A Digital Catalogue of the
Pre-1500 Manuscripts and Incunables of the
Canterbury Tales
Second Edition
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I would like to express my gratitude to the following owners, booksellers, archives, and archivists for
permission to examine their collections and for the invaluable assistance they generously provided:
Alnwick Castle: Colin Shrimpton, Archivist to the Duke of Northumberland; Lisa
Little, Collections and Archives
Auckland City Library: Donald Kerr, Rare Books Librarian
Bayerische Staatsbibliothek: Dr. Pointner
Beinecke Rare Books & Manuscripts Library, Yale University: Robert Babcock,
Ralph W. Franklin, Patricia Middleton, Ellen R. Cordes
Biblioteca Bodmeriana, Coligney-Genève: Dr. Hans E. Braun, Former Director;
Prof. Dr. Martin Bircher, Director
Biblioteca Nazionale, Royal Palace, Naples
Bibliothèque Nationale, Paris
Blackburn Museum & Art Galleries: Michael Millward, Curator; Christine
Fitzgerald; Adrian Lewis, Head of Arts & Heritage Services
Bodleian Library: Dr. B. C. Barker-Benfield, Senior Assistant Librarian
British Library: Martin Davis (Incunables), Julian Conway (Superintendent,
Department of Manuscripts), Janet Backhouse (Keeper, Department of Manuscripts), M. A. F. Borrie
(Manuscripts Librarian), Andrew Prescott (Curator, Dept. of Manuscripts)
Cambridge University Library: Godfrey Waller, Jayne S. Ringrose, A. E. B.
Owen
Chatsworth, Derbyshire: Diane P. Naylor
Chetham’s Library, Manchester: Jane Muskett, Archivist
Christ Church, Oxford
Columbia University Library: Rudolph Ellenbogen, Kenneth Lohf, Consuelo
Dutschke
Corpus Christi College, Oxford: Chris Butler, Assistant Archivist
Firestone Library, Princeton University: Jean Preston, Don C. Skemer, Margaret M.
Sherry, Mark R. Farrell
Fitzwilliam Museum: Margaret Clarke
Folger Shakespeare Library: Elizabeth A. Walsh, Lydia Reed, Laetitia Yeandle,
Rachel Doggett, Heather Wolfe
Free Library of Philadelphia: Karen Lightner
Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center, The University of Texas at Austin: Cathy
Henderson, Kenneth Craven, John Chalmers, Karen Gould, Decherd Turner, John Kirkpatrick, Richard W.
Oram, Associate Director and Hobby Foundation Librarian
Henry E. Huntington Library: Mary L. Roberston, Aldo R. Perdomo
Holkham Hall: D. P. Mortlock, Dr, Suzanne Reynolds, Curator of Manuscripts
Hunterian Museum, University of Glasgow: David Weston, Pamela Parker
The Lilly Library, Indiana University: David C. Greenebaum, Public Services
Associate; Giuseppe Baglivi
John Rylands University Library, Manchester: Glenise Matheson; Dr. Peter McNiven,
Head of Special Collections; D. W. Riley, Keeper of Printed Books, Dorothy Clayton
Joseph Regenstein Library, University of Chicago: Paula Y. Lee, Margaret A. Fusco,
Daniel Meyer
Lambeth Palace Library: E. G. W. Bill, Librarian, Mrs. Clare Brown, Assistant
Archivist
Library of Congress: Peter M. VanWingen, Specialist for the Book Arts
Lichfield Cathedral Library: Mrs. P. Bancroft
Lincoln Cathedral & Nottingham University Library: Dorothy B.
