Stowe manuscripts facts for kids

The Stowe manuscripts are a special collection of about 2,000 old books and documents. These handwritten treasures come from Ireland, the Anglo-Saxon period (an early time in English history), and later medieval times. Most of them are now kept safe at the British Library in London.

These manuscripts were created between the years 1154 and the end of the 1300s. They give us a peek into history, showing how people wrote and what they thought about long ago.

What Are the Stowe Manuscripts?

The Stowe manuscripts are a large group of handwritten books and documents. They are called "manuscripts" because "manu" means hand and "script" means written. These aren't printed books; they were all carefully copied by hand, often by monks or skilled scribes.

They include different types of writings:

• Irish manuscripts: These are from Ireland and often contain stories, poems, or religious texts in the Irish language.
• Anglo-Saxon manuscripts: These come from England during the Anglo-Saxon period (roughly 450 to 1066 AD). They might include old English poems, laws, or religious texts.
• Later medieval manuscripts: These are from the Middle Ages, after the Anglo-Saxon period, and cover various topics.

Many of these manuscripts are also illuminated. This means they have beautiful, colorful drawings and decorations, often with gold or silver, making them true works of art.

How the Collection Grew

The Stowe manuscripts have a long and interesting history of how they were collected.

Early Collectors

The collection started with two important people:

• George Nugent-Temple-Grenville, 1st Marquess of Buckingham (who lived from 1753 to 1813)
• His son, the Richard Temple-Nugent-Brydges-Chandos-Grenville, 1st Duke of Buckingham and Chandos (who lived from 1776 to 1839)

They gathered these manuscripts at their grand home, Stowe House, which is near Buckingham in England.

A man named Thomas Astle, who studied old writings, also added to the collection. When he passed away in 1803, he left his own valuable manuscripts to the Duke. Later, the Duke bought even more Irish manuscripts from another collector named Charles O'Conor.

Changing Hands

The collection didn't stay with the Buckingham family forever. In 1849, the entire collection was bought by the Bertram Ashburnham, 4th Earl of Ashburnham. This happened after the 2nd Duke of Buckingham and Chandos faced financial difficulties, and his collection had to be sold.

Years later, in July 1883, the Bertram Ashburnham, 5th Earl of Ashburnham sold the Stowe manuscript collection to the British government. The government paid a large sum of £45,000 for it.

Where They Are Now

After the British government bought the manuscripts, they decided where each part should go:

• The English manuscripts were placed in the British Museum in London.
• The Irish manuscripts were sent, at first on loan, to the Royal Irish Academy in Dublin, Ireland.

Some of the Irish manuscripts were officially given to the Royal Irish Academy (R.I.A.) in Dublin. One very special item, the `cumdach` (or book-shrine) of the Stowe Missal, was later moved to the National Museum of Ireland.

One famous Irish manuscript transferred to the R.I.A. in 1883 was 'Manuscript C' of The Annals of the Four Masters. This is one of the original volumes of a very important history of Ireland.

Today, the 1085 Stowe manuscripts at the British Library are still kept as a special, separate collection.

Famous Stowe Manuscripts

Many of the manuscripts in the Stowe collection are very important. Here are a few examples, most of which are now in the British Library unless noted:

• Stowe Missal: This is an Irish manuscript from around 750 AD. It's now kept at the Royal Irish Academy in Dublin.
• Stowe Psalter: This is a beautiful Psalter (a book of Psalms) from the late Anglo-Saxon period.
• Stowe Breviary: An English manuscript from the early 14th century.
• Stowe MS 17, also known as the Maastricht Hours: This is a "book of hours" from the early 14th century. Books of hours were popular prayer books for people to use daily.
• Stowe MS 54 (Histoire ancienne): This manuscript from the early 15th century tells ancient history stories.
• Stowe MS 955 Petit Livre d'Amour: This is a lovely manuscript from the early 15th century by a French writer named Pierre Sala. Its name means "Little Book of Love."

Images for kids

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  A page from Stowe MS 944, showing King Cnut and Emma of Normandy

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