Tickhill Psalter

New York Public Library

Psalm 26 of the Tickhill Psalter, showing scenes from 1 Samuel 20

Type| Illuminated manuscript
Date| circa 1310
Place of origin| Tickhill, South Yorkshire, United Kingdom
Language(s)| Latin
Scribe(s)| John de Tickhill
Author(s)| Peter Lombard
Illuminated by| John de Tickhill
Material| Parchment, Vellum
Size| 32.7 x 22.1 cm.
Format| Double Columns
Script| Unical
Previously kept| Worksop Priory, Lothian Library

The Tickhill Psalter is a fourteenth-century English Gothic illuminated manuscript. The psalter is an intricately illustrated but unfinished book meant for use in Augustinian worship. It is decorated with various biblical scenes, many from the life of King David, and is now kept in the New York Public Library.

This Psalter contains three sections, each written and illuminated in various stages of completion. The sections are divided into a preface by Peter Lombard, the Psalms, and the Twelve Canticles including the Litany of Saints and the Nine Collects.

## History[edit]

Created in circa 1310, the manuscript was originally part of the library of the Worksop Priory in Nottinghamshire, but is now kept in the New York Public Library.[1] The name most likely derives from the fact that it was produced by the Worksop prior John de Tickhill, who likely came from the nearby South Yorkshire town of Tickhill.

The Psalter is sometimes referred to as the Tikyll Psalter or Tickytt Psalter, due to a spelling issue on the title bindings that were redone under the Library of Lothian.[2]

This Psalter is unique because the chief illuminator/ scribe’s name and area of origin for the manuscript is known, unlike most other English Gothic illuminations, because of an Inscription written on the first folio.

Foreword describing John Tickhill’s involvement in creating the following manuscript written in Latin during the 15th century[3]

* Latin: "Orate pro anima fratris Johannis Tikyll sacre pagine Bacallarii et quondam prioris monasterii de Wyrkesopp qui istum librum propriis manibus scripsit necnon deauravit, cuius anima requiescat in pace. Amen"
* Translation:  Pray for the soul of Brother John Tickhill, Bachelor of Divinity and former Prior of the monastery of Worksop, who wrote this book with his own hands and also gilded it. May his soul rest in peace. Amen. [4]

This inscription identifies the author and artist as John Tickhill, the Prior of the Augustinian monastery of Worksop, nine miles from the village of Tickhill. He was instated as Prior in November of 1303, and was removed from office on March 6, 1314 for financial misconduct, due in part to the costs associated with producing a script of this level[5], leaving the manuscript unfinished in different stages. This gives a unique insight into the production processes of these intricate 14th century manuscripts.

### Provenance[edit]

Signature of William Kerr, “Ancram” [6]in the top right corner of the folio containing the foreword to the Psalms, originally written in the “Commentarium in Psalmos”

It is uncertain when the Tickhill Psalter was acquired by the Kerr family, also known by the title The Marquesses of Lothian, but the Psalter began appearing in records around the sixteenth century[7]. Two bookplates were installed in the Psalter, one in the eighteenth century and one in the nineteenth century. Twenty of the pages were written on by owner William Kerr, [8]his signature reading Ancram. During the eighteenth century, the Psalter was rebound by Scott of Edinburgh, who rebound many of the books in the Lothian Library. While being rebound, the margins had been cut down to 12 ⅞ and 8 ⅝ inches. [8].

It was bought by the New York Public Library at an auction of rare books and manuscripts from the library of the Marquess de Lothian[9] on January 27, 1932, purchased by Dr. A. S. W. Rosenbach[10]. The manuscript was exhibited once by the New York public library before rebinding and conservation efforts took place. In 2016, twenty pages of the Tickhill Psalter were digitized and made publicly available through their online collections. The Psalter is a part of the Spencer Collection under the title “Psalterium”.[11]

### Creation and Dating[edit]

It is difficult to determine the exact time or date this manuscript was created, but there are some clues that give an approximate time frame. John de Tickhill first came into power at the Worksop Priory during the year 1303, which is when he would have been able to start production on this manuscript. [12]

One tool used to help pin down more exact historical context for this object is heraldry. There are around twenty-eight known completed shields of actual feudal families woven into the marginal decorations throughout the Psalter.[13]

## See also[edit]

* List of illuminated manuscripts

## References[edit]

1. ^ "Tickhill Psalter".
2. ^ Egbert, Donald Drew (1902). An English Illuminated Manuscript of the Early Fourteenth Century (4th ed.). New York Public Library: Department of Art and Archeology, Princeton University (published 1932). pp. 3–12.
3. ^ "Psalterium". Spencer Collection, Digital Scriptorium. New York Public Library Digital Collections. Retrieved 22 April 2024.
4. ^ Egbert, Donald Drew (1902). An English Illuminated Manuscript of the Early Fourteenth Century (4th ed.). New York Public Library: Department of Art and Archeology, Princeton University (published 1932). pp. 3–12.
5. ^ "Tickhill Psalter".
6. ^ "Psalterium". Spencer Collection, Digital Scriptorium. New York Public Library Digital Collections. Retrieved 22 April 2024.
7. ^ Linn, Thomas C. (1940). "Rare MS shown at Library Here: Famous Tickhill Psalter of Early 14th Century to be Viewed by Public". The New York Times. p. 46. Retrieved 15 May 2024.
8. ^ a b Egbert, Donald Drew (1902). An English Illuminated Manuscript of the Early Fourteenth Century (4th ed.). New York Public Library: Department of Art and Archeology, Princeton University (published 1932). pp. 3–12.
9. ^ Linn, Thomas C. (1940). "Rare MS shown at Library Here: Famous Tickhill Psalter of Early 14th Century to be Viewed by Public". The New York Times. p. 46. Retrieved 15 May 2024.
10. ^ Egbert, Donald Drew (1902). An English Illuminated Manuscript of the Early Fourteenth Century (4th ed.). New York Public Library: Department of Art and Archeology, Princeton University (published 1932). pp. 3–12.
11. ^ "Psalterium". Spencer Collection, Digital Scriptorium. New York Public Library Digital Collections. Retrieved 22 April 2024.
12. ^ Egbert, Donald Drew (1902). An English Illuminated Manuscript of the Early Fourteenth Century (4th ed.). New York Public Library: Department of Art and Archeology, Princeton University (published 1932). pp. 3–12.
13. ^ Egbert, Donald Drew (1902). "Appendix. description and Collation of the Tickhill Psalter". An English Illuminated Manuscript of the Early Fourteenth Century,. New York Public Library: Princeton Department of Art and Archeology (published 1932). pp. 13–20.

## External links[edit]

* New York Public Library profile

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