Anthology of religious poems, 17th century, including penitential prayers and verse meditations on the joys of the next world. Following an introduction (ff 1r-6v), the text from folio 7r is in verse. With marginal references to passages in the Bible, written in the authoress' own hand, throughout the text. Her identity is not revealed, except that her Christian name was Doroteha, and, given references in the introduction to her grandchildren and other relations, she probably wrote the book in later life. With the name Jacobs Himmelsleiter inside the front cover.

The vellum in which the volume is bound bears on the outside front cover traces of 13th-century text, with the heading ET VIGILIA.

Fifteenth-century Beichtbüch (Liber Confessionis), a manual for the penitent about to attend confession, in the form of a treatise or essay (comprising 313 chapters) rather than a dialogue between master and pupil (the usual form of Beichtbücher).

Manuscript volume, late 15th century, containing an exempla: Tales of the Blessed Virgin Mary and of the Saints. Incomplete. Written in Guelderland or Overysel, probably in the neighbourhood of Deventer.

Manuscript volume, 15th century: Missale Fratrum Minorum (missal for the use of Friars Minor), with some musical notation.

Manuscript volume, 13th century: Sermones et Tractatus.

Manuscript volume, 14th century: Novum Testamentum Latinum (Latin New Testament).

Italian Book of Hours, c1470-1480, beginning Officium Beatae Mariae Virginis (office of the Blessed Virgin Mary). Originally 106(?) leaves, with 19th-century additions: full page colour illustrations and decorated borders, including a Crucifixion, added by Caleb W Wing.

Manuscript volume, 13th century: In Mattheum (commentaries on the Gospel of St Matthew by Rabanus Maurus).

Manuscript Jewish service book, 18th century: Omer. Signature on folio 1: Judah Samuel Sinigaglia.

Diurnal (Winter part only), created in Bavaria in 1428, and including the Temporale from the first Sunday in Advent to Easter Sunday; the Sanctorale from St Andrew to Saint Ambrose; the Communale; psalms, hymns and prayers for the day hours; hymns for Advent and to named saints; and prayers in a later hand. A later paper quire added at the end of the volume contains Psalm 4 and prayers.
Folio 70 is inscribed 'Explicit diurnale partis vernalis in vigili Sancte Barbare sub anno domini MCCCCXXVIII per manus Tedrici...capellani in Lype...'.
The diurnal was written in 3 separate hands; there are notes in the margins, flyleaves and endpapers, probably added at the same time as the paper quire by an early owner.

Breviary, dating from the 15th century and possibly made in Verona. The calendar seems to be Franciscan, and 'Missa pro fratribus et benefactoribus' suggests a men's house.
Gaudentus and Agabius, noted in the litany, were both bishops of Verona; the Saints Bernard, Clare and Francis are also noted.

Latin Bible, written in the 13th century.

Papers of Francis Tebbs Havergal, 31 Oct 1883, comprising a letter to accompany the volume of Monumental Inscriptions in Hereford Cathedral (1881) he sent to Sir Albert Woods and set of coloured plates of coats of arms from Hereford Cathedral.

Fowre Sermons containing the life & Actes of the moste famous virgine St. Katherine of Sienna written by the Reverend Fa: Lewes de Granada. Pencilled note on the fly-leaf suggesting that this is a translation by Francis Meres, 1565-1647.

Four leaves from a pontifical, probably Italian, containing part of the Ordo in Sabbato Sancto. The prayers of the first part correspond to the Roman Use of the 12th century; those of the second part to the 13th century Pontifical of William Durand.

600 holograph sermons, 1805-1847, bound in 21 volumes, preached mainly at the Royal Military Asylum, Chelsea, by George Clark.

Two consecutive vellum leaves from a Book of Hours of the Blessed Virgin Mary, of Roman use, containing part of the office of Lauds. Perhaps written in France in the 15th century.

Eleven miniatures, probably cut from the first leaves of a psalter, illustrating scenes from the life of Christ. The subject of each is as follows: Annunciation, Nativity, Annunciation to the Shepherds, Adoration of the Magi, the Last Supper, Flagellation of Christ, Christ Crucified, Women at the Sepulchre, Ascension, Descent of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles and Death of the Virgin.

