Slides from a presentation by Barbara McCormack to the Church of Ireland Historical Society, April 1, 2017.
Barbara McCormack is Special Collections Librarian at Maynooth University. She teaches on the MA Historical Archives course and is a guest lecturer for the School of Information and
Communications Studies at University College Dublin. She is also a volunteer at the National Print Museum and the National Science and Ecclesiology Museum at St Patrick’s College, Maynooth.
Barbara McCormack - Treasures of the St Canice’s Cathedral Collection
1. Treasures of the
St. Canice’s
Cathedral Collection
Barbara McCormack
1st April 2017
Meeting of The Church of Ireland
Historical Society
Armagh Public Library
2. Introduction
• About the Collection
• Subjects, languages, imprints etc.
Bishops Thomas Otway & Edward Maurice
• Biographical details
• Bequests
• Examples
Printed works and manuscripts
• Incunabula
• Manuscript fragments
• Religiousworks
• Other works
Evidence of previous owners
Current progress
Barbara McCormack, Maynooth UniversityLibrary
3. Introduction
• Collection was recently transferred from
St. Canice’s Cathedral in Kilkenny to
Maynooth University Library on a long-
term loan from the Representative Church
Body of Ireland.
• Housed in an environmentally controlled
state-of-the-art storage facility.
• Significant work was carried out by Hugh
Campbell in the 1990s which culminated
in a comprehensive catalogue listing and
report ‘St Canice’s Library: The Otway-
Maurice Collection’ (October 1994) which
was invaluable in terms of this paper.
The Collection at
Maynooth UniversityLibrary
Barbara McCormack, Maynooth UniversityLibrary
5. Collection overview
Barbara McCormack, Maynooth UniversityLibrary
• Approximately 3,300 works, including:
– Four items of incunabula (pre-1500 printing)
– Approximately 305 titles printed before 1600
– Approximately 1,300 works printed in the 18th
century
• Subject areas include: Religion, History, Classics,
Mathematics, and Geography.
• Languages include: Latin, English, French, Italian,
and Greek.
• Other important works include several items by the
Venetian printer Aldus, as well as several sixteenth
century Parisian printings.
6. Imprints – some examples
Dublin
85
London
1200
Amsterdam
455
Paris
455
Cologne
75
Barbara McCormack, Maynooth UniversityLibrary
8. Thomas Otway (1616-1693)
Barbara McCormack, Maynooth UniversityLibrary
• Born in Wiltshire and educated at Winchester College.
Graduated from Christ’s College, Cambridge in 1639
before studying at Trinity College, Dublin.
• Royalist sympathies during the civil war - banished to the
West Indies. Later became chaplain to Lord Berkeley and
eventually Bishop of Ossory in February 1680.
• Supported James II, becoming a member of Irish
parliament in May 1689. In 1690 William attempted to
suspend him from parliament – however he later
became member of House of Lords in 1692.
• Died in March 1693 and buried in the Cathedral Church.
9. Otway’s bequest
Barbara McCormack, Maynooth UniversityLibrary
• In 1693 Otway bequeathed ‘books – folios, quartos, and
octavos and £200 in money – or more, if need should be
– for the beginning of a Library for the Cathedral of St.
Canice and for the use of the Clergy about it’.
• This bequest not only founded the Cathedral Library but
provided for its management in the form of a library
keeper to be paid £5 annually and coal for a weekly fire
‘to preserve the books’.
10. An example from Otway’s library
• Very few books in the
collection bear the signature
of Thomas Otway.
• One exception is on the title
page of a theological work
printed in Paris in 1532.
• Includes the motto: ‘Ne quid
nimis’ [Nothing in excess].
Theological text printed in 1532
Barbara McCormack, Maynooth UniversityLibrary
12. Edward Maurice (c1694-1756)
Barbara McCormack, Maynooth UniversityLibrary
• Enrolled in Trinity College, Dublin in 1709.
• Consecrated Bishop of Ossory in 1754 at St Patrick’s
Cathedral, by the archbishop of Dublin.
• Completed manuscript translations of Homer’s Odyssey
and Iliad into English.
• Andrew Sneddon suggests that Bishop Maurice was
particularly concerned with “the continued security
threat posed by the Catholic majority” evidenced in a
sermon delivered in October 1755.
