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Durham E-Theses The Liber Vitae of Durham (BL MS Cotton Domitian A. vii): a discussion of its possible context and use in the later middle ages Rollason, Lynda Susan How to cite: Rollason, Lynda Susan (2003) The Liber Vitae of Durham (BL MS Cotton Domitian A. vii): a discussion of its possible context and use in the later middle ages, Durham theses, Durham University. Available at Durham E-Theses Online: http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/3720/ Use policy The full-text may be used and/or reproduced, and given to third parties in any format or medium, without prior permission or charge, for personal research or study, educational, or not-for-prot purposes provided that: • a full bibliographic reference is made to the original source • a link is made to the metadata record in Durham E-Theses • the full-text is not changed in any way The full-text must not be sold in any format or medium without the formal permission of the copyright holders. Please consult the full Durham E-Theses policy for further details. Academic Support Oce, Durham University, University Oce, Old Elvet, Durham DH1 3HP e-mail: [email protected] Tel: +44 0191 334 6107 http://etheses.dur.ac.uk 2 The Liber Vitae of Durham (Bl MS Cotton Domitian A .. vii): A Discussion of its Possible Context and Use in the Later Middle Ages Lynda Susan Rollason PhD Thesis University of Durham History Department 2003 A copyrftglltt of this thesns rests with the aanUwr. No quotation from it should be published without hns prior written conseiiTlt amll iiiTlformation derived! tfrom it should be acknowledged. ~ 5 JUN 2004 The Liber Vitae of Durham (BL MS Cotton Domitian A. vii): A Discussion of its Possible Context and Use in the Later Middle Ages Lynda Susan Rollason PhD Thesis, University of Durham, History Department, 2003 Abstract This thesis examines in detail the history and use of the Liber Vitae of Durham (BL MS Cotton Domitian A. vii). The manuscript is one of a small group of similar manuscripts created by different monasteries to record the names of associates of the monastery to be remembered during the round of monastic prayer. The Liber Vitae was first created in the mid-ninth century in Northumbria. Between c. 1083 and c. 1539 the monks of Durham used it to record the names of members of the monastic community together with large numbers of non-monastic names. In the first section of the thesis the history and development of the manuscript is explored through a detailed consideration of its codicology, supported by a discussion of the development of the lists of names over five hundred years. The phases of the development of the manuscript discovered by these means are then placed in their historical context, first in ninth century Northumbria and then in Durham between the eleventh and sixteenth centuries. In the second section the evidence for the way in which the book might have been used in the liturgy is examined. The possible uses of the book are particularly compared with the other evidence available from Durham for the ways in which friends and benefactors of the monastery were commemorated. In the final section the non-monastic names written into the manuscript after c. 1300 are examined in detail to try to define what group of associates of the priory of Durham are in fact commemorated in the Liber Vitae. Contents List of tables and diagrams. 4 Acknowledgements. 6 Chapter 1. Introduction. 8 The monastery of Durham 8 The Liber Vitae 13 Comparanda for the Durham liber Vitae 16 Research context 25 Research questions 32 Research methods 38 Notes of chapter 1 43 Chapter 2. Survival and revival: the Liber Vitae's history reconstructed from its codicology. 52 The Anglo-Saxon Liber Vitae 52 The medieval Liber Vitae 75 The post-dissolution history of the manuscript 87 Notes to chapter 2 95 1 Clhlapterr l. Period~ of ll.llse and dlisuse: the /Libetr Vitae's history reconstructed from the additions of text. 101 The creation of the manuscript 1 02 The AngiOoSaxon additions (to the mid"'eleventh century) 103 The additions of the lat~eleventh century and to c. 1300 104 The posts1300 additions 108 Notes to chapter 3 136 Chapter 4. The Liber Vitae in context: the historical background of the manuscript 141 The context of the creation of the Anglo-Saxon book 143 The late-eleventh- and early twelfth centuries 152 The late-twelfth century 158 The late-fourteenth century reuse of the book 164 The late-fifteenth-and sixteenth-century interest 172 Notes to chapter 4 178 Chapter 5. The function and use of the Liber Vitae. 