Three vellum leaves, formerly paste-downs in the binding of of Omnia Opera by Angelo Ambrogini, called Poliziano (Venice, 1498), which was rebound in the twentieth century (Ref: Incunabula 1498 Strongroom), details as follows:

1. Leaf from a noted Missal, of Hereford Use, with part of the epistle, gradual, gospel, offertory, secret, communion and post-communion of the 3rd Sunday after Epiphany, and the introit, epistle, gospel and secret of the 4th Sunday. The antiphons 'Timebunt gentes', 'Dextem domini' and 'Mirabantur omnes' have their musical notation. The fragment was written in Hereford, England, in the late 12th century. It is inscibed and extensively annotated by Maurice Birchinshaw (d 1564), and inscibed by Nathaniel Evans in the 17th century. It was later used as a cover for a manorial extent, and inscibed in a 16th-17th century hand 'A court of [surve]igh for the mannour of Much Markl (i.e. Much Marcle, Herefordshire], 35 of Eliz [1592/3]', and 'Extent of survey de Man. de Mark[le]'.
2. Bi-folium from an Antiphoner, with responds and versicles for the following feasts: St Mary Magdalene (22 Jul), St Peter ad vincula (1 Aug), St Laurence (10 Aug), Assumption of the Virgin (15 Aug) and Octave of the Assumption (22 Aug>). The fragment was written in the late 13th century.

Medieval manuscript fragments formerly used as pastedowns, as follows:

1. Fragment of a leaf containing part of an abridgement of Seneca's De Beneficiis. Contains a complete paragraph beginning 'Iam vero transeamus' and ending 'deinde benficium' (corresponding to Book II, 18-19, p.36, line 26, to p.39, line 12 of the Teubner 1900 edition). The manuscript was written in the mid-12th century, and there are corrections and additional punctuation in a 12th-13th century hand.
2. Fragment of a leaf containing part of St Jerome's Epistola ad Paulum, headed LIII (53), from halfway through paragraph 7 'mundum ad poenitentiam' to the end, and the first few words of the Prologue to the Pentateuch (ending 'Latratibus patens'). The manuscript was probably written in France during the second half of the 13th century.
3. Fragment of a leaf containing Book III, 6 and 7, of the Clementinae, on testaments and burials. With gloss and annotations in a 14th century hand. The manuscript was probably written in Germany in the 14th century, and is also inscribed in a 16th century hand 'Francoise de Pont femme a Monsieur Jehan George Pipon faict avec Madame Monet Perrot sa femme'.
4. Fragment of a leaf containing part of the sanctorale from a Missal of Roman use, from the epistle of the Assumption of the Virgin (15 Aug) to the introit for the feast of St Agapitus (18 Aug), only the mass for St Laurence (17 Aug) being complete. The manuscript was probably written in Italy during the 14th century.

Two fragments cut from the head of two bifolia from a noted Missal, foliated 51 and 54, 56 and [-] in a 13th century hand, and containing part of the temporale from the introit for the 3rd feria of the 3rd week after Quadragesima to the 4th feria. The manuscript was written in the Low Countries or North-east France in the late 12th century.

Leaf, foliated LXX in a late 16th century hand, from an Antiphoner, containing part of the office for the Commemoration of St Paul (30 Jun). Written in Spain (or possibly Italy) in the late 16th century.

Papers probably comprising part of the Bible, 14th century: a fragment of a leaf containing part of Sirach.

Two manuscript volumes, 1645-1649, comprising sermons written by an unidentified preacher. Volume 1 includes a sermon for the confirmation of the 'Baron of Ossery, son and heire to the most honorable the Lo. Marquess or Ormond L. Lewetenant of Ireland' in St Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin, in 1646. This was Thomas Butler, Earl of Ossery (1634-1680), who was the eldest son of James Butler (1610-1688), 1st Marquess of Ormonde, Lord Lieutenant of Ireland. The Archbishop of Dublin was present to conduct the 'laying of hands' at the confirmation. Also in volume 1, at the end of one of the sermons, it states 'Hitherto I preached and then was debarred of my ministry the 25th June 1649'.

Papers, 1573, 1763-1932, of and relating to John Theodosius Van Der Kemp, comprising pages from his diary, 1763-1791; list of patients in a Dutch military hospital, 1793-1794; miscellaneous papers, 1801-1804; correspondence, 1802-1811, the subjects including missionaries, supplies, travel, and colonial policy and administration; various undated manuscripts in his hand, including medical notes and notes for sermons; his Bible (1573), comprising the Old Testament in Hebrew and New Testament in Greek; papers relating to his family, 1816-1817, 1849, including financial affairs; miscellaneous papers on Van Der Kemp and Bethelsdorp, 1826 and undated; a manuscript on the conversion and call of Van Der Kemp to missionary work and his voyage to the Cape [early 19th century]; manuscript copy of his autobiography, apparently translated by F G Hooper, 1820; a manuscript précis and extracts from his autobiography [early 19th century]; correspondence and papers, 1921-1932 and undated, on Van Der Kemp, relating especially to A D Martin's biography Doctor Vanderkemp, and including press cuttings and a photograph of his grave.

