St John's College U.7 (formerly H.41) (James 302)

Catalogue of Manuscripts in St John's College Library. Latin and English, mid eighteenth century

 

'Liber Manuscripti / Collegii / Sancti Johannis / Cantabrigiae / secundum seriem suam exhibiti, / per ordinemque Alphabeticum / dispositi.' Consisting of (fos 2-28) an index to the MSS collection, and (fos 31r-52v) a classified listing, all originally including the donations of Thomas Baker in Class I and dating from around 1740, but with many additions throughout the next quarter of a century. The vol. includes as additional matter (fos 48v-50v) the Ferrari donation of items in Class O, 1744, and (fo. 52v) the 1762 donation from William Grove of MSS T.1-18. Some printed items are included. A few annotations mark missing or lost items (eg a reference to a former MS H.14(2) at fo. 7v), and some classmarks represent different items from current usage. This should clearly be regarded as a predecessor of Cowie, and, ultimately, of the James catalogue.

Manuscript extra information

286x220 mm. ii+58 fos (29-30 an inserted bifolium, 53-8 and many versos blank). On fo. i r, in the hand of M. R. James, 'No. 302 in my Catalogue MRJ'. Not in Cowie's catalogue.

The principal, earliest hand is a conscious imitation of print, but many other eighteenth-century hands supply and correct subsequent acquisitions. Heavy paper. Vellum on boards: a near contemporary binding, the current title page being an original paper cover.