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Cathedral Libraries and Archives Association Newsletter Winter 2013

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CHAIRMAN’S INTRODUCTION

I am delighted to introduce the latest edition of the CLAA newsletter. The Association has had a good year,a high point of which for those who were able to take part in it, was the Triennial Conference held at ChristChurch Cathedral, Dublin. Our Dublin hosts laid on a fascinating programme, a powerful reminder of theimmense riches held by all the ancient cathedrals of the British Isles. No doubt in 2014 cathedral libraries andarchives will have much to contribute to the centenary of the First World War. Many are already working onthe Magna Carta commemorations in the year after that. The present is illuminated by the past, and ourlibraries and archives play an important part in making that illumination possible.

Peter Atkinson, Dean of Worcester

CATHEDRAL LIBRARIES AND ARCHIVES ASSOCIATIONNEWSLETTER, WINTER 2013

CLAA NEWS

CLAA AGM 2014The AGM in 2014 will take place at HerefordCathedral on 19th June, with the title ‘Image andimagination: the collection, care and exploitation ofboth digital and digitized images’. This will includepresentations drawing on Hereford’s experiences inthis area. If there are any further suggestions forpapers, please do get in touch with a member ofthe committee. The cost of the day will be £25;further information will follow in the New Year.

Editor

CLAA 2013 Triennial ConferenceIn June 2013, members of CLAA crossed the IrishSea to attend the Triennial Conference in Dublin,which took the theme of ‘the Cathedral as CulturalFocus in a Metropolitan Setting’. Dublin wouldseem to be an ideal place for this, having twoAnglican cathedrals within the one city, and aworld-famous literary history, theatrical backgroundand influence on the art scene. Home to the greatlibrary of Trinity College, with the magnificent Book

of Kells, and the Chester Beatty, with its wonderful collection of manuscripts, paintings, printed booksand decorative arts, as well as Ireland’s first publiclibrary, Marsh’s Library, Dublin was a perfectlocation to reflect on cultural activities in what isnow a very multi-cultural society, and the role thecathedral has to play in this and the life of a city asa whole.

After a warm Irish welcome from the Dean of ChristChurch, the Very Reverend Dermot Dunne, wewere treated to a fabulous tour of the cathedral,and an explanation of its complicated history, howDublin ended up with two cathedrals, and therelationship between Christ Church and St Patrick’s.Of particular appeal were the ‘Foxy Friars’, thedepictions of the friars who sought alms from thelocal community and perhaps were not always thatwelcome! For someone with little knowledge of theIrish Church, it was a fascinating insight into theevolution of the Anglican Church under verydifficult circumstances.


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The keynote speaker was the Most Reverend DrMichael Jackson, Archbishop of Dublin. He spokeabout how archives can assist the cathedral to act asa bridge between the church and the secular world,helping their cathedral to reach out to generationswho may have no personal experience of religionand its traditions. Part of a cathedral’s mission islearning and education, and archives and librariescan help draw on a shared if different history,support people in finding their identity, and makethe cathedral somewhere people want to use andbe. The first day ended with evensong at St Patrick’sCathedral and a wonderful dinner with live music inthe atmospheric surrounds of the crypt of ChristChurch.

The next morning saw Dr Kenneth Milne, Chair ofthe Culture Committee of Christ Church, continuingthe previous day’s line of thinking through hisdescription of the different cultural initiatives beingundertaken at Christ Church, focussing on its role inDublin’s identity and its contribution to the politicaland cultural life of the city and the country as awhole. Archives were brought to the fore in thepresentation by Dr Raymond Refaussé, Church ofIreland Archivist and Librarian, and Dr Mary Clark,Dublin City Archivist. Together, they showed howthe city of Dublin is reflected in the life and historyof the cathedrals, and how close the links betweencity and church were and still are. For example DrClark spoke of the initiative between Christ Churchand the Corporation to create a public gardenwithin the cathedral precincts. These were againthought-provoking presentations over the role ofthe cathedral in the community and how archivescan help them achieve their mission.

