New Minster Liber Vitae (BL Stowe MS 944)

King Cnut and his wife Aelfgfu present a cross upon the altar of New Minster, f. 6r.

Colloquial name(s): The New Minster Liber Vitae

Official name(s): British Library, Stowe MS 944

Date: c. 1031-1771 (source)

Origin: New Minster, Winchester, England (source)

Online facsimile available via: British Library Digitised Manuscripts

This manuscript contains a number of texts (source):

• ff. 1r-5v: A Short Account of Hyde-Abbey
• ff. 6r-7r: Prefatory drawings (4, executed in ink with occasional colour)
• ff. 7v: Historical notes
• ff. 8r-12v: An historical account of the building of the Abbey of New Minster, Winchester
• ff. 13r-29r: Liber vitae (a list of brethren, monks and benefactors of the New Minster abbey, assembled to be read during services)
• ff. 29v-39v: Historical texts including the will of King Aelfred
• ff. 40r-41r: Letter of Eadwine of New Minster to Aelfsige, Bishop of Winchester
• f. 41r: Grant by William I to Riwallon, Abbot of New Minster, of the churches of Alton
• ff. 41v-54v: Portion of a Gospel Lectionary, Exultet and a series of benedictions
• ff. 54v-55r: List of lay brethren (continuation from ff. 28r-29r)
• f. 55v: List of relics
• ff. 56r-56v: List of Old Testament and other personages
• ff. 57r-57v: Charter of King Edward the Elder
• ff. 58r-58v: Three lists of relics
• f. 59r: Grant by Riwallon, Abbot of St Peter's, New Minster
• ff. 59v-61v: Interrogatio Damasi Papae
• ff. 65r-68r: List of lay-brethren (continuation from ff. 28r-29r and 54v-55r)
• f. 69r: Ownership inscription of the archivist and collector Thomas Astle, dated to 1710

The manuscript is datable to 1031, based on the presentation miniature of King Cnut and Queen Aelfgfu (source). The list of the monks of Hyde Abbey begins with 'Aelfwine Abbod Sac', who was probably elected by 1032 (source). The Grant by William I to Riwallon was added later and is datable to 1070 (source). After that point, no further additions are thought to have been made before the ownership inscription was added in 1710 (source).

There are only four drawings in this manuscript (source):

• f. 6r: King Cnut and his Queen, Aelfgfu, presenting a cross upon the altar of New Minster, with God within a vesica above them between the eponymic Saints of the Abbey, the Virgin Mary and St Peter.
• ff. 6v-7r: Double-page image of angels conducting the spirits of benefactors to the Heavenly Jerusalem, the portal of which is opened by St Peter for their reception.
• ff. 6v-7r: Double page image of two saints looking on a contest between St Peter and Satan for a soul at the Last Judgement, the books being opened, and on the right an evil spirit leading away a man and woman.
• f. 7r: The Jaws of Hell, with Satan thrusting down the man and woman, while the gate is being locked by the Archangel Michael.