Tag Archives: Manuscripts

The Conservation of Peter Small’s Pedigree

by Emma Skinner, Oxford Conservation Consortium November 2022 Before Treatment This large sixteenth-century genealogical table recently arrived at the Oxford Conservation Consortium’s studio for treatment. It provides the pedigree for Peter Small, who was elected as a Founder’s Kin Fellow of St John’s in 1597.[1] It was bound with a nineteenth-century printed list of Founder’sContinue reading “The Conservation of Peter Small’s Pedigree”

Medieval Manuscript Fragments

Sian Witherden, Resource Description Librarian ‘Poirot!’ I cried. ‘This is a fragment of a will!’ […] My brain was in a whirl. What was this complication of a will? Who had destroyed it? The person who had left the candle grease on the floor? Obviously. But how had anyone gained admission? All the doors hadContinue reading “Medieval Manuscript Fragments”

Life Stories from St John’s: the famous & the forgotten

Library exhibition 9 September – 9 December 2022 Introduction For over 450 years the lifeblood of St John’s College has been the people who live and work inside its walls. Some have dedicated a good part of their lives to this College, while others have just passed through. Many have become famous and even moreContinue reading “Life Stories from St John’s: the famous & the forgotten”

Trinity Term 2022 Online Exhibition

Reading, Writing, and Research A Decade in the Life of a President, 2012-2022 by Professor Maggie Snowling When I was elected President in 2012, the Governing Body agreed that I might take some time to pursue my research agenda. While finding that time was not always easy, a long vacation with a trip to AustraliaContinue reading “Trinity Term 2022 Online Exhibition”

The Princess and the Poisoner: early modern wives, capital crime, and autobiography

Georgie Moore, our Graduate Trainee, considers how the voices of two early modern criminalized women, the princess and the poisoner, are collected in the St John’s College Library. Restoration London, 1663 When a German princess checked into an inn, the innkeeper did what any astute uncle would do: he summoned his nephew to marry her.Continue reading “The Princess and the Poisoner: early modern wives, capital crime, and autobiography”

There’s the Rub: Thomas Becket in Medieval Manuscripts

There’s the Rub: Thomas Becket in Medieval Manuscripts By Sian Witherden, Resource Description Librarian Gold leaf, intricate borders, elaborate illuminations—St John’s College MS 82 has it all. This devotional book, produced c.1475, is one of the most visually impressive medieval manuscripts in the library’s collection. Even after five centuries, many of the pages look asContinue reading “There’s the Rub: Thomas Becket in Medieval Manuscripts”

Collaborative Blog #1

Decorative Features in Medieval Manuscripts By Sian Witherden, Resources Description Librarian This blog post has been published in collaboration with Teaching the Codex at https://teachingthecodex.com/2021/05/19/decorative-features/. Teaching the Codex is an interdisciplinary project on the teaching of palaeography and codicology. It was launched with a colloquium at Merton College Oxford on 6th February 2016 as a specialContinue reading “Collaborative Blog #1”

Librarian’s Pick #8: Ben Jonson and Terence’s Comedies

Over the course of Trinity Term 2020, the library staff at St. John’s College will be taking you on a ‘tour’ of some of their favourites among our special collections. Every Monday, we will upload a new note on the item of the week. Read on to discover more about our chosen items… Ben JonsonContinue reading “Librarian’s Pick #8: Ben Jonson and Terence’s Comedies”

Librarian’s Pick #7: The Brittany Gospels

St John’s Oldest Book: The Brittany Gospels (MS 194) by Petra Hofmann, College Librarian St John’s oldest book is an inconspicuous Gospel codex, a little smaller than a standard Penguin paperback. The book was produced in the late 9th/ early 10th-century, probably in Brittany but some scholars have suggested England, too. During the Middle AgesContinue reading “Librarian’s Pick #7: The Brittany Gospels”