The afternoon saw a shift in direction towards artand architecture, and the role of the church instimulating creativity. Dr Nicola Gordon Bowespoke about the influence of religious works such asiconographies and medieval manuscripts on the artworld of the 19th and 20th century, and how theincreased interest in native heritage had led toinspiration being taken from the remains of thepast, including churches and religious buildings, inthe search for cultural identity. Dr Michael O’Neillfollowed this with a detailed history of the twocathedrals of Dublin, their architecture and their

civic uses, including ‘Paddy’s Opera’, whereevensong was seen as an operatic event with largecrowds of spectators. They both showed differentinterpretations of the cathedral and its role in thecultural life of a city. This was followed by a tour ofMarsh’s Library, which again showed the role of theChurch in the life of the city; the Library wasprovided by the Church, but with no religious bar toresearchers ensuring ‘all Graduates and Gentlemen’could have access to knowledge. After a fascinatingbi-lingual evensong (Irish and English, with alsosome African elements), day two ended with theConference Dinner in the grand setting of theKildare Street and University Club.

Several of the speakers had shown how music is akey way in which the cathedral can encouragepeople who might not otherwise have a connectionwith them, and Friday morning saw Dr KerryHouston talking on the great history of choralpractice as seen through the music manuscripts ofthe Dublin cathedrals. This was contrasted in thefinal presentation by the Very Reverend DermotDunne who spoke about the current simplicity ofthe liturgy in the Church of Ireland and the politicsbehind that. He said that cathedrals should be acentre of excellence, offering ministry, hospitalityand welcome to both the core congregation andthe large transient body of visitors; to be placeswhere music and words can dance together in therich tapestry of culture that archives and librariescan feed into and be part of.

For those lucky enough to be able to stay, there wasa tour in the afternoon to the spectacular monasticsites of Glendalough in the afternoon, an ideal placeto contemplate all we had heard over the past fewdays.

Overall, the conference was a great opportunity toshare experiences and information, to put faces tonames and build up contacts, but most of all toreflect anew on the important role of cathedralarchives and libraries in the context of the wideraims of the institution.

Eleanor Cracknell, Eton College, formerly St George’s Chapel, Windsor

New CLAA Committee MemberI have been archivist at Christ Church for the bestpart of 20 years now, and it has to be one of thebest jobs in the business! I came to it more byserendipity than by any conventional method.Having worked in one of the offices in the collegeon a short-term contract, I occupied my time afterthis had come to an end, doing some privateresearch on the Christ Church almsmen. Just as thiswas published, the then archivist left and I wasasked if I would stay on to take his place. Howcould I refuse? Whilst working part-time for the firstfew years, I took a Masters in English Local Historyat Kellogg College (specialising in early modernagricultural history) and then the Society ofArchivists’ diploma in Archive Administration. Therest, as they say, is history. I have been full-timesince 2000, and the job just gets busier and busier.Four years ago, the archive was moved from arather crummy and damp 1960s basement into a16th-century brewhouse which is not only moreappropriate but much more pleasant. I’m actuallyabove ground and can see trees out of thewindows! The new conditions were inspirational

and, last year, I published a new history of ChristChurch – the first since 1900 – called The Cardinal’sCollege: Christ Church, Chapter and Verse.

As unconventional as my route into employmenthere was, Christ Church itself is hardly ‘normal’either as a cathedral or as an Oxford college. It wasfounded in 1546 as a unique joint foundation ofcathedral and college and, until the mid-19th

century, the Chapter was the governing body ofboth parts. In 1867, though, under pressure toreform both from the Cathedrals’ and theUniversity Commissions, the administration was, toall intents and purposes split into two. The Deanremained and remains head of both college andcathedral but the Chapter is now just a small part ofthe Governing Body. The cathedral is funded by asubvention from the Governing Body (and its ownfund-raising, of course). This means that theestates, as well as all the educational activity, arerun from the college side and the records ofChapter are now just a tiny section of the archive.As archivist, I am extremely lucky, having a footfirmly in both camps!