Correspondence and papers, 1831-c1905, of and relating to James Legge, comprising correspondence, largely manuscript and typescript copies (some later than the originals) of letters, 1831-1897, to and from Legge, the correspondents including his wife Hannah and other family members, also concerning the Anglo-Chinese College, Malacca, and its successor the Anglo-Chinese Theological Seminary, Hong Kong; sermons, mainly manuscript but including some printed, preached in Hong Kong, including the Union Church, and England, c1837-1880; publications, typescript copies, press cuttings, and manuscripts of articles, addresses and accounts, 1839-1890s (some undated; including some later copies), mainly by Legge but including some publications of other authors, the subjects including theology, Chinese religion including Confucius, Chinese language and literature, missionary work and journeys made, and Legge's work at the University of Oxford; personal papers, 1839-1897, including his certificate of ordination, 1839, print of an engraving of Legge with three Chinese students at the Hong Kong Theological Seminary, 1849, photographs of friends in Hong Kong and Chinese friends, and letter book containing Notes of my Life for my sons ... and their sisters', begun 1896; papers relating to Legge, including printed papers relating to his death, 1897, and the typescriptJames Legge: Missionary and Scholar' [before 1905]. Many of the typescript copies of correspondence and other writings were presumably made for Legge's daughter, Helen Edith Legge, for her James Legge: Missionary and Scholar (1905).

Papers, 1894-1900, of Thomas and Lucy Bach, comprising correspondence, 1894-1898, largely between Thomas and Lucy Bach and their families, including comments on Lucy's health, life in India, and missionary work; photographs, 1895-[1899], of people and scenes in India, including religious and educational subjects; printed papers, 1898-1900, relating to London Missionary Society (LMS) missionary work and the Bachs' life in India; St John's Gospel written on palm leaves in various languages and another palm leaf book, both undated.

Papers, 1910-1962, of the Rev S Douglas Gray, comprising personal correspondence, 1910-1940s; personal papers, 1910-1950, among them journals and diary and autobiographical extracts, including accounts of journeys in Rhodesia (later Zambia), addresses on missionary work, notes for sermons, and papers on Gray's furloughs, MBE, health, and retirement; papers relating to missionary work, including correspondence with Missionary Society officials, 1924-1954, correspondence and papers on medical, educational, and evangelistic matters and on indigenous customs including marriage, 1919-1962, and printed material, 1911-1940s; circular letters and circuit and district reports, 1912-1951, on various circuits in north and south Rhodesia; papers, 1911-1955, largely typescript, on general missionary affairs in Rhodesia; correspondence with Oliver Roebuck, 1923-1925, 1930, and Roebuck's diary, 1923.

Papers, 1822-1917, of and relating to the Rev David Hill, including journals, 1865-1889 (some gaps); Hill's notes, sermons and addresses, 1863-1875 and undated, including some lantern slides, the subjects including the Old Testament, missionary work, China, including the opium trade and Chinese literature, and Hill's visit to America; letters from Hill to various members of his family, 1847-1896, and other correspondents, 1873-1895; various letters, 1847-1917, some to Hill, but including miscellaneous others; photographs of Hill and other subjects, including Chinese costumes; books belonging to Hill, 1857-1895, such as Bibles, a prayerbook, and hymnbooks; woodcut for visiting card; correspondence and papers, 1858-1897 and undated, some printed, relating to missionary work and other affairs in China, including anti-foreign riots, 1891; papers, 1877-1881 and undated, relating to the opium trade; Central China Lay Mission cash book, 1894-1899; printed papers, 1822-1917, including material relating to missionary work in China and to Methodism, including Methodism in York.

Papers, 1935-1995, of Charles Granston Richards, comprising articles, reports, books, pamphlets and correspondence reflecting his work and interests. The papers cover his work with the Church Missionary Society in Kenya, East African Literary Bureau, Oxford University Press, Christian Literature Fund and Agency for Christian Literature Development in addition to his retirement years.

Papers, 1890-1957, of William Millman and his wife's first husband, Walter Stapleton, comprising correspondence, education and language (Lokele) material concerning missionary work in Yakusu, Belgian Congo (Zaire), Central Africa. Also includes photographs of missionaries and tribal groups, and a copy of a volume of the experiences of Edith Millman (1913-1938), taken from her letters and diaries.

