Missale ad usum ac consuetudinem Sarum [...]. (Missal, use of England). Paris: Wolfgang Hopyl for Franciscus Birckmann in London, 28th November 1514, folio.
A BEAUTIFUL COPY OF THE PRECURSOR TO THE BOOK OF COMMON PRAYER WITH IMPORTANT PROVENANCE ASSOCIATED WITH THOMAS CROMWELL.
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This is a beautiful example of the extremely rare missal according to the Sarum Rite, the Latin liturgical rite which was developed at Salisbury Cathedral in the 11th century and was the dominant liturgical rite in England up until the Protestant Reformation, but was still in use until the Book of Common Prayer became widespread. This edition was printed in Paris but for sale in the English market, being printed at the technologically superior presses of Paris because of the complexity of the printing. The Canon of the Mass is printed on vellum, there is an excellent full page woodcut of the Crucifixion, it is printed in red and black, and is overall a true typographic achievement.
Sarum Missals are exceptionally rare as most copies were destroyed during the Protestant Reformation, especially the early printings as here while England was still fully Catholic. This was printed over a decade prior to Tyndale's New Testament which arrived in 1526. Fortunately, this copy has survived, but with some extremely interesting manuscript alterations allowing this to be more in line with Protestant sensibilities, including the erasure of the references to Thomas Becket and the Pope in an early English hand. Surviving copies are essentially always significantly defective. Indeed, in 1549, King Edward VI ordered all service books according to the Sarum Rite to be "utterly abolished, extinguished, and forbidden," though it was not formally banished until the accession of Queen Elizabeth I in 1559.
"Existing copies seemed useless or even damnable, except to a clandestine few, their possession became dangerous to life or liberty, and nearly all were destroyed by fire, or neglect, or used as waste paper. In our time, when men value them again at last for their sanctity, or beauty, or as monuments of religious or printing history, or as bibliographical marvels, these missals are rare indeed" (George D. Painter, 'Two Missals printed for Wynkyn de Worde').
EXTREMELY RARE. USTC records only 2 copies extant, though an evaluation by The Divinity House, Durham University, has identified 4 extant copies institutionally and 2 in private hands (inclusive of this one), 3 of these six are defective, and only this copy has such excellent provenance. There is one other copy identified in Harvard University's collection. This is one of just two known copies in private hands, being the superior of the two.
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Provenance:
This was the copy of Sir George Lawson (1493-1543) with his name and associated inscriptions on v3-v4. He most likely obtained this directly from a bookseller, and subsequently presented it to a chapel; remnants of the original handwritten presentation inscription are extant to the front free endpaper in an early English hand, provided below, indicating that this was gifted in the 18th year of the reign of King Henry VIII (i.e. 1527). The erasure of references to the Pope and Thomas Becket show that this Missal was still in use after 1534 in England, and on the verso of the Canon of the Mass (printed on vellum) there's an inscription praying for the soul of Sir George Lawson, showing use circa 1543 and later, and so this Missal was in use in England during possibly the most tumultuous period of English history, circa 1514 to after 1543, and likely until at least 1549 or possibly 1559.
For the last 15 years of his life, Sir George Lawson was the wealthiest and most powerful alderman of York. He was a Member of Parliament for York from 1529 to 1536, as well as briefly serving for Lord Mayor of York. He was the intermediary between Thomas Cromwell and Henry Percy, the 5th Earl of Northumberland. Lawson was on very close terms with Thomas Cromwell, indeed, it was he who first mentioned to Cromwell the scheme for Henry Percy to give his land to the crown. He was a significant figure during the Pilgrimage of Grace, the "most serious of all Tudor period rebellions," concerning the protestations against the Dissolution of the monasteries and King Henry VIII's Protestant upheavals of traditional Christian practices and break from the Catholic Church more generally. He even housed some rebels in his own house, yet (apparently) remained loyal to the Crown and managed to avoid execution.
Sir George Lawson, between 1537 and 1539, was directly involved in the Dissolutions of 29 religious houses in North England, and with Thomas Cromwell's help, he himself acquired the leases of two of them - the Whitefriars at Newcastle, and the Augustinian Priory at York which was near his house. This book belonged to and was in use at one of these, most likely the Augustinian Priory at York. It is truly exceptional that this has managed to survive, given that the possession of this book may well have caused one's life to be in danger in the later 16th century and in periods thereafter, and that the vast majority of copies were destroyed by royal order.