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For my sins, I am convenor of the Oxford Archivists’Consortium. Most college archivists here workalone and it helps to have a pool of expertise todraw on or, at least, sympathetic ears to whinge at!We organise talks on aspects of our work, or thearchival world more generally, most of which seemto end up in a local hostelry. I also serve as acommittee member of the Oxford Historical Societyand as an adviser to the Soldiers of OxfordshireTrust. I’m looking forward to doing my bit for theCLAA, although the shoes I have to step into areformidable.

More personally, I have two grown-up children; mydaughter is a military (RAF) wife (having trained asan officer herself), and my son is a theatre nurse atBournemouth Royal Hospital. I read voraciously, tryto learn modern Greek – with the intention ofmoving out there at some point in the not too-distant future – and look at the bicycle in the garden

hoping that the weight will drop off just throughgood intentions!

Judith Curthoys

CLAA websiteThe new Cathedral Libraries and ArchivesAssociation website is now live. You’ll find theorganisation’s aims, contact details for thecommittee, a list of cathedral libraries and archives,resources and publications and events on it. We’realso looking for contributions for the galleryfeature, so please send your photographs of yourlibrary or archive to [email protected] inclusion on the website. http://cathedrallibrariesandarchives.wordpress.com/

Katie Flanagan

NEWS FROM MEMBERS

Canterbury CathedralNews from the Archives and Library This autumn saw the publication of the ChristChurch Canterbury volume of the Anglo-Saxoncharters series, edited by Nicholas Brooks and S EKelly. We were delighted to be able to celebrate thisin November with a lecture in the reading roomgiven by Prof Brooks. The publication was especiallytimely given our purchase earlier in the year of theGodwine Charter, as reported in the last newsletter.

Also in the autumn, as part of the national HeritageOpen Days initiative, we launched the DocExploresoftware, as reported in previous newsletters. Thissoftware results from a project between partners inCanterbury and in Rouen which has aimed atexploring the applications of IT to the study ofmanuscripts and handwriting. The Canterburypartners are the Cathedral Archives and academicsfrom the Centre for Medieval and Early ModernStudies and the School of Engineering and DigitalArts at the University of Kent. The resulting touch-screen software simulates the turning of pages, andallows the addition of explanatory text, images,sound and even film. For further information, seewww.docexplore.eu

The DocExplore software was demonstrated to theconference of the Rare Books and SpecialCollections Group of CILIP, which was held at thecathedral in September. The theme of theconference was ‘the Future of the Past: digitisationof rare and special materials’. The conference wasthoroughly enjoyed by its delegates.

In November, the cathedral submitted anapplication to the Heritage Lottery Fund for itssupport towards a £19.4million project, entitled ‘theCanterbury Journey’. As well as conservation to thehistoric fabric, the creation of new visitor facilitiesand expanded educational and outreach work, thisproject includes opening up the cathedral’s historiccollections to a wider audience.

The agreement with the Law Society for the depositof the Mendham Collection in the Cathedral Librarycomes to an end on 31st December, when thecollection is due to be removed.

Fragments of the shrine of Thomas Becket, from theArchives’ collections, are currently on displayalongside panels of the cathedral’s stained glass inthe exhibition ‘Art under Attack: histories of Britishiconoclasm’ at Tate Britain.

Cressida Williams, Canterbury Cathedral

Binding fragment discoveries atCanterbury Cathedral ArchivesOne of the trickiest problems faced bybibliographers and cataloguers is that of identifyingpastedowns, wrappers and the contents ofpasteboards found in the bindings of early printedbooks. There is the question of identifying the textof the leaves which have survived and the origin ofmanuscript fragments or the edition to whichprinted fragments belong. And there is also thequestion of whether it is worth spending a lot ofeffort in trying to answer questions of this sort.

Canterbury Cathedral Archives has an extensive setof binding fragments which form three series in itsAdditional Manuscripts series (AddMs-127, 128and 129), together with a number of individualentries such as AddMs-16 and AddMs-20. Themajority of these fragments are from manuscriptsand the online catalogue records their identificationby Neil Ker in his Medieval manuscripts in BritishLibraries (1969–2002).