• According to Richard Mant he was “less known than he
deserves to be” adding that Maurice delighted “in the
unambitious and retiring enjoyments of rural life”.
13. Maurice’s bequest
Barbara McCormack, Maynooth UniversityLibrary
• In 1756 Maurice bequeathed his ‘printed books to the
Library … together with ten double cases of one form
made of Dansick oak’.
• Maurice asked that ‘an oath be taken by the Librarian
not to imbezzle or deface or lend any book out of the
library but to give due attendance to such clergymen
and gentlemen as may be disposed to study there from
6 o’clock in the morning to the tolling of the bell for
morning prayer’.
14. Breakdown of Maurice’s Library
720
336
203
1
15th Century 16th Century 17th Century 18th Century
No. ofTitles
Barbara McCormack, Maynooth UniversityLibrary
16. Decades of History from the
Deterioration of the Roman Empire
• Printed in Venice, 1483.
• Italian humanist historian and early
archaeologist, Flavio Biondo (1392-
1463).
• A history of Europe in three books
(text divided in three parts).
• Decorated initial letters in gold,
blue, and red.
• Opening page has a decorated
border with foliage – title page is
missing.
Barbara McCormack, Maynooth UniversityLibrary
17. Decades of History (initial letters)
Red and blue hand painted initial letters in the text
Barbara McCormack, Maynooth UniversityLibrary
18. The Consolation of Philosophy
• Sixth century philosopher Boethius.
• Printed in August 1497.
• Very rare - only other copies existing
in the British Isles are in the British
Library and Cambridge.
• Annotations from three centuries on
the title page alone:
– 16th century: ‘Give me, Lord, a
quiet mind’ (translation)
– 17th century: ‘I must keep the rule
given by James Mullens. 12th Feb,
1692/3’ (translation)
– 18th century: ‘Ed.Maurice’
Barbara McCormack, Maynooth UniversityLibrary
19. Sarum Missal
• Printed in Westminster, 1498.
• This was the first Sarum Missal
printed in England.
• Produced by Julian Notary and
Jean Barbier for Fleet Street
printer Wynkyn de Worde.
• Features liturgical type which
was imported from France.
• Printers device of William
Caxton.
Barbara McCormack, Maynooth UniversityLibrary
20. Dialogues on the Ten Commandments
• Pynson’s edition of
Dialogues on the Ten
Commandments, printed
in 1493.
• Extensively repaired.
• Earliest complete work in
the English language in
the collection.
Barbara McCormack, Maynooth UniversityLibrary
21. Dialogues on the Ten Commandments
(Fragments)
Barbara McCormack, Maynooth UniversityLibrary
23. Binder’s waste
• Parchment manuscript used to
reinforce the spine of a printed book.
• Plainchant musical notation.
• Parchment, being animal skin, was
tough and durable, and would not
tear.
• It was common practice in the past to
sew strips of disused parchment into
the binding of a book to strengthen it.
• Many interesting texts have survived
in this way.
Barbara McCormack, Maynooth UniversityLibrary
25. Other examples (2)
Pen flourished initial letter ‘P’ in
manuscript fragment. Note the
rubrication (red ink) and
decorated folio numbers (red and
blue ink).
Manuscript pastedown removed
from a printed book.
Barbara McCormack, Maynooth UniversityLibrary
27. Other examples (4)
Parchment manuscript used as
binders waste in a book printed in
Geneva in 1617.
Barbara McCormack, Maynooth UniversityLibrary
Parchment manuscript used to support
spine in a book printed in Basle in 1537.
28. Oldest known item in the collection
“Mandate for the Citation of John Bar ... Toappear before
Thomas (Bourchier) Papal Legate and Archbishop of
Canterbury, given at Lambeth 6th February 1468.”
Barbara McCormack, Maynooth UniversityLibrary
30. Shakespearian Fourth Folio
• William Shakespeare’s Comedies,
Histories, and Tragedies.
Published according to true
original copies. Unto which is
added, seven plays, never before
printed in Folio.
• Also known as the ‘Fourth Folio’.
• Printed in 1685 for Herringman,
Brewster and Bentley of London.
• Important in terms of
Shakespearian scholarship.
• Maurice signed the title page of
this work. Portrait of William Shakespeare from the
‘FourthFolio’
Barbara McCormack, Maynooth UniversityLibrary
31. The Ship of Fools
• Sebastian Brandt’s The ship
of Fools, printed in London
in 1509.