This book found its way to Ampleforth Abbey, a Benedictine Catholic monastery in England, where recently deaccessioned. It would make sense if this book was kept within Catholic institutions, possibly in exile in continental Europe through the rest of the early modern period as with most copies which managed to survive, and thereafter returned to England through transfer within Catholic monastic institutional collections. However, all one can know for sure given the internal evidence, is that the book was with Ampleforth Abbey library by circa the 19th-20th century where kept until recently. Their bookplate to front pastedown with some ephemeral papers, one on Ampleforth Abbey headed paper, and another headed with The Divinity House, Durham who analysed the book, commented on its significant rarity (stating only six copies survive, half of which are defective), and transcribed the inscriptions.
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Transcriptions of Contemporary Marginalia:
Presentation Inscription on ffep:
English (original): Boke was gave by - of the citie of London - th date of ye moneth - our Lord God - and the XVIII yere - ? Soverane Lord King - intent that the - in Seynt George Lawsen ves of God and - having the said Robert - your memento.
Underneath the Crucifixion illustration on vellum:
Latin (original): Orate pro anima Georgii Lawson, militis, quondam thesaurarii, utpote summi benefactoris huius capellae. Quicumque capellanus huius capellae debet quotidie dicere De Profundis cum collectis Inclina et Fidelium pro anima dicti Georgii et omnium fidelium defunctorum, quorum animabus propitietur Deus. Inclina, Domine, aurem tuam ad preces nostras et reliquas ceteras orationes pro defunctis, praesertim trigintalibus. Fidelium, Deus, omnium conditor et redemptor, et reliqua. Orate pro defunctis: oratio pro omnibus defunctis.
English (translation): Pray, O brothers, for the soul of Sir George Lawson, formerly treasurer, as well as the most generous benefactor of this chapel. Therefore, every chaplain of this chapel is bound to say daily the De Profundis with the collects Inclina and Fidelium for the soul of the said George and for all the faithful departed, for whose souls may God be merciful. Incline, O Lord, Your ear to our prayers and to the rest of the other prayers for the dead, especially those of the thirty-day Masses. O God, Creator and Redeemer of all the faithful, and the rest. Pray for the dead: a prayer for all the departed.
Underneath the Te Igitur:
Latin (original): Praedictus Georgius Lawson dedit huic capellae diversa bona, vestimenta et alia ornamenta ad honorem Jesu Christi et Sancti Georgii, cuius animae propitietur Deus.
English (translation): The aforementioned George Lawson gave to this chapel various goods, vestments, and other ornaments for the honour of Jesus Christ and Saint George, upon whose soul may God have mercy.
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Size: 245 x 360 mm (approx.)
Condition:
[(5), +⁸, a-b⁸ (−b³), c-k⁸ (−k²), l⁶, m-u⁸, x¹-⁵, y⁶; A-H⁸, I¹⁰; A-H⁸, (4)]
Contemporary wooden boards, finely rebacked (c. early 20th century) in morocco, finely tooled in gilt to the spine in compartments between raised bands. Minor rubbing, both boards are securely attached with the binding secure, stands without shelf lean. Some historic worming to boards. Some metalwork extant of the clasps, one of the clasps is extant though detached. Very attractive externally indeed. Hinges secured with vellum. Small bookplate to ffep recto of Ampleforth Abbey, a few inscriptions in places throughout, some of which are transcribed above. Small sections contemporaneously crossed out which pertain to either the Pope or Thomas Becket showing use after 1534. Generally exceptionally clean and bright throughout the text. Paginated in three sections. The first section lacks seven leaves (b3, k2, l7-8, x6-8), though b3 is partially present in the gutter. The second and third sections collate as complete, modern blanks, though with some of the original blank with the presentation inscription extant and remounted to a later blank, transcription provided above. u3-4 is the Canon of the Mass and are printed on vellum, and, most importantly, both leaves are present, including the full page print of the Crucifixion on vellum. x1 is signed incorrectly as x2 as printed. Final six leaves very finely remounted, each with progressively more loss; printer's device present on verso of H8 with loss. A beautiful example of an extremely rare Missal for use of England with important provenance with the vellum Canon of the Mass extant. A genuine museum-worthy book.
[USTC 144311].