AddMs-20 shows the potential significance of thesefragments. It consists of two manuscript leavesfrom Chrodegang of Metz, Regula Canonicorum(1050–1100) in Anglo-Saxon and Latin, recorded inNeil Ker, Manuscripts Containing Anglo-Saxon(1957, reissued 1990) pp. 138-9 and in RichardGameson, The Earliest books of CanterburyCathedral (2008) pp. 126–131. The CathedralArchives’ catalogue entry shows just how importantthe identification of such fragments can be:

‘This sheet may be a survivor from the'Regula Canonicorum' mentioned in the listof 'libri Anglice' in the catalogue of thecathedral library temp Prior Henry of Eastry,cf James, 'Ancient Libraries of Canterbury andDover', pp xxvii and 51. This sheet wasformerly among the fragments of MSSrecovered, so it appears, from church courtregister bindings, probably by J B Sheppard.’

The Additional Manuscripts series was started afterthe Second World War by William Urry, the thenCathedral Librarian and Archivist. The onlinecatalogue acknowledges that the origin of theseremnants is largely unrecorded. They seemprobably to have been re-used as wrappers foradministrative documents of the ecclesiastical

courts, though some of the printed fragments haveclearly been extracted from pasteboards composedof layers of laminated wastepaper. A full list of themedieval manuscript fragments is given by Ker,Medieval manuscripts, vol. 2, pp. 312–330 wherehe states that ‘there is a strong probability that theolder fragments came either from the CathedralPriory or from the dispersed library of St Augustine’sAbbey.

The printed items in the Additional Manuscriptsfragments have been recorded summarily in theonline Archives catalogue but have not been fullyidentified and are not (yet) recorded in the printedbooks catalogue. For example, AddMs-127/35 isrecorded as ‘Ephemerides for 1508, 2pp. Latin.’ Infact it can be identified as an incunable fragment:two conjugate leaves for December 1508 fromJohannes Stoeffler and Jacob Pflaum, Almanachnova in annos 1499-1531 printed in Ulm by JohannReger, 13 February 1499 (4°; ISTC is00791000;GW M44051; BMC ii 542).

So far, I have identified five fragments of four15th-century books printed between 1478 and 1499(three of them not previously identified) and fiveearly 16th-century English books of 1508, c.1510,c.1520, and 1521 (three from editions notpreviously known to exist).

The most significant of the discoveries so far madeare the unrecorded 16th-century English books: aLatin-English school text of c.1510 and twoprognostications for 1521, which are itemisedbelow:

John of Garland, Liber equivocorum, London,Julian Notary, 11 August, 1508, 4°. 30 leaves from a binding, sigs CC4 to II6,with colophon and printer’s device.Not in STC (STC 11606 is an edition of 3 May1508 printed by Richard Pynson). AddMs-127/29

Jaspar Laet, Pronostycacyon, London:[R.Pynson?, 1521?], 4°.Four leaves surviving, including the title page.No editions for Laet's Prognostication of1521 recorded in STC.AddMs-127/31(1)


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Jaspar Laet, Prognosticatio, London: JohnSkot, 1521, 4°. Four leaves, badly damaged, including thefinal leaf with the colophon and printer’sdevice. Not in STC. AddMs-127/31(3)

AddMs-127/31 was originally catalogued as a 12-page prognostication for 1521 but examinationquickly showed that it consists of three separatefragments of four leaves each, printed in differenttypefaces, each part of a prognostication of 1520 or1521. The second item is another prognostication,this time for 1520, of which the only recordedcopies appear to be a title page in the HuntingtonLibrary, California, and another leaf in the BodleianLibrary:

Adrian [Velthoven], The p[ro]nostication ofmaister Adrian. For 1520. [London:R. Pynson], 4°. Four leaves only. Possibly STC406.7.AddMs-127/31(2)

