of Advocates by David Murray, 7th Viscount of Stormont, in 1773. This is recorded in an inscription on the recto of folio iv.

There are ownership inscriptions for the Library on the rectos of folios ii, iv, and 1. The previous shelfmark assigned to the manuscript by the Library is present on recto of folio ii, the second flyleaf to the front, 'W.3.8', since superseded.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Presented, 1925, by the Faculty of Advocates to the nation on the foundation of the National Library of Scotland.

Existence and Location of Copies

18th century copy: Adv.MS.35.2.5.

British Library: Additional MS 33246, folios 1-74.

Bibliography

'Angels, Nobles and Unicorns: Art and Patronage in Medieval Scotland. A handbook published in conjunction with an exhibition held at the National Museum of Scotland, August 12 - September 26, 1982' (Edinburgh, 1982), page 79, number E36.

Borland, C. R. 'Catalogue of Mediaeval Manuscripts in the Library of the Faculty of Advocates at Edinburgh', 4 Volumes. (Unpublished manuscript, Edinburgh, 1906-1908). Volume II, folios 484-487. NLS Reference: FR.198a/2.

Broun, D. 'The Adoption of Brieves in Scotland', in Marie Therese Flanagan and Judith A. Green (eds.) 'Charters and Charter Scholarship in Britain and Ireland' (Basingstoke, 2005), pages 164-183.

Dalrymple, J. 'Collections concerning the Scottish history, preceeding the death of King David the first, in the year 1153. Wherein the soveraignity of the Crown and independency of the Church are cleared; ... With an appendix'. (Edinburgh, 1705).

Davis, G. R. C. (ed.) 'Medieval Cartularies of Great Britain and Ireland. Revised by Claire Breay, Julian Harrison, and David M. Smith' (London, 2010), pages 240-241, number 1180.

'Folio Catalogue of Manuscripts: Chartularies' (Unpublished manuscript, Edinburgh [18??]), folio 63. NLS Reference: FR.189.

Innes, C. (ed.) 'Liber Ecclesie de Scon. Munimenta vetustiora Monasterii Sancti Trinitatis et Sancti Michaelis de Scon.' Bannatyne Clube (Edinburgh, 1843).

Nicolson, D. 'The Scottish historical library: containing a short view and character of most of the writers, records, registers, law-books, etc. Which may be serviceable to the undertakers of a general history of Scotland, down to the union of the two kingdoms in K. James the VI.' (London, 1702).

Ross, A. 'The Bannatyne Club and the Publication of Scottish Ecclesiastical Cartularies', in 'The Scottish Historical Review', Volume 85, Number 220, Part 2 (October 2006), pages 202-230.

'Scottish Manuscripts: National Library of Scotland' (Edinburgh, 1967), page 6, number 9.

'Summary Catalogue of the Advocates' Manuscripts' (Edinburgh, 1971), page 16, number 166; page 108, number 1391.

Turnbull, W. B. D. D. 'Fragmenta Scoto-Monastica: Memoir of what has been already done, and what materials exist, towards the formation of a Scotish (sic) Monasticon.' (Edinburgh, 1842), pages 13-14.

Physical Description

Vellum.

The binding is of 18th-century blue morocco. The front and back boards have gold-tooled floral borders and the three edges of the boards are tooled in gold. The spine has raised bands and extensive gold-tooled floral desigs. There is a gold-tooled title on a red leather panel which reads: 'CARTULARY OF SCONE'.

Folios i-ii and vii-viii, probably of the 18th century, have a watermark of the initials 'P P M'.

Title
National Library of Scotland Catalogue of Manuscripts
Author
National Library of Scotland Archives and Manuscripts Division
Description rules
International Standard for Archival Description - General
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin

Repository Details

Part of the National Library of Scotland Archives and Manuscripts Division Repository

Contact:
Archives and Manuscript Division
National Library of Scotland
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Edinburgh EH1 1EJ
0131 623 3700