Ellesmere Chaucer (MSS EL 26 C 9)

The Wife of Bath, f. 72r.
Upon an amblere esily she sat,
Ywympled wel, and on hir heed an hat
As brood as is a bokeler or a targe;
A foot-mantel aboute hir hipes large,
And on hir feet a paire of spores sharpe.
(lines A 469-473.)

Colloquial name(s): The Ellesmere Chaucer
Official name(s): MSS EL 26 C9

Date: c. 1400-1410 (source)
Origin: England

Online facsimile available via: Huntington Digital Library

The Ellesmere Chaucer is one of the earliest copies of Geoffrey Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales (source). It was transcribed shortly after Chaucer's death in 1400, possibly by Adam Pinkhurst, a man employed by Chaucer (source). Pinkhurst is also thought to be responsible for the Hengwrt Manuscript of The Canterbury Tales (National Library of Wales, Aberystwyth, MS Peniarth 392D), the earliest and most authoritative copy still extant (source).

The Ellesmere Chaucer contains what is believed to be a portrait of Geoffrey Chaucer as well as illustrations of twenty-two of the pilgrims from the story. It is unique in that it is the only manuscript that shows garments in both textual and pictoral form, where the images were made soon enough after the text was written that they are unlikely to mis-represent the text. This makes the Ellesmere Chaucer invaluable for those interested in late 14th C and early 15th C clothing.

List of illustrations:

