Harley manuscripts
Item
Country
GB
Name of institution (official language of the state)
Language of name of institution
eng
Contact information: postal address
96 Euston Road, London NW1 2DB
Contact information: phone number
0044 (0)1937 546546 (box office)
0044 (0)1937 546060 (customer services)
0044 (0)330 333 1144 (switchboard)
Contact information: web address
Contact information: email
boxoffice@bl.uk (box office)
Customer-Services@bl.uk (customer services)
Reference number
Harley MS
Type of reference number
Archival reference number
Title (official language of the state)
Harley manuscripts
Language of title
eng
Creator / accumulator
Edward Harley
Robert Harley
Date note
13th century/17th century
Language(s)
dut
eng
fra
gre
heb
ita
lat
Extent
7,661 signatures
Type of material
Textual Material
Physical condition
Satisfactory
Scope and content
The Harleian collection comprises more than 7,000 manuscripts, 14,000 charters and 500 rolls from the 8th to the 17th centuries. Most of Harley manuscripts are in European languages, but the collection also includes items in Hebrew and other oriental languages. This collection contains biblical manuscripts, romances and other works of secular literature, books of private devotion, works of classical literature, medical and alchemical treatises, an important series of medieval rolls and charters, as well as other rather valuable documents.
Among this extensive collection, there are some Hebrew manuscripts of Sephardic origin, such as the following:
Harley MS 1528: the so-called "Harley Catalan Bible", a Bible with Masorah Magna and Parva written in Sephardic square script and two folios in Ashkenazi square script (fols. 5r-6v), dated 1325-1374.
Harley MS 5504: Nachmanides'sTorah commentary, written in Sefardic semi-cursive script, dating from the 15th century.
Harley MS 5525: a 15th-century collection of philosophical writings including Mafteaḥ ha-῾inyanim by Judah ben Solomon Harizi (fols. 3r-17v), Maimonides' Moreh nevukhim translated by Shemuel ibn Tibbon (fols. 18v-370v), and Perush ha-milot ha-zarot by Shmuel Ibn Tibbon (fols. 371v-409r).
Harley MS 5698-99: a manuscript of Maimonides' Mishne Torah composed in Lisbon in 1472.
The collection also contains manuscript copies of works composed by Sephardic authors, such as Oróbio de Castro's Prevenciones Divinas (Harley MS 341) and Menasseh ben Israel's Porta veritatis (Harley MS 3427 and Harley MS 3428). Harley MS 4710-4711 includes a list of manuscripts and printed works bequeathed by Solomon da Costa to the British Museum, dating from 1759.
Harley MS 871 (English miscellany of tracts and letters from the reign of Queen Elizabeth I) includes a declaration delivered in March 1594 by Judah Serfatim, sent from Constantinople to England by Solomon Aben Yaesh, alias Álvaro Mendes (c. 1520-1603), to know whether Queen Elizabeth I would assist the Emperor against the Turks, with the respective answer from the Lords of the Privy Council (fols. 65-75v). These documents were published by Lucien Wolf (1924).
Among this extensive collection, there are some Hebrew manuscripts of Sephardic origin, such as the following:
Harley MS 1528: the so-called "Harley Catalan Bible", a Bible with Masorah Magna and Parva written in Sephardic square script and two folios in Ashkenazi square script (fols. 5r-6v), dated 1325-1374.
Harley MS 5504: Nachmanides'sTorah commentary, written in Sefardic semi-cursive script, dating from the 15th century.
Harley MS 5525: a 15th-century collection of philosophical writings including Mafteaḥ ha-῾inyanim by Judah ben Solomon Harizi (fols. 3r-17v), Maimonides' Moreh nevukhim translated by Shemuel ibn Tibbon (fols. 18v-370v), and Perush ha-milot ha-zarot by Shmuel Ibn Tibbon (fols. 371v-409r).
Harley MS 5698-99: a manuscript of Maimonides' Mishne Torah composed in Lisbon in 1472.
The collection also contains manuscript copies of works composed by Sephardic authors, such as Oróbio de Castro's Prevenciones Divinas (Harley MS 341) and Menasseh ben Israel's Porta veritatis (Harley MS 3427 and Harley MS 3428). Harley MS 4710-4711 includes a list of manuscripts and printed works bequeathed by Solomon da Costa to the British Museum, dating from 1759.
Harley MS 871 (English miscellany of tracts and letters from the reign of Queen Elizabeth I) includes a declaration delivered in March 1594 by Judah Serfatim, sent from Constantinople to England by Solomon Aben Yaesh, alias Álvaro Mendes (c. 1520-1603), to know whether Queen Elizabeth I would assist the Emperor against the Turks, with the respective answer from the Lords of the Privy Council (fols. 65-75v). These documents were published by Lucien Wolf (1924).
Archival history
The Harleian library was founded in October 1704, when Robert Harley (1661–1724) purchased more than 600 manuscripts from the collection of the antiquary Sir Simonds d’Ewes (1602–1650). In 1711, Harley was elevated to the peerage as 1st Earl of Oxford and Mortimer, from which date his son, Edward Harley (1689–1741), was most active in augmenting the collection. The 1710s saw further groups of important English manuscripts enter the library, and from about 1717 the Harleys also began using overseas agents to make en bloc purchases of manuscripts from Continental Europe, especially France, Germany and Italy. Numerous important British and foreign collections were auctioned in London in the 1720s, allowing further individual acquisitions.
