The Lewes Breviary, English

An image of Illuminated manuscript. Breviary-Missal. The Lewes Breviary. Production Place: England and France. 13th-14th Century. Notes: made in the 13th century for the English Cluniac priory of St. Pancras at Lewes in Sussex. It is not known if the priory itself produced the manuscript or if it were copied elsewhere. Leroquais [1] described it as a breviary-missal. It is undoubtedly the most important surviving English Cluniac liturgical source, for it contains not only the liturgical texts of mass and office complete, but is also notated. Among the services for monastic office and mass there appears a full monastic rhymed office for St.Thomas of Canterbury, unspoilt, a rarity in England. It also has a full office for the patron saint of the priory, St. Pancras.

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Illuminated manuscript. Breviary-Missal. The Lewes Breviary. Production Place: England and France. 13th-14th Century. Notes: made in the 13th century for the English Cluniac priory of St. Pancras at Lewes in Sussex. It is not known if the priory itself produced the manuscript or if it were copied elsewhere. Leroquais [1] described it as a breviary-missal. It is undoubtedly the most important surviving English Cluniac liturgical source, for it contains not only the liturgical texts of mass and office complete, but is also notated. Among the services for monastic office and mass there appears a full monastic rhymed office for St.Thomas of Canterbury, unspoilt, a rarity in England. It also has a full office for the patron saint of the priory, St. Pancras.

Image data

Accession Number: MS 369
Photograph copyright © The Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge.
Photographer name: Michael Jones
Image height: 606 pixels
Image width: 1024 pixels
Processed with: Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 4.3 (Windows)
Filesize: 158.81kB

Key words

13th Century 14th Century _WF_AdOK _WF_KWD _WF_OPACtd apostles biblical birds breviary Christ Christianity Cluniac cross crown of thorns crucified crucifix crucifixion decorative initial disciples eagles Easter ecclesiastical English evangelicals evangelist evangelists Fitz_MSPB four evangelists French gold leaf illuminated illumination Jesus Lewes lions liturgical liturgy Madonna manuscript medallions Medieval Middle Ages miniature missal monastic music manuscript New Testament ox oxen Passion of Christ religion religious Saint Luke Saint Mark Saint Matthew Saint Pancras saints script scrolls St Luke St Mark St Matthew St Pancras Sussex texts Virgin Mary

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            The Fitzwilliam Museum (2025)
            "The Lewes Breviary, English"
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