It is very regrettable that the source of thesefragments is unknown. Were they from bookswhich were in Canterbury libraries before theReformation which were discarded and re-used aswastepaper later in the sixteenth century? If so, itcould be possible that the fifteenth-century printedfragments might be the only evidence surviving inCanterbury of the presence of printed books in thepre-Dissolution library in the fifteenth century. Onthe other hand, the three sets of almanachfragments clearly formed a single pasteboard froma binding and could well be out-of-date unsaleableitems from a bookseller’s stock recycled by a binder,either in Canterbury or in London. Even moretantalising is the possibility that the school textsmight have been used in the almonry school at theCathedral Priory or at St Augustine’s.

There are a number of fragments still to beinvestigated, at least one of which would seem tobe German printing of the 1470s.

David Shaw, Canterbury Cathedral Library volunteer

Durham Cathedral Lindisfarne Gospels Durham: one amazing book, one incredible journeyWhen the white van carrying the LindisfarneGospels drove off Palace Green early in October weall felt a sense of loss. Not that we are part of amovement to keep the Gospels in the North East,but we had become so used to their tranquilpresence over three months at the centre of ourexhibition. This summer in Durham we have hadthe exhilarating experience of staging a successful,major exhibition which has attracted visitors fromall over the UK and over 20 different countries.

When planning for the exhibition started in 2009, itwas intended that the Gospels would be displayedin Durham Cathedral but unfortunately theChapter’s plans for new display spaces were notsufficiently advanced so Palace Green Library’sexhibition galleries were chosen. It required somerejigging of the construction schedule and somevery fast redesign by the architects but a betterdesign is the result. We now have galleries whichare of such a high standard that we can satisfy theloan conditions of the most exacting of lenders. Sowe were able to borrow manuscripts from Oxfordand Cambridge college libraries, CambridgeUniversity Library and the Bodleian as well as theBritish Library. Objects came from the BritishMuseum, English Heritage, the Midlands galleriesthat own the Staffordshire Hoard and the NationalMuseum of Scotland as well as local museums.

The exhibition was a huge success. We sold over97,000 tickets via Ticketmaster and had aboutanother 3,000 school visitors. In addition theeducation team took Gospels’ sessions into schoolsfor over 20,000 schoolchildren throughout theregion. Thanks to Professor Richard Gameson theconcept of the exhibition followed two simplestories—that of the combination of two culturaltraditions, the Roman and the Insular in the creationof the Gospels, and the story of the journey of theGospels from Lindisfarne to Durham. Most of thenarrative and objects were in the first gallery. Thesecond smaller gallery was designed to be more likea shrine with a few cases, containing the DurhamGospels as well as the Cuthbert and LindisfarneGospels and objects from St Cuthbert’s coffinincluding the pectoral cross, ring and portable altar.

The exhibition’s concept seems to have appealed toa wide audience to judge from the feedback. Thishas been carefully analysed and demonstrates asatisfaction rating of 99.3%. What struck me mostfrom the comments books was the number peopleused the word ‘inspiring’ to describe theirexperience. The exciting thing for me was that wecontrived to reunite in the same room a series ofmanuscript books that had not been together formany hundreds of years and which normally live inseparate libraries in Oxford, Cambridge, Durhamand London. To go into the first gallery eachmorning and see side by side in a case, three‘ordinary’ Gospel books that were written in NorthEast scriptoria in the 8th century was a richexperience I shall not forget. To be able to seeprecious metal objects and stones decorated withthe same interlaced patterns as the manuscripts wassomething we never expected to achieve. Finallythe exhibition has put the Durham manuscriptbooks in their right place alongside the Lindisfarne,Cuthbert and Cambridge/London Gospels. It hasalso stimulated the creation of joint university andcathedral projects on the Durham priorymanuscripts, the first being the pigment analysisproject we have begun with the ChemistryDepartment.