Records, c1725, 1799-1986, of the United Society for Christian Literature (USCL) and its predecessors, including the Religious Tract Society, comprise:

Executive Committee minutes for the RTS, 1799-1935 (some gaps) (Ref: USCL 1-113), continued under the USCL, 1935-1953 (Ref: USCL 113-122), and other minutes, including copyright, finance, and local associations, for the RTS, 1806-1935, and USCL, 1935-1972 (Ref: USCL 123-149, USCL Add 6, 15, 19-22);

copies of outgoing RTS letters, 1824-1889 (Ref: USCL 150-195); miscellaneous correspondence of the RTS, 1824-1847 (Ref: USCL Add 23-26);

annual reports for the RTS, 1820-1935 (many gaps) (Ref: USCL 311-336, USCL Add 34), USCL, 1935-1962 (Ref: USCL 337-357, USCL/S 69-72, 99-103, USCL Add 38), and RTS (China), continued under the USCL, 1884-1947 (Ref: USCL 366-376);

ledgers and accounts, 1836-1952 (Ref: USCL 196-231);

papers of the RTS, succeeded by the USCL, relating to copyright, 1825-1835 (Ref: USCL Add 1-2); reports of sub-committees on anti-popery, 1839, and new warehouses, 1844 (Ref: USCL Add 3-4); salaries books, 1851-1938 (Ref: USCL Add 5); letters, report and pamphlet relating to the Assam mission, India, 1857-1859 (Ref: USCL Add 7); legacies book, 1911-1986 (Ref: USCL Add 11); USCL register of members, 1946-1963, also including declarations of employee names, 1948-1972 (Ref: USCL Add 16); USCL papers concerning premises in Lusaka, Rhodesia, 1949-1955 (Ref: USCL Add 17); reports on USCL officials' visits to India and Ceylon, Northern Rhodesia, and Zambia, 1950-1969 (Ref: USCL Add 18); papers documenting USCL history, 1927-1976 and undated, including notes, chronology, printed material, and photographs, including the fire damage of 1941 (Ref: USCL Add 64-71);

RTS and USCL printed tracts, c1920-c1950 (Ref: USCL 400-401); annotated listings of RTS publications, 1842-1859 (Ref: USCL Add 39); RTS publications, 1822-1934 and undated (Ref: USCL Add 41-57); USCL publications, 1935-1962 and undated (Ref: USCL Add 57-62); miscellaneous publications, c1725, 1816-1960, including some on the work of the RTS but also including other publications, some by the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge (Ref: USCL 377-399, USCL Add 40, 63).

There are also records, 1858-1950, of the Christian Literature Society (CLS) for India (and Africa) and its predecessor; and records, 1885-1977, of the UCSL (Scotland) and its predecessors.

Records, 1885-1977, of the UCSL (Scotland) and predecessors, comprising:

minutes of the Christian Literature Society (CLS) for China Scottish Central Committee, 1891-1942 (Ref: USCL/S 1-3), including annual meetings of the Society, 1893-1901 (Ref: USCL/S 1), Edinburgh Committee, 1893-1921, 1940-1942 (Ref: USCL/S 2, 7), and Glasgow Committee, 1893-1942 (Ref: USCL/S 5); USCL Scottish Central Committee, 1942-1977 (Ref: USCL/S 4), and Glasgow Committee, 1943-1972 (Ref: USCL/S 6); CLS for India and Africa Edinburgh Auxiliary Committee, 1926-1935, continued by the USCL Edinburgh Auxiliary, 1935-1976 (Ref: USCL/S 8), and USCL Glasgow and South of Scotland Auxiliary Committee, 1935-1942 (Ref: USCL/S 9);

other papers, 1885-1942, relating to the history of the CLS for China (Scotland) and USCL (Scotland) and their union (Ref: USCL/S 10-13);

annual reports for the Book and Tract Society of China, 1885-1890 (Ref: USCL/S 14-19), Society for the Diffusion of Christian and General Knowledge Among the Chinese, 1893-1895 (Ref: USCL/S 20-22), Christian Literature Society for China, 1893-1905, 1912-1942 (Ref: USCL/S 23-68, USCL Add 37), and USCL (Scotland), 1943-1971 (Ref: USCL/S 73-98);

miscellaneous publications, c1893-1966 (Ref: USCL/S 104-130).