Bell's Cathedrals: The Cathedral Church of Rochester: A Description of its Fabric and a Brief History of the Episcopal SeePalmer, G. H. (George Henry)
History
Bell's Cathedrals: The Cathedral Church of Rochester: A Description of its Fabric and a Brief History of the Episcopal See
Palmer, G. H. (George Henry)
Rochester Cathedral (Rochester, Kent, England)
To turn now to manuscripts, disregarding the other classes of printed
books, the cathedral possesses a great treasure in the #Textus Roffensis#,
which is said to be the work of Bishop Ernulf and dates from early in
the twelfth century. It contains old English codes of law, beginning
with Ethelbert's, much ecclesiastical and historical information,
records of privileges of the cathedral, and some interesting forms of
excommunication, oaths, etc. In 1633 the dean (Dr. Balcanqual) and
chapter had to obtain a bill in chancery to enforce its restitution by a
Dr. Leonard who had got it into his possession. During the Civil Wars it
was in the charge of Sir Roger Twysden and was used by Dugdale for his
great work. The book was at London in 1712 for Dr. Harriss, a prebendary
of the cathedral, to use for his "History of Kent" (published in 1719).
It was taken thither and back by water, and on the return journey fell
into the Thames. It was, fortunately, recovered, not much damaged, but
was re-bound afterwards. Lambarde, as well as later historians, used it.
Parts were printed by Wharton in his "Anglia Sacra" (1691) and by
Willems in his "Leges Anglo-Saxonicae" (1721). Hearne edited most of it,
from a transcript by Sir Edward Dering, in 1720.
The #Custumale Roffense# (per fratrem J. de Westerham), another famous
manuscript, dates from about 1300, its author, then a monk, became prior
later, in Bishop Hamo's time. In this book is much information about
manors and the priory's income from them, and it contains many
interesting particulars of ancient tenures and rents, some details about
the Rome-scot, notes as to the duties of various servants, etc. A
printed edition of it, by Thorpe, appeared in 1788.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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