Volume 1

A summary catalogue of Western manuscripts in the Bodleian Library at Oxford.

  • Bodleian Library
Date:
1895-1953
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: A summary catalogue of Western manuscripts in the Bodleian Library at Oxford. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    53/228
    468-507 History and Topography of Wales, Scotland (472), Ireland (475), and Isle of Man (515). 516-20 History, miscellaneous. The creation of a class called Rawl. B led to the manuscripts in the Old List sometimes being called Rawl. (a) or A. At about the same time another new series was arranged, which with very considerable changes became the present Rawl. A. In conse- quence the designation Rawl. A is ambiguous from the time of creation of Rawl. B {c. 1810) to the time when the majority of the manuscripts in the Old List were drafted into new series {c. 1844). The present Rawl. A was arranged by Stephen Reay, Sub- Librarian, in 1831, and the early hand-list is written by him. The arrangement of Rawl. C was begun by Reay (Nos. 1-747), c. 1844, 2^^cl finished by W. D. Macray, c. 1850. The earliest extant hand-list is by Macray and is in effect a draft for his catalogue. This arrangement of the collection was far from satisfactory and deserved the strictures of Sir Frederick Madden who wished one continuous series to be formed,^ but it was im- practicable at this stage, and would have caused too much dislocation later. So far the work was done under the leadership of Bandinel. The great accessions, however, of the earlier years of his period of office absorbed the energy of the staff. That they were promptly dealt with is a signal achievement considering how small the staff was. In Bandinebs later years less was done. On 30 January 1858 there appeared in the Athenaeum^ an article entitled ‘The Raw- linson manuscripts’ and signed ‘F.S.A.’, in which complaint was made that no catalogue of the Rawlinson and Tanner collections had ever been compiled and that ‘no one, not even the librarians, know all the resources of the extraordinary assemblage [of manu- scripts’]. On the same day the Curators met and: Resolved that Dr. Bandinel should furnish the Curators with a state- ment of the portion of the Library of which there is still no printed catalogue, including MSS. Prints, etc. * B.L.R. ii. 194. PP. 147 f ; see B.L.R. iv. 6 f. Mr. A. W. Ashby informs me that it was written by the editor, William Hepworth Dixon. 127.1 d