10r	The knight: a man with a long brown beard and fashionable hair, mounted upon a pale chestnut horse which wears black tack with gilt buckles (including bridle, breaststrap and breeching) and a black saddle with a white bellyband. The knight wears a grey houppelande with large sleeves, dark blue-grey hose, gilt spurs, red gloves and a red chaperon with a trailing liripipe. The horse has a brand on its left quarter and is wearing shoes.
34v	The miller: a man with a tanned face, mounted upon a pale tan horse which is wearing a rope for a bridle and has shoes but no apparent saddle. The miller wears a calf-length pale cream/pink tunic, blue-grey hose, black ankle boots, a large blue hood and white gloves (?). He has a long sword and a buckler strapped to his belt and is playing a large bagpipe-type instrument.
42r	The reeve: a man with fashionable grey hair and a beard, mounted upon a dapple-grey horse with a black bridle, breaststrap and saddle. It has shoes. The reeve wears a calf-length medium-blue tunic, red hose, black shoes, spurs, a red hood and white gloves (?). He has a long sword strapped to his belt.
47r	The cook: a man with short-cropped black hair rides a medium-brown horse that wears a red bridle and breaststrap and a black saddle with a brown bellyband. The cook wears a short red cote, short white braies, black shoes (with the toes worn through), a long white apron and a bandage on his left calf. He carries a steaming bowl in his right hand and a fleshook in his left hand.
50v	The man of law: a man with short-cropped black hair rides a grey-brown horse that wears a black bridle, breaststrap and saddle with silver-coloured buckles and mounts. The man of law wears a knee-length parti-coloured tunic (half bright red, half blue with narrow alternate white and red stripes), red hose, black fashionable shoes, a matching parti-coloured hood with a white lining and a white coif. At the wrist of his right hand, a bright red tunic can be seen beneath his parti-coloured one.
72r	The wife of Bath: a woman wearing a white frilled veil and a black pilgrims' hat rides astride upon a medium-brown horse that wears a black bridle, breaststrap, saddle and breeching with gilt buckles. The saddle has a brown-and-white bellyband and the horse wears shoes. The wife of Bath wears a high-necked red houppelande with flared sleeves that show grey fur at the cuffs. She wears a blue foot-mantle, silver-coloured spurs and a broad gold-coloured belt. She carries a small whip in her right hand.
76v	The friar: a man with a tonsure rides a medium-brown horse that wears a brown bridle and breaststrap. The friar wears a black habit, black hood, black shoes and white hose (?). He carries a staff (?).
81r	The summoner: a man with short dark hair rides a medium-brown horse that wears a black bridle, breaststrap, saddle and breeching with silver-coloured buckles and numerous silver-coloured mounts. The summoner wears a fashionable, short, blue houppelande-like cote, bright red hose with no apparent shoes, silver-coloured spurs, a circlet of flowers upon his head and a small bag upon his belt. In his right hand he carries what appears to be a piece of parchment with a large black spot on.
88r	The clerk of Oxford: a man rides a thin grey horse that wears a red bridle and saddle. The clerk wears a long grey tunic or habit, a matching grey hood worn up, red hose and fashionable black shoes. He carries several books tucked under his left arm and holds another book in a red binding in his right hand.
102v	The merchant: a man with fashionably short brown hair rides a brown horse that wears a black bridle, breastband and saddle, decorated with silver-coloured mounts. The saddle has a brown and blue-grey bellyband. The merchant wears a knee-length fashionable houppelande that is bright red with blue and white spots arranged to look like flowers (?). The houppeland has a high collar and bag sleeves. It is lined in blue-grey, which shows at collar and cuff. A slit in its side shows a blue-grey garment (or lining?) beneath. The merchant wears black hose or boots, silver-coloured spurs and a grey bycocket.
115v	The squire: a man with fashionably short brown-blond hair rides a pale brown horse that wears a red bridle, breastband, saddle and breeching, decorated with silver-coloured mounts. The squire wears a fashionable short houppelande-like cote that is black with silver decoration and has long, flowing sleeves with a red lining. He wears white hose and no shoes. His hose are decorated on the thight. He wears spurs. Several silver bells depend from his belt and he wears a necklace (?) and a tall blue hat decorated with silver embelishment.
123v	The franklin: a man with fashionably cut white hair and a moderately long white beard rides a pale brown horse that wears a black bridle and breastband with silver-coloured buckles but no mounts. A brown bellyband is visible but the saddle is not. The franklin wears a conservative calf-length tunic that is particoloured: the right half is red with intermittent groupings of a narrow white strip with a narrow red strip and a narrow black stripe on each side of it, the left side is dark blue with intermittant groupings of narrow white stripes. The franklin wears black hose which may or may not lack shoes. He wears silver-coloured spurs, a black hat and a white moneypouch with tassels.
133r	The physician: a man rides a medium-brown horse with a black bridle, black saddle and brown-and-grey bellyband. The physician wears a conservative ankle-length red tunic with a grey (fur?) lining showing at the cuffs, red hose, black shoes, silver-coloured spurs and a blue hood with white facings at face and hem. He holds up a flask containing a urine sample.
138r	The pardoner: a man rides a dark brown horse with a black bridle and breastband with silver-coloured buckles, a black saddle and a brown-and-grey bellyband. The pardoner wears a calf-length bright red tunic, blue hose without shoes, silver-coloured spurs and a bright red hat with a motif on. He wears his blonde hair loose down past his shoulders. He carries an ornamented cross. His horse carries a white pilgrim's bag around its neck.
143v	The shipman: a man with fashionably short-cut black hair and a short black beard rides a dark grey horse that wears a black bridle, breastband and a black-and-grey bellyband. The saddle is not visible. The shipman wears a knee-length dark black/grey tunic with moderate bag sleeves and a high collar. A white lining shows at collar and cuffs. He wears black hose, no apparent shoes, silver-coloured spurs and a red hat similar in shape to the franklin's. He has a belt worn across his body, bandolier-style, with a dagger in it tucked under his right arm.
148v	The prioress: a woman rides aside towards the right upon a bay horse that wears a black bridle, breastband and breechings embellished with silver-coloured mounts. No saddle is visible. The prioress wears a white dress/habit, a black cloak, a white wimple and a black hood/veil. Her feet are not visible. She has a paternoster of red beads wrapped around her left wrist. She holds up her right hand in benediction.
153v	Chaucer: he rides a white or pale grey horse that wears a black bridle, breastband, saddle and breechings. The bellyband of the saddle is a brown-grey. Chaucer wears a dark grey, calf-length houppelande with moderately large bag sleeves, a moderately high collar and a few buttons at the front. He wears black hose, no visible shoes, spurs, a brown belt and a black chaperon. He has short grey-ish hair and a short beard. He is pointing towards the text with his left hand.
169v	The monk: a man wearing a black habit and cloak (?), a black hat and black shoes or hose with silver-coloured spurs. He rides a pale chestnut horse that wears a black bridle, breastband and breechings, all decorated with large gilt roundels (bells?). He is accompanied by two pale brown greyhounds which both wear blue collars with gilt buckles.
179r	The nun's priest: a man with moderately short blond hair riding a pale brown horse that wears a blue bridle, breastband and breechings. The nun's priest wears a floor-length pale pink tunic with a white lining showing at its cuffs. His feet are barely visible beneath his tunic. He wears a blue hood with a long liripipe and a red hat.
187r	The nun: a woman rides aside towards the left upon a pale blue-grey horse that wears a red bridle. The nun wears a brown dress/habit with very large sleeves, a brown veil and a white pleated wimple up past her chin. At her right wrist, a matching brown dress with tight sleeves and white cuffs can be seen beneath the other brown dress. Her feet are not visible.
194r	The canon's yeoman: a man with fashionable short blond hair rides a pale brown/grey horse that wears a blue bridle and a blue-and-white saddle with a grey blanket. The yeoman wears a thigh-length fashionable dark green houppelande with bag sleeves and a high collar. A red lining or facing shows at the cuffs. He wears orange-red hose, brown ankle boots, silver-coloured spurs and a pink hat. Behind the saddle, a cream-brown bag is laid across the horse.
203r	The manciple: a man with fashionable short blond-brown hair and a short forked beard rides a pale brown horse that wears a brown bridle. No saddle is visible. The manciple wears bright blue calf-length houppelande with a high collar and wide, flared sleeves with brown linings. A white facing or lining is visible at the collar. He wears dark brown-red hose, brown ankle boots, silver-coloured spur, a red hat and a white belt with an open white and brown purse depending from it. He holds a bottle (?) aloft in his right hand.
206v	The parson: a man with short brown hair, possibly tonsured, rides a grey horse that wears a red bridle and breastband embellished with silver-coloured buckles and mounts. The parson wears a bright red habit, hood and hose, black shoes, silver-coloured spurs and a brown or dark grey belt embellished with silver-coloured mounts and buckle. He holds his hands crossed over his breast.