Books of arms gifted to Elizabeth I on New Year's Day [manuscript], 1569-1581.

Books of arms gifted to Elizabeth I on New Year's Day [manuscript], 1569-1581.

England, 1569-1581

9 volumes ;

This is a PRELIMINARY RECORD. It may contain incorrect information. The "FAST ACC" number is a temporary call number. Please email catalog@folger.edu for assistance.

272940 MS

From Sotheby's catalog: "A princely collection of nine illustrated heraldic manuscripts presented to the Queen as New Year's gifts. Each volume containing between 25 and 68 historic Coats of Arms painted in vivid emblazonry with gold, silver, and coloured inks, each also with a dedicatory title page with richly decorated border, 295 illustrated Coats in all on rectos and versos of c.160 leaves, on vellum, each volume uniformly bound in contemporary or possibly near-contemporary crimson velvet over pasteboards, edges of the boards covered with gold braid, two pairs of ties of gold thread with tassels, vellum pastedowns and endleaves, the upper cover of each volume stamped with the crowned cypher CR of King Charles I (stamped upside down on three volumes). Uniform 8vo (c.210 x 150mm), 1569-1580 (where dated), some silver oxidised, some wear and staining to the bindings. These armorials were presented to the Queen from 1569 to 1580 as gifts for New Year. ...The present group of volumes remained in the Royal Library from the time of their presentation throughout the reigns of James I and Charles I. During Charles I's reign they were each stamped with the crowned cypher CR of the King, and in 1639 they were listed and catalogued. The stamping (or possibly shaving) of the royal monogram on the velvet bindings by an unknown technique was evidently a Stuart invention (cf. James I's copy of Aelfric's A Saxon treatise, 1623, in Corpus Christi College, Oxford; Fine Bindings 1500-1700 from Oxford Libraries, Bodleian Library, 1968, no. 169), which later fell into disuse. One vellum pastedown has become detached and it can thus be seen that the velvet was backed with green canvas. The last known record of the volumes in the seventeenth century is in one of the inventories prepared at the time of the 'Commonwealth Sale'. One of the commissioners for the King's library was Mr. Wheeler and it was in "An Inventorie of Goodes receaved from Mr Wheeler belonging to the late King vizt. In the small Truncke" that the books are listed and valued at £14: "17EN BOOKES OF ARMES OF KNIGHTS OF THE GARTER IN REDD VELLVETT CASES BOUND WITH GOLD GALLOONE" (The Inventories and Valuations of the King's Goods 1649-1651, Walpole Society, vol. 43, 1970-1972, ed. Oliver Miller, p.246). The next reference to the volumes is in the ownership of Augustus, 1st Viscount Keppel (1725-86). The family archive contains "A Catalogue of the Library of the Right Honourable Augustus Lord Visc[oun]t Keppel deceas'd, at his Lordships Seat at Elden Hall in Suffolk, taken in April 1787". Under a general heading "Quarto" is the entry "In the Drawer at the Lefthand Window Arms of Earls and Barons from W[illia]m the Conqueror richly Blazond on Vellum 4 Vol; bound in crimson Velvet Arms of the Knights of the Garter blazon Vellum & bound in crimson Velvet 7 Vol;". Augustus Keppel's library was left to his nephew the fourth Earl of Albemarle and formed the library at Quidenham Hall, Norfolk. They remained in the same line of ownership until their sale in these rooms in 1986."

Ordered from Christopher Edwards, purchased at Sotheby’s London, sale of 4 May 2023, Lot #10.

Purchase made possible by The Gladys Brooks Acquisitions Endowment Fund.

Purchase made possible by The Eric and Mary Weinmann Acquisitions Fund.

272940