Sheila Hingley, Durham University Library

Exeter CathedralIt was announced in December that ExeterCathedral Library and Archives was one of the firstsix services to be awarded Accredited status underthe new Archive Service Accreditation scheme.Accredited status means that these service meet thenewly developed Accreditation Standard. Securingthis status is a very significant achievement. TheExeter website states: ‘We have found workingtowards accreditation has enable us to review ourpolicies and practice in line with national standards.Our success at being one of the first AccreditedServices in England is something we are really proudof and comes at the end of ten years of planningand hard work and recognises the professionalismwe strive for on behalf of the Cathedral’.

Editor

Lambeth Palace LibrarySociety of Saint John the EvangelistThe end of November marked the completion of an11-month project to catalogue the records of theSociety of Saint John the Evangelist (SSJE). TheCowley Fathers, as SSJE was more popularlyknown, were founded by Richard Meux Benson inOxford in 1866, when Benson and two otherFathers took vows of silence, poverty andobedience and began the first Anglican malemonastic order since the Reformation. Thebrotherhood would last almost 150 years before,sadly, coming to a close in England in 2011(although a thriving community still exists inAmerica).

Functioning as Fr. Benson had intended—as aworking missionary community—the Societyexpanded from its Oxford base and establishedhouses in London, India, South Africa, America,Canada and Japan. From each of these houses theFathers ventured out into the community,ministering wherever asked, as well as welcomingpeople into their midst – providing safety andeducation for children and places of retreat andcontemplation for clergy and lay people alike.

It is from India and South Africa that perhaps someof the most fascinating material in the collectionemanates, with letters sent back from the‘missionary frontier’ by pioneering Fathers in the1870s and 1880s providing a vivid recollection andglorious image of the early work of the missions ofthe Society. Under particularly harsh conditions—cholera was just one ever present threat—theFathers would cover large swathes of land carryingout the work of God wherever and whenever theopportunity arose.

That is not to say the activities of SSJE were wellreceived in all quarters, with letters revealingconfrontations with the Indian establishment arisingwhen Fathers took to the streets to distribute‘religious material’. Further challenges came fromwithin the life as a monk living under Rule, withFathers tasked to undertake 'activeevangelicalization' whilst at the same time adheringto their vow of silence. Nevertheless, the legacy leftby SSJE is clear across several continents, with manyof the schools and churches built by the Fathers stillfulfilling the same functions as they had so manyyears ago.


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In addition to the wonderful correspondence, thecollection also features a comprehensive set of theSociety’s Rule and Statute books and minute bookswhich combine to explain the governance of theSociety, a large number of photographs and slidesshowing the Fathers at work at the missions, and alarge volume of religious texts, particularly from itsrenowned leader Fr. Benson, in the form ofsermons, addresses and meditations.

The project was jointly funded by the charitabletrust administering SSJE funds, the Fellowship of St.John, and the Trustees of Lambeth Palace Library,and the collection is housed at the Church ofEngland Record Centre, South Bermondsey. Toaccess the material, please consult the LambethPalace Library catalogue

Simon Sheppard, Church of England Records Centre

SSJE Richard Meux Benson

The Representative Church Body Library, DublinThe Representative Church Body Library, Dublin, isinter alia, the archives of the Church of Ireland.Among its resources are important collections ofarchitectural, drawings of parish churches andcathedrals from the 18th to the 21st centuries. Since2011 the library has been engaged on a phasedprogramme to digitize and catalogue thesesdrawings and to make them available online. Thiswork is undertaken by the architectural historian, DrMichael O’Neill FSA.

The latest phase of the project is to work on thedrawings of St Patrick’s Cathedral, Dublin. Some ofthe more important architects in Ireland in the 18th

and 19th centuries had an association with StPatrick’s—these include Thomas Cooley, FrancisJohnston, John Bowden. Joseph Welland, SirThomas Drew and R.C. Carpenter (the AnglicanPugin), few of whose English drawings havesurvived. Drawings in the hands of these architectssurvive among the cathedral’s archives which havebeen transferred to the RCB Library.