A prominent role in the formation and expansion of the library was played by the scholar Humfrey Wanley (1672–1726). Wanley, one of the original members of the Society of Antiquaries in 1707 (refounded in 1717), became library-keeper to the Harleys in 1708. His diary and letters are an important resource for describing the acquisition of individual manuscripts, and for understanding the growth of the collection as a whole. Edward Harley bequeathed the library to his widow, Henrietta Cavendish Harley (née Holles), countess of Oxford and Mortimer (1694–1755), during her lifetime, and thereafter to their daughter, Margaret Cavendish Bentinck, duchess of Portland (1715–1785). In 1753, the manuscripts were sold by the Countess and the Duchess to the nation for £10,000 (a fraction of their contemporary value) under the Act of Parliament that also established the British Museum.
A prominent role in the formation and expansion of the library was played by the scholar Humfrey Wanley (1672–1726). Wanley, one of the original members of the Society of Antiquaries in 1707 (refounded in 1717), became library-keeper to the Harleys in 1708. His diary and letters are an important resource for describing the acquisition of individual manuscripts, and for understanding the growth of the collection as a whole. Edward Harley bequeathed the library to his widow, Henrietta Cavendish Harley (née Holles), countess of Oxford and Mortimer (1694–1755), during her lifetime, and thereafter to their daughter, Margaret Cavendish Bentinck, duchess of Portland (1715–1785). In 1753, the manuscripts were sold by the Countess and the Duchess to the nation for £10,000 (a fraction of their contemporary value) under the Act of Parliament that also established the British Museum.
Administrative / Biographical history
Robert Harley (1661-1724) was a British statesman who headed the Tory ministry from 1710 to 1714. He came from a Puritan-Parliamentarian family, and entered Parliament in 1689. Hayley was then a strong supporter of the parliamentary transfer of power from James II to William III. However, he ended up becoming, with Paul Foley, leader of a coalition of Whigs and moderate Tories opposed to the government of King William III.
Harley was speaker of the House of Commons from 1701 to 1705 and secretary of state from 1704 to 1708. During this period Harley, along with John Churchill, 1st duke of Marlborough, and Lord Treasurer Sidney Godolphin, dominated the government of Queen Anne (reigned 1702–14) and directed the war against the French (War of the Spanish Succession, 1701–14).
Although Harley became Queen Anne’s favourite, his positions led him to resign in February 1708. Afterwards, he allied with the Tories, although, due to the growing closeness of his cousin, Lady Abigail Masham, to the queen, he remained influential. In 1710, Queen Anne installed Harley as chancellor of the Exchequer at the head of a Tory ministry. In 1711, he was created earl of Oxford and made lord treasurer and Knight of the Garter. Harley was kept by Queen Anne in his office until July 27, 1714, five days before her death.
His son Edward Harley (1689-1741) was also a politician, as well as a bibliophile and collector. He was MP for Radnor from 1711 to 1714, and for Cambridgeshire from 1722 to 1724, when he succeeded his father as 2nd Earl of Oxford and Earl Mortimer, and entered the House of Lords. An art and literature lover, Harley was a patron of Alexander Pope (1688-1744), Jonathan Swift (1667-1745), Matthew Prior (1664-1721), and George Vertue (1683-1756). He inherited the library of his father and increased it with new acquisitions.
Harley was speaker of the House of Commons from 1701 to 1705 and secretary of state from 1704 to 1708. During this period Harley, along with John Churchill, 1st duke of Marlborough, and Lord Treasurer Sidney Godolphin, dominated the government of Queen Anne (reigned 1702–14) and directed the war against the French (War of the Spanish Succession, 1701–14).
Although Harley became Queen Anne’s favourite, his positions led him to resign in February 1708. Afterwards, he allied with the Tories, although, due to the growing closeness of his cousin, Lady Abigail Masham, to the queen, he remained influential. In 1710, Queen Anne installed Harley as chancellor of the Exchequer at the head of a Tory ministry. In 1711, he was created earl of Oxford and made lord treasurer and Knight of the Garter. Harley was kept by Queen Anne in his office until July 27, 1714, five days before her death.
His son Edward Harley (1689-1741) was also a politician, as well as a bibliophile and collector. He was MP for Radnor from 1711 to 1714, and for Cambridgeshire from 1722 to 1724, when he succeeded his father as 2nd Earl of Oxford and Earl Mortimer, and entered the House of Lords. An art and literature lover, Harley was a patron of Alexander Pope (1688-1744), Jonathan Swift (1667-1745), Matthew Prior (1664-1721), and George Vertue (1683-1756). He inherited the library of his father and increased it with new acquisitions.
Access points: locations
Access points: persons, families
Access points: subject terms
Access points: document types
Access, restrictions
A number of Harley manuscripts have been digitised in full on Digitised Manuscripts. Some images of manuscripts containing illumination can be found on the Catalogue of Illuminated Manuscripts.
Some items may require a letter of introduction.
Some items may require a letter of introduction.
Finding aids
Links to finding aids
Author of the description
Joana Rodrigues, 2022
Bibliography
Published primary sources
Linked resources
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