Skip to main content

Fowlis Easter breviary.

 Item
Identifier: MS.21247

Scope and Contents

A manuscript written in Scotland, which belonged to the Mortimer family of Fowlis Easter in Angus.

The contents are as follows: (i) Temporale. (Folio 1). It includes (folio 127) the Great rubric, lectiones, the office 'In dedicatione ecclesie' and prayers to St Christopher and the Virgin. (ii) Calendar in red and black. (Folio 158). Entries in red include Saint Vigean (20 January), Margaret of Scotland (19 June and 16 November), Moloc (25 June), Blaan (10 August) and Marnoc (25 October). There are entries for the battle of Brechin, 1452, and the coronation of James I, 1424 (18 and 21 May). There are some later additions, including obits of 'mater mea' and Andrew Barclay, both dated 1562 (3 and 15 April), Alexander Mortimer, 1545 (2 September), and 'Malcomij Mortuamarj xxix zeris' (2 December). (iii) Psalter and canticles. (Folio 164). (iv) Litany, including Saints Kenelm, Marnoc and Macutus. (Folio 207 verso.) (v) Part of a sermon on the translation of St Thomas Becket. (Folio 209.) (vi) Commune sanctorum, including Saints Monan and Swithin. (Folio 210.) (vii) Proprium sanctorum, including St Monan in March. (Folio 234.) (viii) Office of the dead. (Folio 344.) (ix) Short offices and prayers in another hand. (Folio 346 verso.). They include suffrages of Saints Kentigern and Marnoc.

Written in brown ink with rubrics in red. Red and blue initrals throughout, except in (ix). Larger initials with penwork at the beginning of the Temporale and the ferial divisions of the Psalter.

As well as the obits in the Calendar, later inscriptions have been added: ‘Alexander mortimer est meus herus' (folio 209 verso) and 'Dominus alexander mortimer prepositus de foulis est meus herus' (folio 348).

Dates

  • Creation: Mid fifteenth century.

Conditions Governing Access

Normal access conditions apply.

Conditions Governing Use

Normal reproduction conditions apply, subject to any copyright restrictions.

Extent

349 Leaves ; 158 x 110 millimetres; written space 120 x 85 millimetres.

Language of Materials

Undetermined

Arrangement

349 folios.

Collation: 1¹⁰, 2-14⁸, 15⁸ (+ 1 after 8), 16-25⁸, 26⁶, 27-43⁸, 44⁴.

Horizontal catchwords throughout.

Signatures on folios 259 and 269.

Ruled in ink. 34 lines.

Custodial History

The manuscript belonged to the 3rd Marquess of Bute in the late 19th century.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Bought, 1987.

Bibliography

The manuscript was edited by W D Macray in ‘Breviarium Bothanum’ (London, 1900).

Physical Description

Vellum.

Original binding of wooden boards.

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
George IV Bridge
Edinburgh EH1 1EJ
0131 623 3700