COLLECTION NAME:
Medieval Collection
mediaCollectionId
Man4MedievalVC~4~4
Medieval Collection
Collection
true
Image Number:
Bookreader_Textus_Roffensis
image_number
Bookreader_Textus_Roffensis
Image Number
false
Reference Number:
DRc_R1
reference_number
DRc_R1
Reference Number
false
Parent Work Title:
Textus de Ecclesia Roffensi per Ernulphum episcopum
parent_work_title
Textus de Ecclesia Roffensi per Ernulphum episcopum
Parent Work Title
false
Alternative Parent Work Title:
The Book of the Church of Rochester through Bishop Ernulf
alternative_parent_work_title
The Book of the Church of Rochester through Bishop Ernulf
Alternative Parent Work Title
false
Translated Parent Work Title:
The Textus Roffensis
translated_parent_work_title
The Textus Roffensis
Translated Parent Work Title
false
Date Created:
1122-1124
date_created
1122-1124
Date Created
false
Description:
The Textus Roffensis is more properly two distinct books, though written at about the same time, and largely by the same scribe, which were only bound together some time after 1300. The first part contains one of the most important of all surviving collections of Anglo-Saxon laws, from the conversion of King Aethelberht of Kent to the coronation charter of King Henry I of 1100. The second part is the oldest and most precious of the cathedral registers. It can best be described as a memorandum book, created for ease of reference and security. Both parts were compiled in part from individual or single sheet original documents or exemplars, many now lost, in part from the collective memory of the cathedral community. The compilation represents the first documentary evidence of the compromises made between the new Norman rulers and their indigenous English subjects, hinting at a convergence rather than a collision between the English language and English laws on the one hand and Romance laws and language on the other. The book contains two foundation charters of Rochester Cathedral and Diocese of 604 (DRc/R1 f.119 recto - f.119 verso and DRc/R1 f.177 recto), two pre-Conquest and pre-Domesday Book lists of Kent parishes and copies of the earliest English law codes to survive (contained in part i of the book, i.e. the first of the two separate books prior to their being bound together). The compilation dates from the episcopate of Ernulf of Bec (1115-1124) and more specifically from the period 1122-1123 (Hough, 2001) or 1123-1124 (Wormald, 2001). At that time there was little distinction between the possessions of the priory and the bishopric, and the bishop lived in the priory buildings with the monks. Ernulf's involvement is commemorated on the first folio. Both parts were written by a single scribe. Flight surmises it was the prior of the day, Ordwine. Wormald suggests he was a trusted servant of Bishop Ernulf (talk transcript, 2004). Whoever he was, he was no ordinary scribe and possessed advanced scholarly and editorial powers and was responsible for seeking out and ordering as well as transcribing the book's contents.
description
The Textus Roffensis is more properly two distinct books, though written at about the same time, and largely by the same scribe, which were only bound together some time after 1300. The first part contains one of the most important of all surviving collections of Anglo-Saxon laws, from the conversion of King Aethelberht of Kent to the coronation charter of King Henry I of 1100. The second part is the oldest and most precious of the cathedral registers. It can best be described as a memorandum book, created for ease of reference and security. Both parts were compiled in part from individual or single sheet original documents or exemplars, many now lost, in part from the collective memory of the cathedral community. The compilation represents the first documentary evidence of the compromises made between the new Norman rulers and their indigenous English subjects, hinting at a convergence rather than a collision between the English language and English laws on the one hand and Romance laws and language on the other. The book contains two foundation charters of Rochester Cathedral and Diocese of 604 (DRc/R1 f.119 recto - f.119 verso and DRc/R1 f.177 recto), two pre-Conquest and pre-Domesday Book lists of Kent parishes and copies of the earliest English law codes to survive (contained in part i of the book, i.e. the first of the two separate books prior to their being bound together). The compilation dates from the episcopate of Ernulf of Bec (1115-1124) and more specifically from the period 1122-1123 (Hough, 2001) or 1123-1124 (Wormald, 2001). At that time there was little distinction between the possessions of the priory and the bishopric, and the bishop lived in the priory buildings with the monks. Ernulf's involvement is commemorated on the first folio. Both parts were written by a single scribe. Flight surmises it was the prior of the day, Ordwine. Wormald suggests he was a trusted servant of Bishop Ernulf (talk transcript, 2004). Whoever he was, he was no ordinary scribe and possessed advanced scholarly and editorial powers and was responsible for seeking out and ordering as well as transcribing the book's contents.
