St John's College L.12 (James 367)
Order of Coronation of King Charles I. English, 1626
'The Order of the King's Coronation', followed on 2 February 1626. Possibly in the hand of John Cosin, later Bishop of Durham (1594-1672). It contains many annotations and additions in the hand of William Laud (1573-1645), then Bishop of St David's, later Archbishop of Canterbury, including at p. x: 'King Charles our most dread and gracious soveraigne was crownd att Westminster bye George Abbot Arch-Byshop of Canterburye Feb: 2 Candlemas Daye. William Laud Bishop of St Davids supplyed the roome of the Deane of Westminster. The daye was verye faire and the ceremonye was performed without anye interruption and in verye good order.' Laud's signature (Guil: Meneve:) is at p. 52. He has also written out two prayers, 'Oratio qua Rex se et Consilia sua commendat Deo ad ostium Ecclesiae Westmo: in initio Parliamenti' and 'Benedictio olei in Coronatione Regis', at pp. vi-vii and ix. On p. 53 is a note by Laud concerning the regalia. The vol. also contains, in another hand, 'The Forme of Dedication and Consecration of a Church, or Chappell (pp. 57-119). See Christopher Wordsworth, The manner of the coronation of King Charles I of England (London: Henry Bradshaw Soc., 1892), pp. x-xii, xviii-xxv, and see also SJC, MS L.15. The MS was exhibited with L.14 and L.15 at Cambridge University Library, June-Aug. 1953.
145x80 mm. x+119+lviii (blank) pp. Inside front cover in the hand of William Sancroft, Archbishop of Canterbury (1617-93), 'Recoverd from Bp Dolben'. This was either David Dolben, of St John's College, Bishop of Bangor (1581-1633), or, more likely given Sancroft's interest, John Dolben, successively Bishop of Rochester and Archbishop of York (1625-86). A further note in Sancroft's hand is at p. i. In the hand of Thomas Baker at p. i: 'Donum Optimi Praesulis Gulielmi nuper Episcopi Norvicensis' [William Lloyd (1637-1710), successively Bishop of Llandaff, Peterborough and Norwich]. Also in Baker's hand at p. iii: 'This was Bp Laud's own Book, the same that he made use off, at the Coronation of King Charles the first, when he acted as Sub dean or Deputy to the Dean of Westminster. It is a Rarity, and deserves our care'. 18th cent. College bookplate inside front cover.
The Order of Coronation is in the hand of John Cosin, and is in red ink. Paper with ruled margins. Original leather binding, tooled in gilt with a '5' on the spine. Former ties now lost.