• Alexander Barclay edition
published in English.
• Original work first published
in 1494.
• Consists of 112 satires, and
an epilogue – all illustrated
with woodcuts.
Barbara McCormack, Maynooth UniversityLibrary
32. A Book of Christian Prayers
• Also known as Queen Elizabeth’s Prayer
Book.
• Original edition was printed in 1569, this
issued printed in 1608 in London.
• Contains detailed woodcuts in the style
of Dürer and Holbein.
Woodcuts from
Queen
Elizabeth’s
Prayer Book
Barbara McCormack, Maynooth UniversityLibrary
33. Book of Common Prayer (1552)
• Second Book of Common
Prayer, printed in August
1552 during the reign of
Edward VI by Richard
Grafton.
• Revision of 1549 version.
• Developed by Thomas
Cranmer, Archbishop of
Canterbury (1489-1556).
• Fine woodcuts throughout
• Woodcut border on title
page with red and black
text.Woodcut historiated initial letter
Barbara McCormack, Maynooth UniversityLibrary
34. Tillage and vegetation
• Jethro Tull’s The Horse-Hoeing
Husbandry: or, An essay on the
principles of tillage and vegetation.
• Printed in Dublin by the Dublin
Society in 1733.
• Outlines ‘a Method of introducing
a Sort of Vineyard-Culture into the
Corn-Fields’.
Barbara McCormack, Maynooth UniversityLibrary
36. Dictionary of Husbandry, Gardening &
Commerce
• Printed in London, 1717.
• Contains handwritten instructions on
the production of African cement
which involves well sifted ashes, lime
and sand.
Barbara McCormack, Maynooth UniversityLibrary
37. A Book on exercise
• Medicina Gymnastica: or a
Treatise concerning the Power of
Exercise.
• Printed in London in 1728.
Barbara McCormack, Maynooth UniversityLibrary
38. Voyage de l'Arabie Heureuse
• Jean de la Roque’s Voyage de
l’Arabie Heureuse.
• Printed in Amsterdam in 1716.
Barbara McCormack, Maynooth UniversityLibrary
40. Roman Catholic authors
Barbara McCormack, Maynooth UniversityLibrary
The collection features works by various Roman Catholic authors prominent in
the 17th and early 18th century, including:
• French mathematician, physicist, and Christian philosopher Blaise Pascal
(1623-1662), one of the first inventors of the mechanical calculator and
author of religious literary work The Provincial Letters. Two editions of this
title (1698 and 1712) are found in the collection, one of which is signed by
Maurice.
• French Archbishop François Fénelon (1651-1715), author of The
Adventures of Telemachus which was written for the Duke of Burgandy.
Fénelon also wrote Dialogues of the Dead and Reflections on Rhetoric and
Poetry. All of which are featured in the Collection.
• English poet and Catholic convert Richard Crashaw (c1613-1649), author
of Poems and Epigrams. A work by George Herbert, one of Crashaw’s
influences, is also in the collection as is a sermon by Crashaw’s father
William, a devout Protestant clergyman and pamphleteer.
41. Protestant authors
Barbara McCormack, Maynooth UniversityLibrary
The collection also features works by various Protestant authors
prominent in the 17th and early 18th century, including:
• Richard Baxter (1615-1691), English Puritan and author of A Treaty
of Episcopacy (London, 1681). George Morley, Anglican bishop of
Worchester, and opponent of Baxter can also be found in the
collection.
• Anglican author Edward Stillingfleet (1635-1699), author of A
Rationale Account of the Grounds of Protestant Religion and A
Discourse Concerning the Idolatry Practised in the Church of Rome,
both of which included attacks on Catholicism and garnered
defences from Catholic authors.
• English writer and Baptist John Bunyan (1628-1688), author of The
Pilgrim’s Progress which he wrote during his imprisonment after the
restoration of the monarchy in 1660.
43. John Hartstonge (1654-1717)
• John Hartstonge (1654-1717) was
Bishop of Ossory from 1693-1714 when
he became Bishop of Derry.
• Hartstonge had previously worked as
chaplain to James Butler, 1st Duke of
Ormonde.
• Seven titles in the Otway-Maurice
collection were once in his possession
including Francis Mason’s A Vindication
of the Church of England (1638).
