Medieval Manuscripts in Cambridge Libraries

A catalogue of Western manuscripts and papyri at Cambridge University Library, the Fitzwilliam Museum and selected Cambridge colleges

Cambridge, University Library, MS Add. 7912

The Jenney Commonplace Book

Contents

Language(s): Middle French, Latin, and Middle English

1. 1r-3r
Medical and household recipes
Language(s): Middle English

Added in the late 15th century. They address the following:

  • f. 1r: preparations for a medicinal drink of some sort (cf. line 11, 'as ye do ypocras'), followed by two further sets of instructions for dissolving ('resolve') other substances in the liquid, in order to address phlegm and ?pain ('flewme' and ?'dolour')
  • f. 2r: for the stomach, for the head, for shortness of wind
  • f. 2v: for driving moles out of a garden
  • f. 3r: for fumes in the head, for reducing choler ('To represse coler')

2. 4r
Table of descendants of Sir William de Wychyngham
Language(s): Latin

Added in the late 15th century; Wychyngham's great-great-granddaughter Katharine married Edmund Jenney (d. 1522).

3. 4v
Household recipe to kill rats
Language(s): Middle English
Rubric: 4v To kylle rattes
Incipit: 4v Take asnyke and hony and [...] of brede and meynge them to gether and put therto of glasse stampyd and yt shell kyll them

Full transcription. Added in the (?) late 15th or early 16th century.

4. 5r-5v
Medical recipes
Language(s): Middle English and English

Added by different hands in the late 15th or early 16th century. They address the following:

  • f. 5r: for making a man sweat in his bed instead of a bath, for an unspecified purpose (?rectal ailment: '[...] an oyntement from the fondamente forvarde and drauyng hys hands forwd')
  • f. 5v: for the liver and lungs

5. 6r-6v
The issue of Sir Edmund Jenney (d. 1522) with their dates of birth
Language(s): Latin

Added in the second half of the 15th century.

6. 7r
Veterinary and medical recipes
Language(s): Middle English

They address the following: for preventing insects ('flesh flyes') from biting, attributed to Roger Frost ('secundum Rogerum Frost'), for sheep pox (attributed likewise), and for the pestilence.

7. 8ar-8r
The issue of William Jenney, eldest son of Sir Edmund Jenney
Language(s): Latin

Added in the late 15th or early 16th century.

8. 9r-9v
The issue of Francis Jenney (b. 1510)
Language(s): English and Latin

Added in the early 16th century; but with later additions down to 1557.

9. 10r-75v
Abridgment or index of statutes from ‘Accusations’ to ‘Worstede’
Language(s): Middle French
Incipit: 10r Nulle soit attache per son corps
Explicit: 75v [not transcribed]
Final rubric: 75v Explicit quod Banyard

None of the statutes indexed is later than Henry VI. For other copies of the text, see Baker and Ringrose (1996). ‘Banyard’ probably is Thoms Banyard (fl. 1501) of Spexhall and Sotterley, Suffolk, who was administered to Lincoln's Inn in 1459 at the instance of William Jenney.

10. 76v
Copy of a writ of formedon in the descender for the manor of Hale, Norfolk, brought by Edmund Jenney and his wife against Henry Spylman and others, 28 March 1470
Language(s): Latin

Written vertically on the page. ‘Henry Spylman’ is Henry Spelman, bencher of Gray's Inn and recorder of Norwich.

11. 77r-78v
Table to the Abridgment or index of statutes (the subsequent item)
Language(s): Latin and Middle French
Incipit: 77r Abiuracioun
Explicit: 78v vtlagarie
12. 79r-176v
Abridgement or index of statutes from 'Abridgement de pleint' to 'Utlagarie'
Language(s): Latin and Middle French
Incipit: 79r Qui terram abiurauit dum sit in strata publica sub pace Regis nec debet in aliquo molestari
Explicit: 176v In nouis ordinacionibus Anno v E ij. Et post est repell. Anno xv. M la Roy.

None of the statutes indexed is later than Henry VI.

13. 178r
Partial table to the following (as far as 'Brif' only
Language(s): Latin and Middle French
Incipit: 178r Abridgement de pleyynt
Explicit: 178r Brif
14. 179r-267r
Abridgement of cases, from 'Abridgement de pleynt' to 'Title'
Language(s): Latin and Middle French
Incipit: 179r Abbrigement de pleynt
Explicit: 267r [not transcribed]

None of the cases abridget is later than Henry VI; for further details of the cases see Baker and Ringrose (1996).

15. 268r-269v
Notes of tax payments relating to manors in Suffolk, the first of which is the Jenneys' manor of Knottishall, 29 Hen. VIII (1537/38-1546)
Language(s): English
Incipit: 268r Memorandum there whas payde for the taske money yn the xxix yere of kyng herry the viij
Explicit: 269v Item ffor londes yn myddelt[oun] ijs
16. 270r
Memorandum concerning Francis Jenney, the gandson of Edmund Jenney, dated to 1530
Language(s): English
Incipit: 270r Memorandum payde to Mr Harvy of Darsham for knyghtes meet for the knyghtes of the parlament by the handes of Fraunces Jenney in Ester weyke anno regni Regis Edwardi sexti viimo

Full transcription.

