St John’s College A.2.18(2) (James 487)

Myles Blomefylde, List of the Wards and Parish Churches of London. English, c. 1560

Myles Blomefylde, of the University of Cambridge, physician, alchemist and white magician (1525-1603): 'Here is declared the Wardes with all the parysshe Churches that stonde in those Wardes, Within the Cyte of Lond[on]' (fo. 1r); 'Here is mentioned all the Cathedrall churches, Chapelles and Other Churches that are Within the Cytie of London' (fo. 4v); 'Churches and Chapelles With out the Cytye' (fo. 5v). At fo. 6v: 'The hoole Summa of all the Churches, As well paryshe Churches, Chapelles and other, as well within the Cytye as Without the Cytye, are in Nombre 155' (this is not the date 1551, as suggested by Baker and Murphy below). Bound with three printed pamphlets: Information for pilgrims into the Holy Land (London: Wynkyn de Worde, 1524; STC 14083), William Thomas, The Historie of Italie (Thomas Berthelet, 1549; STC 24018), and the Gesta Romanorum (London: Wynkyn de Worde, n.d. [1517]; STC 21286.5). The hand in the MS is clearly that of Blomefylde, see Irvine Gray in the Cambridge Review 68 (1946-7), 172-4, D. C. Baker and J. L. Murphy, 'The books of Myles Blomefylde', The Library 5th Ser. 31 (1976), 377-85 and D. C. Baker and W. C. Guthrie, 'Footnotes to an alchemist', Notes and Queries 223 (1978), 421-4. There are many further autograph signatures, rebuses and annotations throughout the volume as bound, including an autobiographical note and a splendid 'Myles Blomefylde in Venice Anno, 1568'.

Manuscript extra information

180x125 mm. 8 fos (7 and 8 blank). Small College bookplate (eighteenth century) inside front cover. Also 'ex dono' plate of Thomas Baker, and inscribed by Baker on the first flyleaf: 'Tho: Baker dedit Coll: Jo: Socius Ejectus', and on the second flyleaf: '1. Two old Books printed by Wynk: de Worde / 2. The Historie of Italie by William Thomas printed an: 1549'. On the latter folio some later (seventeenth-century) notes, including 'In obitum Bartholomai Baronii', possibly by William Lowther. At various times classified at SJC Vv.23.43 and Gg.6.38 (inscriptions inside front cover).

A single, neat hand. Rubricated initials and headings. Paper, ruled, and severely trimmed in binding. Handsome near-contemporary leather binding on boards, stamped and with gold tooling and lettering.