Description
false
Language Code:
enm-GB
language
enm-GB
Language Code
false
Subject:
Law, Cartulary
subject
Law, Cartulary
Subject
false
Category of Material:
Manuscripts
category_of_material
Manuscripts
Category of Material
false
Sub-Category:
Codex
sub_category
Codex
Sub-Category
false
Technique Used:
Handwriting
technique_used
Handwriting
Technique Used
false
Technique Used:
Blind tooling
technique_used
Blind tooling
Technique Used
false
Technique Used:
Gold tooling
technique_used
Gold tooling
Technique Used
false
Medium:
Ink
medium
Ink
Medium
false
Support:
Vellum
support
Vellum
Support
false
Support:
Wood
support
Wood
Support
false
Time Period Covered:
1000 - 1200 CE
time_period_covered
1000 - 1200 CE
Time Period Covered
false
Item Height:
168 mm
item_height
168 mm
Item Height
false
Item Width:
129 mm
item_width
129 mm
Item Width
false
Item Depth:
30 mm
item_depth
30 mm
Item Depth
false
Current Repository:
Medway Archives
current_repository
Medway Archives
Current Repository
false
Provenance:
Rochester Cathedral, Kent Archives Office in Maidstone in 1969. Rochester upon Medway City Archives Office, Medway Archives, Strood, 1990. Administered by Kent County Council until 1998 and thereafter Medway Council.
provenance
Rochester Cathedral, Kent Archives Office in Maidstone in 1969. Rochester upon Medway City Archives Office, Medway Archives, Strood, 1990. Administered by Kent County Council until 1998 and thereafter Medway Council.
Provenance
false
Rights Holder - Image:
Dean and Chapter of Rochester Cathedral
rights_holder___image
Dean and Chapter of Rochester Cathedral
Rights Holder - Image
false
Rights holder - Work:
Dean and Chapter of Rochester Cathedral
rights_holder___work
Dean and Chapter of Rochester Cathedral
Rights holder - Work
false
References:
Wormald. Patrick, 'The First Code of English Law' (originally a lecture given at Canterbury Cathedral Archives under the title 'King Aethelberht of the Kent-people and the First Code of English Law). Canterbury Commeration Society. (2005)
references
Wormald. Patrick, 'The First Code of English Law' (originally a lecture given at Canterbury Cathedral Archives under the title 'King Aethelberht of the Kent-people and the First Code of English Law). Canterbury Commeration Society. (2005)
References
false
References:
Wormald, Patrick, 'The Making of English Law: King Alfred to the Twelfth Century: Volume 1, Legislation and its Limits'. (Wiley-Blackwell, 2001)
references
Wormald, Patrick, 'The Making of English Law: King Alfred to the Twelfth Century: Volume 1, Legislation and its Limits'. (Wiley-Blackwell, 2001)
References
false
References:
Hough, Carole, A., 'Palaeographical evidence for the compilation of Textus Roffensis' in 'Scriptorum: international revue of manuscript studies, Tome LV'. (2001)
references
Hough, Carole, A., 'Palaeographical evidence for the compilation of Textus Roffensis' in 'Scriptorum: international revue of manuscript studies, Tome LV'. (2001)
References
false
Date Captured (yyyy-mm-dd):
2013-09-17
Image Creation Technique:
Digital capture by The University of Manchester Library
Date Image Added (yyyy-mm):
2014-10
Metadata Language:
eng-GB
Collection Code:
Medieval
collection_code
Medieval
Collection Code
false