17. 278r-284r
Abridgement of statutes
Language(s): Middle French and Latin
Rubric: 278r Le power de justice de peas per dyvers estatutz
Incipit: 278r Justice du peas
Explicit: 284r [not transcribed]
18. 287r
Table to a collection of precedents (see below)
Language(s): Latin
19. 288v
Pen trials
Language(s): Latin

Including proverbs (‘Omnibus omnia non mea sompnia di[s]cere [possum]’) and draft indentures, including the names of ‘Johannes Fusten’, ‘Henricus Gullerd’, ‘Johannes Barber’, ‘Alicia Sampson de Olton’, ‘Thomas Bar[...]’, ‘Robert Heddys de Leyston’, ‘Thomas B[urseys]’, and ‘William Folam de Leyston, Lothyngland and Mutford’, ‘Johannes H[in]ton’, and the place name ‘Leyston’ (Leiston, Suffolk).

20. 289r-291v
Precedents of warrants and writs of supersedeas, for a justice of the peace in Suffolk , 8 Ed. IV (1468/69), with an addition temp. Hen. VII
Language(s): Latin

One of the precedents on f. 289r mentions William Jenney.

21. 292v
Pen trials
Language(s): Latin

Including a note on enemies attacking via sea (‘naues ffrancorum et scottorum et aliorum inimicorum exteriorum’) and reference to Plomesgate Hundred in Suffolk (‘de plumysgate’).

22. 293r
Copy of a warrant for keeping the watch in the names of Sir L.W. and Edmund Jenney, justices of the peace
Language(s): Latin
23. 294r-302r
Formulary of the King's Bench bills from temp. Hen. V, but mostly from the 1440s and 1460s
Language(s): Latin
Rubric: Modus formulandi billas in banco domini regis quando defendens est in custodia mariscalli

For a full description, see C.A.F. Meeking, 'A King's Bench Bill Formulary', Journal of Legal History, 6 (1985), 86-104.

24. 304r
Memorandum of mainprise to keep the peace, undertaken by William Lambe and Robert Wardener of Blythburg, Norfolk, 18 September (1487) [3 Hen. VII]
Language(s): Latin
25. 304v
Pen trial
Language(s): English
Incipit: 304v Henry by the grace of god kinge of Englond and of ffraunce and lorde of Irlande
26. 305v
Pen trials
Language(s): Latin

Among the trials are a payment to ‘Thomas Tyler’, and draft indentures referring to ‘John Kyng’, ‘La[w]rence Kotessen’, ‘William More’, ‘Thomas Kyd de Branton’, and ‘Richard Kattison’.

Physical Description

Secundo Folio: 2r Pro stomaco
Secundo Folio: 11r vide de
Form: codex
Support: Paper, folded in . Various watermarks, including a bull's head surmounted by a six=pointed star, ring, bunch of grapes, crown, and bullock (for further details, see Baker and Ringrose (1996), p. 625)
Extent: Codex: i + 305 + i leaves.

The manuscript contains 304 leaves with an additional strip of paper (f. 8a).

 175 × 135-145 mm.
Foliation:

20th-century foliation:

[i] + 1-8, 8a, 9-305 + [ii]

Numbering in pencil in the upper right-hand corner of the rectos. Folio 285 is a fragmentary leaf and f. 286 is a paper stub; other stubs in the manuscript have not been foliated; f. 8a is a paper strip that has been inserted after f. 7.
Foliation:

15th-century foliation:

Roman numerals 'i'-'lix' for ff. 79r-137v; and 'i'-'xiiii' for ff. 179r-192r

Numbering in brown ink in the upper right-hand corner of the rectos.

Collation

  • Quire 114-5+1 (ff. 1-9: 1st, 2nd, 11th, 12th, and 14th leaves are missing, with a paper slip, f. 8a, added after f. 7)
  • Quires 2-420 (ff. 10-69)
  • Quire 56 (ff. 70-75)
  • Quire 622 (ff. 76-97)
  • Quires 7-824 (ff. 98-145)
  • Quire 920 (ff. 146-165)
  • Quire 1018-7 (ff. 166-176: 12th-18th leaves missing, probably blank)
  • Quire 1116 (ff. 177-192)
  • Quire 1220 (ff. 193-212)
  • Quire 1340 (ff. 213-251: 35th leaf missing)
  • Quire 1420-5 (ff. 252-266: 9th [probably blank], 11th, 12th, 15th, and 20th [probably blank] leaves missing)
  • Quire 1518-1 (ff. 267-277: 2nd leaf missing, probably blank)
  • Quire 168 (ff. 278-285: 8th leaf, f. 285, mostly cut away)
  • Quire 1712-5 (ff. 287-293: 1st, 2nd, 7th, 11th, 12th leaves missing; the stub of 2nd leaf is numbered f. 286)
  • Quire 1814-4 (ff. 294-303: 4th, 12th-14th leaves missing)
  • Quire 198-6 (ff. 304-305: 1st-5th, 8th leaves missing)