188 The original conception 191 The later history of the book 206 Notes to chapter 5 267 2 Chapter 6. Knowing On®'$ friellllds: The friend~ an©J Benefactors of the Church of Durham and the Liber Vitae. 286 Friends of the priory 288 Benefactors of the priory 325 Notes to chapter 6 356 Chapter 7: Conclusions. 379 ~~~~~~7 ~ Appendix 1. The Structure of the Manuscript. 387 Explanation of the diagrams 387 The structure of the manuscript 388 Notes to appendix 1 401 Appendix 2. A Description of the Manuscript. 403 Conservation history 404 The binding 404 The contents of the manuscript 405 Notes to appendix 2 441 Bibliography. 449 3 T abies and diagrams are listed in a single sequence through the thesis. f'ngure i: Daagram to show the prrese~n~t structure a~n~d proposed reconstu·uciion of the fnrsi quire of the o~rnginal corre o~ the man uscrri pt Figure 2: Diagram to show the present structure of the second quire of the original core of the manuscript 61 Figure 3: Diagram to show the present structure and proposed reconstruction of the third quire of the original core of the manuscript 62 Figure 4: Diagram to show the present structure of the fourth quire of the original core of the manuscript 65 Figure 5: Diagram to show the present structure and proposed reconstruction of the fifth quire of the original core of the manuscript 61 Figure 6: Diagram to show the present structure of the seventh quire of the original core of the manuscript 69 Figure 7: Tabulation of the creation of the lists of monks in the Liber Vitae c.1319-64 114 Figure 8: The names of the monks recorded on folio 79v, professed between 1484-97, in order of seniority 120 Figure 9: Monks of Durham 1498-1521, in order of seniority 122 4 Figure 10: Monks of Durham 1498~1521, arranged by folio 124 Figure 11: Persons named as past holders of property amortized to the priory 334 Figure 12: Property amortized to the priory 338 Figure 13: Property in Durham City amortized to the priory, arranged by name of last holder 341 Figure 14: Names in the inquisitions ad quod damnum and licences which also appear in the Uber Vitae 349 Figure 15: Overview of the quires and folios in London, BL MS Cotton Domitian A. vii (after Gullick) 396 5 Arclk~nJow9edgemellrt$ I wish to thank all the people who have helped me with aspects of this thesis. First, my supervisors Alan Piper and Margaret Harvey. it cannot, I think, be easy when somebody you have known for many years as the wife of a close colleague decides to embark on a doctoral thesis. They both, however, accepted the onerous task of supervising me, dealing with me gently but firmly over the years-if they have not succeeded in instilling in me the trick of writing grammatically it is not for want of trying. Alan has with considerable patience led me through the complexities of the priory archive and with great willingness shared his knowledge of the careers of the monks of Durham. Margaret has shared her findings on the church in Durham and has been a tower of strength, advising me, reading and painstakingly correcting numerous drafts for me and providing coffee and backbone when the going was tough. I have found the University of Durham a very simulating and enjoyable place to work. In seeking help and advice I have never been disappointed. tan Doyle has spent many hours poring over the facsimile of the Uber Vitae helpirig me with the palaeographical aspects of the manuscript. Paul Harvey wrestled with the inscription on folio 63v when I was at a stand. Members of the History department have always been available to discuss problems and offer advice, amongst them Michael Prestwich, Richard Britnell, Christine Newman and Christian Liddy. I have also been very lucky in my fellow students who, through the medium of the postgraduate seminar, have 6 over the years listened to and commented on various aspects of ihis thesis as it developed. I have been particularly fortunate in that several of ithem were also studying aspects of the medieval history of the priory of Durlham or the north-east region and I have benefited from theilr detailed knowledge. I would especially like to thank Miranda Threlfaii-Holmes, Ben Dodds, and Andy King. Whilst I have been working the Uber Vitae lhas become the subject of a major international research project, based in Durham and King's College London, but gathering together experts in many fields to work on a digital edition. Whilst I have often felt almost overpowered by the tide of expertise assembled to deal with the complexities of this manuscript I have also been encouraged by the help and advice I have received. I would particularly like to thank Katherine Keats-Rohan, Janet Burton and especially Michael Gullick.