• These range in date from 1516-1639
and include works in Latin, English,
French, and Italian. Bookplate of John (Hartstonge)
Lord Bishop of Ossory
Barbara McCormack, Maynooth UniversityLibrary
44. Sir Thomas Vesey,
1st Baronet (1668?–1730)
• At least two works in the collection are associated with Sir Thomas
Vesey, Baronet of Abbeyleix and Bishop of Ossory from 1714-30.
• A note on the flyleaf of Annotations upon the Holy Bible (1651)
which is possibly in the hand of Maurice reads: ‘given me by Sir
John Denny Vesey Bar: 1730.’
Barbara McCormack, Maynooth UniversityLibrary
45. Theodore Maurice (1670-1731)
• Theodore Maurice studied at Trinity
College Dublin and was Archdeacon
of Tuam from 1706-31.
• He once owned a significant
amount of works in the Otway-
Maurice collection (over sixty).
• Theodore was most likely a brother
of Edward Maurice.
• His books include William Falkner’s
Christian Loyalty…to the King
(1679)
Barbara McCormack, Maynooth UniversityLibrary
Bookplate of Theodore Maurice (1670-1731)
47. Other provenance information
Elisabeth Baker
Barbara McCormack, Maynooth UniversityLibrary
Ex libris: Nat. Foy
(possibly Nathaniel Foy, Bishop of Waterford
and Lismore)
Thomas White
His booke and
god make him good.
48. Drelincourt family
• At least 95 titles in the Otway-Maurice
collections are associated with the
Drelincourt’s, 36 of these are in French.
• Pierre or Peter Drelincourt (1644-1722)
was dean of Armagh and the son of
French Protestant divine, Charles
Drelincourt.
• Peter was born in Paris and educated in
Geneva but emigrated to Ireland where
he gained the support of James Butler,
1st duke of Ormond, before quickly
rising to the higher tiers of the Irish
Church. He later married the sister of
Edward Maurice (Mary Drelincourt). Bookplate of Mrs Ann Drelincourt
Barbara McCormack, Maynooth UniversityLibrary
49. Drelincourt family - example
• Peter’s brother Charles Drelincourt (1633-
1697) was a French physician. In 1659 he
was appointed as a physician to King
Louise XIV and later held the Chair of
Medicine at Leiden University before
becoming Rector.
• An inscription on the pastedown of a work
relating to church history reads: ‘For my
brother the Dean of Armagh, from your
affectionate brother, Charles Drelincourt,
Dean of the University of Leiden.1692.’
• Titles include works by the 17th century
French cartographer Nicolas Sanson,
French philosopher Pierre Bayle, William
King, and John Stearne.
Note from Charles to Peter Drelincourt
Barbara McCormack, Maynooth UniversityLibrary
51. Progress to date
• Books have been frozen to eliminate pest
damage and subsequently cleaned.
• Loose boards and spines have been secured
with archival ties and/orboxes.
• A cataloguing project commenced in
Summer 2015 and the collection is now
findable via the online catalogue with a
provenance note indicating collection
ownership.
• Material is housed in an environmentally
controlled secure storage area with optimal
temperature and humidity levels.
• Items requiring conservation work have
been identified and will be repaired by an
onsite conservationteam.
Barbara McCormack, Maynooth UniversityLibrary
52. References
Barbara McCormack, Maynooth UniversityLibrary
• H. Campbell, St Canice’s Library: The Otway-Maurice Collection, 1994.
• A. F.Pollard, ‘Otway, Thomas (1616–1693)’, rev. James McGuire, Oxford
Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004; online
edn, Oct 2008 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/20945, accessed
3 Oct 2015].
• R. Mant, History of the Church of Ireland, II, John W.Parker, 1840.
• Andrew Sneddon, ‘Church of Ireland Missions to Roman Catholics, c.
1700-1800’ in The Oxford Handbook of the British Sermon 1689-1901
edited by K.A. Francis and W.Gibson, Oxford University Press, 2012, p.
538.
• Clerical and Parochial Records of Cork, Cloyne, and Ross…Volume3, edited
by William Maziere Brady, London, 1864, p. 99.
• Painter, George et. al. (n.d.) Two missals printed for Wynkyn de Worde.
Retrieved September 25, 2016 from
http://www.bl.uk/eblj/1976articles/pdf/article14.pdf, p.160.