114-5+1 (1st, 2nd, 11th, 12th, and 14th missing, 8a added) 2-420 66 622 7-824 920 1018-7 (12th-18th missing) 1116 1220 1340 1420-5 (9th, 11th, 12th, 15th, and 20th missing) 1518-2 (23rd missing) 168 1712-5 (1st, 2nd, 7th, 11th, 12th missing) 1814-4 (4th, 12th-14th missing) 1918-6 (1st-5th, 8th missing)

Arabic and Roman numerals '1' to '31' throughout quire 12; and the letters 'A' to 'G' in the first half of quire 18.

 Catchwords in brown ink in the lower right-hand corners of the last versos of quires.

Condition

Damp has affected the upper edges and halves of many pages, but without causing loss of text. Some of the upper right-hand corners and outer edges have been torn off and repaired with blank paper.

Layout

140-160 × 90-100 mm. Ruled in hardpoint, frame only. Single columns. 14-45 lines to the page, below the top line.

Hand(s)

The text on ff. 10r-75v was written by a single hand in a cursive script with predominantly Anglicana features.

The text on ff. 77r-267r and 278r-184r was written by a single hand in a cursive script with predominantly Anglicana features.

Decoration

The manuscript contains no significant forms of decoration.

Additions

Quire signatures ('1-19') in the bottom right-hand corner of the recto side of the first leaf of each quire, written in pencil by Jayne Ringrose .

Binding

Quarter leather binding of brown leather with marbled paper sides, bound by Douglas Cockerell and Son in 1972 (as noted by Arthur Owen on f. [i] recto).

Binding height: 220mm; width: 150mm; depth: 70mm.

The former binding consists of brown leather with external sewing over several layers of vellum (the original binding?) and is now kept separately in a portfolio with marbled paper sides by Cockerell.

History

Origin: Second half of the 15th century. ; England.

Provenance and Acquisition

Sir Edmund Jenney (d. 1522) : some of the notes are in his hand and may have obtained other items from his father, William Jenney (d. 1483), who was administered to Lincoln's Inn in 1430, and was Justice of the King's Bench 1481-1483. Jenny's role of compiler is supported by the second item (ff. 10r-75v), which was made for Thomas Banyard of Lincoln's Inn, who was administered in 1459, with William Jenney as his sponsor. Folio 287v also contains the name 'Tymperley', which probably refers to John Tymperley (d. 1491) of Hintlesham, Suffolk, who was administered to Lincoln's Inn in 1463. The name 'Andrewys' is written on the manuscript's old cover in a 15th-century script; this may be the 'Andrew' who was adminstered to Lincoln's Inn in 1433, possibly John Andrews of Baylham, Suffolk, Justice of the Peace of Suffolk between 1445 and 1460. The issues of William Jenney, the eldest son of Edmund, and Francis Jenney (b. 1510) , son of William, on ff. 8r-9v suggest that the manuscript passed down to his son and grandson. Various items throughout the manuscript relate to members of the Jenney family.

Robert Cuddon (d. 1580) , of Mulbarton, Norfolk, administered to Gray's Inn in 1575: perhaps his draft indenture on f. 305r: 'Teste me Roberto Cuddon de Furnyvall [Inn]'.

John Norman : his name inscribed in a 16th-century script on f. 242v.

Sir John Fenn (d. 1794) , Norfolk antiquary: his armorial bookplate.

John Frere (d. 1807) , of Roydon Hall, Norfolk: his armorial bookplate; passed down to his discendant J. T. Frere.

J. T. Frere : no. 961 in the same of his books at Sotheby's on 14-18 Feburary, 1896.

James Tregaskis (1850-1926) , London book dealer: purchased the manuscript at J.T. Frere's sale at Sotheby's on 14-18 Feburary, 1896.

Acquired by the University Library on 6 June 1972 from Rev. G. A. Evans of Hethersett, Norfolk.

Additional Information

Record Sources

This catalogue entry draws on the description provided by John Baker and Jayne Ringrose, Catalogue of English Legal Manuscripts in Cambridge University Library (1996) (used here by kind permission of the Boydell Press).

Availability

Entry to read in the Library is permitted only on presentation of a valid reader's card. For information on eligibility and admissions procedures, see Joining the Library). For further enquiries, and to confirm the availability of the manuscript, please contact the Special Collections Reading Room.

Bibliography

    A King's Bench Bill Formulary The Journal of Legal History, Meekings, C.A.F. (6, 1, 86-104, 1985) A Catalogue of English Legal Manuscripts in Cambridge University Library, with Codicological Descriptions of the Early Manuscripts, Baker, J.H.Ringrose, J.S. (Woodbridge, Boydell Press, 1996) The Oxford History of the Laws of England. Volume VI, 1483-1558, Baker, John H. (Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2003)

Funding of Cataloguing

Wellcome

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