The St Patrick’s drawings deserve to be betterknown. They are an important resource forunderstanding the development of the cathedralover several centuries and also inform anunderstanding of church architecture in Ireland. It isanticipated that, in digitised form, they will be avaluable educational and outreach tool for thecathedral, as well as being of assistance to theCathedral Architect. This project might also beuseful in preparing for the 150th anniversary of theGuinness restoration of the cathedral in 2015.

The architectural drawings project may be viewedat http://archdrawing.ireland.anglican.org/

Raymond Refaussé, The Representative Church Body Library,

Dublin


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Rochester CathedralThe library collection has now been decanted to theKent History Centre and Library where it will bestored until the refurbishment has been completed.While it’s there a section of the collection, whichhad been housed in an appendix to the crypt ratherthan in the library, will be cleaned of a mild dose ofmould. Some of the more fragile, rarer booksmeanwhile are having enclosures made for themand the photo/print collection is being completelyre-boxed.

The Textus Roffensis has been digitised by theCentre for Heritage Imaging, John Rylands Library,University of Manchester and will hopefully beavailable online in the near future. We are alsoworking with a software company to develop a

‘Turning the Pages’ application for it for use withadditional interpretive tools onsite here at thecathedral. Alixe Bovey from the University of Kentand Michael Wood have contributed to a shortinterpretive film about the Textus which will be usedwithin the forthcoming exhibition and perhaps insome version online too and Chris Monk fromManchester University has also helped us withtranslation and audio recording of some passagesread in Anglo-Saxon.

You might also be aware that we are hoping towork with the University of Kent Library Service tore-catalogue the collection and make this availableonline. The catalogue will be a vital accessmanagement tool.

An example of the drawings of St Patrick’s Cathedral held at the RCB Library

With advice from the Collections Team at YorkMinster we are also looking at developing theinventory to incorporate some MDA fields to makeit a more accessible and useful tool for access andstudy. This project is being undertaken by ourlibrary volunteer team. The team is also working onlisting some manuscript sermons we have justdiscovered which date from the late 1930s up tothe 1970s.

Armand de Filippo, Rochester Cathedral

Worcester CathedralAugust was an exceptionally busy month with avery large number of tours. The whole process wasintensive and would not have been possible withoutthe commitment of the staff and volunteers. Eachweek a different series of books were shown. Thisrequired additional research and many new labels tobe produced.

In September the Library Assistant DeidreMcKeown produced an exhibition on life in aBenedictine Monastery looking at the music, liturgy,medicine, diet, hospitality and other administrativeand religious duties at Worcester Cathedral Priory.The exhibition lasted for three weeks and waslocated in the north and west cloisters. It provedvery popular with additional resources that childrencould take away with them, as well as a file of moredetailed material for those who wanted to find outmore. The library volunteers helped with some ofthe research, and found it a useful way to learnmore about the history of the cathedral.

Deirdre is already researching her next bigexhibition on maps. This will be in the cathedral fortwo and a half weeks in February, and look atdifferent examples of maps from the medieval eraonwards using the cathedral’s collections.

At the beginning of September, the Librarian andhis assistant attended a conference at the Universityof Birmingham produced by The National Archivesand Research Libraries UK for increasingcooperative projects between archives, libraries andacademics. This was well attended and offered anumber of positive case studies, with talks by bothacademics and library or archive staff. Inspired bythe conference, the library is hoping to pursue a

collaborative project with University of Worcestergraphic design students as part of the February2014 map exhibition.

Conservation work on the registers and some of themanuscripts has continued over the last fewmonths. This work has been funded by the Friendsof the Cathedral, a charitable trust, and Adopt-a-Book donations.

David Morrison, Worcester Cathedral

York MinsterThe renovated museum in the Minster Undercroftopened officially on 25th May and has had goodfeedback with most people on Trip Advisor rating itas excellent. The centrepiece of the display is theAnglo-Saxon York Gospels. Thanks are due toKumiko Matsuoka, the British Library’sEnvironmental Monitoring Conservator, and LizBranigan, Durham University’s Senior Conservator,for their generous advice during preparations.

