Lyme Caxton Missal
Encyclopedia
The Lyme Caxton Missal is an incunable or early printed book containing the liturgy
of the mass
according to the Sarum Rite
, published in 1487 by William Caxton
. The copy at Lyme Park
, Cheshire
, England is the only nearly complete surviving copy of its earliest known edition. It is held in the library of the house and is on display to visitors.
contains the liturgy for the mass according to the Sarum Rite (or Sarum Use) and is known as a Sarum Missal. This was the most popular version of the mass used in England before the Reformation
. This copy of the missal is from the earliest known printed edition of a Sarum Missal. It is printed throughout in two colours, red and black, and is the first book to carry Caxton's printer's device
. The missal is printed in ink on paper, with a leather binding, and it measures 34 by 24 cm. It was famous at the time it was printed because it was one of the first books printed in two colours. The missal contains 243 of its original 266 leaves and includes two full-page woodcut
s coloured by hand; one depicts the Crucifixion of Jesus
and the other God the Father enthroned
. It was re-bound in the 19th century, but some fragments of the original 15th century binding survive. Later markings have been added to the book by hand. These include a translation of the marriage service in English alongside the original Latin
version, obituaries
relating to the deaths of members of the Legh family, and prayers to St Thomas. In places the missal has been "censored" by hand, including the crossing out of the name of St Thomas Becket
and of prayers for the Pope
.
in 1487 and printed for him in Paris by Guillaume Maynal. This is the first known instance of an English publisher contracting out work to a foreign printer. This copy of the missal has been in the northwest of England since at least 1508. Another copy of this edition is said to have been in the shrine
of Edward the Confessor
in Westminster Abbey
, but this has not survived. The book was in the possession of the Legh family, when in 1549, during the reign of Edward VI
, it was banned. It was "hidden away" in Lyme Park for many years, and rediscovered in 1874 by William Benchley Rye, a scholar from the British Museum
, when he was visiting the house. It was then displayed in a glass case "for scholars and family visitors to admire". When the Legh family left the house in 1946, it remained in their possession, and was held for safe-keeping in the John Rylands Library
in Manchester
. It is "one of only two Caxtons in the world which has remained in the ownership of a single family for 500 years". It is also the only near-complete copy of this edition of the missal to survive; there are fragments only of another copy that is held in Durham University
.
at a cost of £465,000, with support from the Heritage Lottery Fund
, The Art Fund, and other organisations. It is on display in the library of Lyme Park. Associated with it is an interactive digital display. With this the visitor can "turn the pages" of the book, using touch-screen technology, and also listen to passages from the book being sung.
Liturgy
Liturgy is either the customary public worship done by a specific religious group, according to its particular traditions or a more precise term that distinguishes between those religious groups who believe their ritual requires the "people" to do the "work" of responding to the priest, and those...
of the mass
Mass (liturgy)
"Mass" is one of the names by which the sacrament of the Eucharist is called in the Roman Catholic Church: others are "Eucharist", the "Lord's Supper", the "Breaking of Bread", the "Eucharistic assembly ", the "memorial of the Lord's Passion and Resurrection", the "Holy Sacrifice", the "Holy and...
according to the Sarum Rite
Sarum Rite
The Sarum Rite was a variant of the Roman Rite widely used for the ordering of Christian public worship, including the Mass and the Divine Office...
, published in 1487 by William Caxton
William Caxton
William Caxton was an English merchant, diplomat, writer and printer. As far as is known, he was the first English person to work as a printer and the first to introduce a printing press into England...
. The copy at Lyme Park
Lyme Park
Lyme Park is a large estate located south of Disley, Cheshire, England. It consists of a mansion house surrounded by formal gardens, in a deer park in the Peak District National Park...
, Cheshire
Cheshire
Cheshire is a ceremonial county in North West England. Cheshire's county town is the city of Chester, although its largest town is Warrington. Other major towns include Widnes, Congleton, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Runcorn, Macclesfield, Winsford, Northwich, and Wilmslow...
, England is the only nearly complete surviving copy of its earliest known edition. It is held in the library of the house and is on display to visitors.
Contents
This missalMissal
A missal is a liturgical book containing all instructions and texts necessary for the celebration of Mass throughout the year.-History:Before the compilation of such books, several books were used when celebrating Mass...
contains the liturgy for the mass according to the Sarum Rite (or Sarum Use) and is known as a Sarum Missal. This was the most popular version of the mass used in England before the Reformation
English Reformation
The English Reformation was the series of events in 16th-century England by which the Church of England broke away from the authority of the Pope and the Roman Catholic Church....
. This copy of the missal is from the earliest known printed edition of a Sarum Missal. It is printed throughout in two colours, red and black, and is the first book to carry Caxton's printer's device
Printer's mark
A printer's mark, device, emblem or insignia was a symbol used as a trademark by early printers starting in the 15th century. The Venetian printer, Aldus Manutius, first used the dolphin and anchor as his mark in 1502....
