Catalogues of Manuscripts

Catalogues of the Parker Library Manuscripts

M. R. James, A Descriptive Catalogue of the Manuscripts in the Library of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge. 2 vols. (Cambridge: University Press, 1912).

This is the standard catalogue for the medieval and Renaissance manuscripts of the Parker Library. It lists 538 items, although a few of these are printed books without any manuscript content. James’ catalogue is the basis for the manuscript descriptions included in Parker on the Web, with some additions and corrections. Each individual Parker on the Web manuscript description also include a PDF of James’ original entry.

R. Vaughan & J. Fines, A Handlist of Manuscripts in the Library of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, Not Described by M.R. James. (Transactions of the Cambridge Bibliographical Society, 3ii, 1960).

This lists 73 manuscripts, including all those acquired by the library between the publication of M.R. James’ catalogue and 1960 and other items that were not described by James. For example, some of items were part of the College Archive in 1912 and later transferred to the library. The descriptions are much briefer than those provided by James’ catalogue. It can be downloaded in PDF here. (We are grateful to the authors for permission to make this available.)

N. Wilkins, Catalogue des manuscrits français de la Bibliothèque Parker (Parker Library), Corpus Christi College Cambridge. (Cambridge: Corpus Christi College, 1993.)

Nigel Wilkins is a Life Fellow of the College and former Parker Librarian. This catalogue covers all manuscripts in the library wholly or partly written in Anglo-Norman or medieval French. It can be downloaded in PDF here. (We are grateful to the author for permission to make this available.)

M. Budny, Insular Anglo-Saxon, and Early Anglo-Norman Manuscript Art at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge: an Illustrated Catalogue. 2 vols. (Kalamazoo: Medieval Institute Publications, 1997).

This is a detailed descriptive catalogue of the 56 pre-1100 manuscripts in the library covering not only decoration but also text contents and codicological aspects. The second volume consists of plates and each manuscript is extensively illustrated.

K. A. Rand, The Index of Middle English Prose, Handlist XX, Manuscripts in the Library of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge (Cambridge: Brewer, 2009).

This catalogue provides a detailed descriptive listing of the 52 manuscripts in the library containing Middle English prose texts.

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