The new academic year has now started and in thelibrary we are busy doing induction tours andoffering seminar space and resources. We alsoexperienced the joy of a new library managementsystem introduced over the summer. Our catalogueis on the main university one so all changes thereaffect us. All four staff underwent hours of trainingand are still finding their way around the newsystem which seems to have at least four extrasteps to every one in the previous system!

Another university initiative that the Minster Libraryhas adopted is application for a Customer ServiceExcellence charter. We have worked hard to makeour procedures as streamlined as possible with theuniversity library so we are pleased to be included.

The archives has been assisting the University ofYork with its work on the sources of historicalparchment by facilitating the collection of DNAsamples from a number of the Minster’smanuscripts, including the Anglo-Saxon YorkGospels. The results of the analysis suggest that themain body of the 11th-century book is written oncalfskin parchment (vellum) but that some of theleaves added at the ends of the book, whichcontain (inter alia) the oaths sworn by canons on


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their admission to the Chapter, were written onsheepskin parchment. The analysis also indicatesthe state of deterioration of the parchment. Withthe collection of sufficient samples from around theUK, the University hopes that it will be possible todelineate specific herds and establish therelationships between animals.

Two designs from the Chapter archive by WilliamKent, the most prominent architect and designer inearly Georgian Britain, have gone on display at theBard Graduate Center in New York as part of theexhibition William Kent: Designing GeorgianBritain (20th September 2013-16th February 2014).The designs, which are pen and ink drawings, arefor the throne and pulpit, and ladies’ pews whichwere installed in the choir of the Minster in the1730s and 40s, and which were subsequentlydestroyed by the fire of 1829. The curators of theexhibition said, ‘Although several drawings survive

from Kent’s domestic gothic commissions, the YorkMinster designs appear to be the only survivingecclesiastical gothic drawings. As unique examples,these drawings are essential to representing Kent’secclesiastical commissions. In addition, they showKent responding sensitively to the existing fabric ofthe great medieval building’. Those who areinterested will have the chance to see the exhibitioncloser to home next year when it travels to theVictoria and Albert Museum for display from 22nd

March to 13th July.

The Minster Library celebrates its 600th anniversarythis year. We are working closely with the universityto mount a small exhibition and to support a oneday symposium.

Sarah Griffin, York Minster


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THE CATHEDRAL LIBRARIES AND ARCHIVES ASSOCIATION

The aims of the Cathedral Libraries and ArchivesAssociation are:

To advance education by the promotion,preservation and protection of cathedral librariesand archives in the United Kingdom and Ireland The provision of appropriate access thereto

For our webpages, see http://cathedrallibrariesan-darchives.wordpress.com/

Enquiries about membership should be directed tothe Honorary Secretary or Treasurer.


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COMMITTEE CONTACTS

Chairman: The Very Rev Peter Atkinson, Dean of Worcester

Vice-ChairmanCanon Ann Barwood, Lay Canon and Canon Librarian of Exeter Cathedral

Treasurer: Mr Jo Wisdom, St Paul’s Cathedral Library. Email [email protected]

Honorary SecretaryMs Judith Curthoys, The Archives, Christ Church Oxford. Email [email protected]

Assistant SecretaryMrs Katie Flanagan, Brunel University.Email [email protected]

Committee Members:Dr Claire Breay, British Library. Email [email protected]

Ms Vicky Harrison, York Minster. Email [email protected]

Dr Sheila Hingley, Durham University Library. Email [email protected]

Dr Clare Rider, St George’s Chapel Windsor Castle.Email [email protected]

Mrs Cressida Williams, Canterbury Cathedral Archives.Email [email protected]

We aim to produce two issues of this letter each year, in summer and winter. Any contributions shouldbe sent to the Editor, Mrs Cressida Williams, either by email to [email protected] or by post to her at Canterbury Cathedral Archives, The Precincts, Canterbury CT1 2EH,to reach her by 31st October for the winter issue, or 30th April for the summer issue. She would alsowelcome comments or suggestions for content.

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