. The missal is printed in ink on paper, with a leather binding, and it measures 34 by 24 cm. It was famous at the time it was printed because it was one of the first books printed in two colours. The missal contains 243 of its original 266 leaves and includes two full-page woodcut
Woodcut
Woodcut—occasionally known as xylography—is a relief printing artistic technique in printmaking in which an image is carved into the surface of a block of wood, with the printing parts remaining level with the surface while the non-printing parts are removed, typically with gouges...
s coloured by hand; one depicts the Crucifixion of Jesus
Crucifixion of Jesus
The crucifixion of Jesus and his ensuing death is an event that occurred during the 1st century AD. Jesus, who Christians believe is the Son of God as well as the Messiah, was arrested, tried, and sentenced by Pontius Pilate to be scourged, and finally executed on a cross...
and the other God the Father enthroned
God the Father in Western art
For about a thousand years, in obedience to interpretations of specific Bible passages, pictorial representations of God the Father in Western art had been avoided by Christian painters. At first only the Hand of God, often emerging from a cloud, was portrayed...
. It was re-bound in the 19th century, but some fragments of the original 15th century binding survive. Later markings have been added to the book by hand. These include a translation of the marriage service in English alongside the original Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
version, obituaries
Obituary
An obituary is a news article that reports the recent death of a person, typically along with an account of the person's life and information about the upcoming funeral. In large cities and larger newspapers, obituaries are written only for people considered significant...
relating to the deaths of members of the Legh family, and prayers to St Thomas. In places the missal has been "censored" by hand, including the crossing out of the name of St Thomas Becket
Thomas Becket
Thomas Becket was Archbishop of Canterbury from 1162 until his murder in 1170. He is venerated as a saint and martyr by both the Roman Catholic Church and the Anglican Communion...
and of prayers for the Pope
Pope
The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, a position that makes him the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church . In the Catholic Church, the Pope is regarded as the successor of Saint Peter, the Apostle...
.
History
The book was published by William CaxtonWilliam Caxton
William Caxton was an English merchant, diplomat, writer and printer. As far as is known, he was the first English person to work as a printer and the first to introduce a printing press into England...
in 1487 and printed for him in Paris by Guillaume Maynal. This is the first known instance of an English publisher contracting out work to a foreign printer. This copy of the missal has been in the northwest of England since at least 1508. Another copy of this edition is said to have been in the shrine
Shrine
A shrine is a holy or sacred place, which is dedicated to a specific deity, ancestor, hero, martyr, saint, daemon or similar figure of awe and respect, at which they are venerated or worshipped. Shrines often contain idols, relics, or other such objects associated with the figure being venerated....
of Edward the Confessor
Edward the Confessor
Edward the Confessor also known as St. Edward the Confessor , son of Æthelred the Unready and Emma of Normandy, was one of the last Anglo-Saxon kings of England and is usually regarded as the last king of the House of Wessex, ruling from 1042 to 1066....
in Westminster Abbey
Westminster Abbey
The Collegiate Church of St Peter at Westminster, popularly known as Westminster Abbey, is a large, mainly Gothic church, in the City of Westminster, London, United Kingdom, located just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is the traditional place of coronation and burial site for English,...
, but this has not survived. The book was in the possession of the Legh family, when in 1549, during the reign of Edward VI
Edward VI of England
Edward VI was the King of England and Ireland from 28 January 1547 until his death. He was crowned on 20 February at the age of nine. The son of Henry VIII and Jane Seymour, Edward was the third monarch of the Tudor dynasty and England's first monarch who was raised as a Protestant...
, it was banned. It was "hidden away" in Lyme Park for many years, and rediscovered in 1874 by William Benchley Rye, a scholar from the British Museum
British Museum
The British Museum is a museum of human history and culture in London. Its collections, which number more than seven million objects, are amongst the largest and most comprehensive in the world and originate from all continents, illustrating and documenting the story of human culture from its...
, when he was visiting the house. It was then displayed in a glass case "for scholars and family visitors to admire". When the Legh family left the house in 1946, it remained in their possession, and was held for safe-keeping in the John Rylands Library
John Rylands Library
The John Rylands Library is a Victorian Gothic building on Deansgate in Manchester, England. The library, which opened to the public in 1900, was founded by Mrs Enriqueta Augustina Rylands in memory of her late husband, John Rylands...
in Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
. It is "one of only two Caxtons in the world which has remained in the ownership of a single family for 500 years". It is also the only near-complete copy of this edition of the missal to survive; there are fragments only of another copy that is held in Durham University
Durham University
The University of Durham, commonly known as Durham University, is a university in Durham, England. It was founded by Act of Parliament in 1832 and granted a Royal Charter in 1837...
.
Present day
The missal was purchased in 2008 by the National TrustNational Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty
The National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, usually known as the National Trust, is a conservation organisation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland...
at a cost of £465,000, with support from the Heritage Lottery Fund
Heritage Lottery Fund
The Heritage Lottery Fund is a fund established in the United Kingdom under the National Lottery etc. Act 1993. The Fund opened for applications in 1994. It uses money raised through the National Lottery to transform and sustain the UK’s heritage...
, The Art Fund, and other organisations. It is on display in the library of Lyme Park. Associated with it is an interactive digital display. With this the visitor can "turn the pages" of the book, using touch-screen technology, and also listen to passages from the book being sung.