1.3 Ripon Cathedral Manuscripts

Nine medieval manuscripts from the old Ripon Cathedral library have been on long-term deposit at Leeds University Library since 1985 (Ripon Cathedral MSS 1-9). Most were collected by Anthony Higgin, Dean of Ripon from 1608 to 1624. Ripon's medieval library was thoroughly dispersed at the Dissolution.

There are some impressive examples of illumination in these manuscripts. The most remarkable example is the 13th century Bible possibly produced in Oxford (Ripon Cathedral MS 1). You can find some large and finely decorated initials in the 12th century glossed Apocalypse and Catholic Epistles (Ripon Cathedral MS 3) and two codices originally bound together – Berengaudus's Apocalypse commentary and a glossed Lamentations of Jeremiah (Ripon Cathedral MS 4).