Johnston, Caroline Kelly, Tania Styles, Dr Nicholas Bennett, Vice-Chancellor and Librarian, Lincoln
Cathedral
Longleat House: Dr. Kate Harris, Librarian and Archivist to the Marquess of
Bath
Magdalen College, Oxford: Christine Ferdinand
Merton College, Oxford: Fiona Wilkes
National Library of Scotland, Edinburgh: Sheila Mackenzie, Senior Curator,
Manuscripts Division
National Library of Wales, Aberystwyth: Daniel Huws, R. W. McDonald; Gwyn Jenkins,
Keeper, Department of Manuscripts; Emyr Edwards, Superintendent, Department of Manuscripts;
Ceridwen Lloyd-Morgan, Assistant Archivist, Dept of Manuscripts
New College, Oxford: Kate Hunter
Paul Mellon Collection: Beverly Carter, Administrative Assistant
Pepys Library, Magdalene College, Cambridge: Mrs. A. Fitzsimons, Phillipa
Grimstone
Petworth House: Norman Thomas, J. F. Fuggles, and Ms Nicky Ingram, Collection
Manager
Pierpont Morgan Library: Charles E. Pierce, Jr., William M. Voelkle, Anna Lou
Ashby, Katherine Reagan, Inge Dupont
Rosenbach Museum & Library: Eileen Cahill, Leslie Morris, Karen
Schoenewaldt
Royal College of Physicians, London: Geoffrey Davenport, Pamela Forde
St. John’s College, OxfordAngela Williams
Stonyhurst College: The Reverend F. J.Turner, Fr. M. Bossy, and David
Knight
Toshiyuki Takamiya, Tokyo
Trinity College Library, Cambridge: David J. McKitterick, Joanna Ball
Trinity College, Oxford: Alison Felstead
University College, Oxford: Prof. Helen Cooper, David Sturdy, Archivist
University of Illinois Library: N. Romero, Head, Rare Book and Special Collections
Library
Yale Center for British Art: Elizabeth Fairman, Rare Book Librarian
In addition to those cited above, I am immensely grateful to the following people and institutions for
their assistance with the reconstruction of the
Ashburnham fragment
distributed by the Caxton Club in their 1905 leaf-book edition of E. Gordon Duff’s
William Caxton (their names appear with apologies
to anyone I have failed to acknowledge): Amherst College Library, John Lancaster, Curator of Special
Collections. Auckland City Library, Donald Kerr, Rare Books Librarian. Boston Public Library, R. Eugene
Zepp, Reference Librarian, Department of Rare Books and Manuscripts. Buffalo & Erie County Public
Library. La Casa del Libro, San Juan, Puerto Rico, Araceli Ortiz-Azancot. The Caxton Caxton Leaf Book
47 Club of Chicago, Frank J. Piehl, Archivist; Michael Thompson, President. Christie’s, Jennifer
Murray; Christie’s, New York, Kate Werble, Auction Administrator. Detroit Public Library, Jane
Whitson, Manager, Rare Books Collection; Dawn Eurich, Archivist, Burton Historical Collection. Folger
Shakespeare Library, Washington, D.C., Rachel Doggett, Lydia Reed, Elizabeth A. Walsh, Heather Wolfe,
Laetitia Yeandle. Grand Rapids Public Library, Jennifer Morrison, History and Special Collections.
Hunterian Museum, University of Glasgow, Pamela Parker, David Weston. Henry E. Huntington Library, San
Marino, Calif., Aldo R. Perdomo, Mary L. Robertson. Illinois State University, Normal, Bruce Stoffel,
Milner Library. Indiana University, Bloomington, Giuseppe Baglivi, David C. Greenebaum, Lilly Library.
Keio University, Tokyo, Takami Matsuda, Satoko Tokunaga. H. P. Kraus, Rare Books and Manuscripts,
Joshua Lipton. Lehigh University, Ilhan Citak, Special Collections Assistant. Library of Congress,
Washington, D.C., Peter M. VanWingen, Specialist for the Book Arts. Merton College, see Oxford
University. Newberry Library, Chicago, Paul H. Gehl, Alan Leopold. New York Public Library, Stephen
Crook, Librarian (Berg Collection); Daniel Tierney, Rare Books Librarian. Northern Illinois University
Libraries, DeKalb, Kay Shelton, Rare Books and Special Collections. Northwestern University, Evanston,
Ill., R. Russell Maylone, Curator, Special Collections, and Sigrid Perry, Charles Deering McCormick
Library of Special Collections. Oxford University, Fiona Wilkes, Merton College. Pennsylvania State
University, University Park, Christine R. Bailey, Pattee Library. Pequot Library, Southport, Conn.,
Danielle Carriera. Philadelphia Free Library. Pierpont Morgan Library, New York, Anna Lou Ashby, Inge
Dupont, Charles E. Pierce, Jr., Katherine Reagan, William M. Voelkle. Princeton University, Mark R.
Farrell, Margaret M. Sherry, Don C. Skemer, Firestone Library. Paul Robertson, California. Rochester
Institute of Technology, David Pankow, Curator, Cary Graphic Arts Collection. San Diego Public Library,
Richard Crawford, Special Collections. San Francisco Public Library, Asa Peavy, Program Manager,
Marjorie G. & Carl W. Stern Book Center. St. Vincent College Library, Latrobe, Penn., Rev. Fr.
Chrysotom B. Schlimm, O.S.B. Dorothy Sloan Books, Austin, Tex., Peter Oliver. Southern Illinois
University, Carbondale, Shelley Cox, Rare Book Librarian, Special Collections Research Center. Southern
Methodist University, Dallas, Eric White, Curator of Special Collections, Bridwell Library. Spokane
Public Library, Nancy Campau. Stanford University, Polly Armstrong, Public Services Manager. Swann
Auction Galleries, New York, Marco Tomaschett, Consignments Administrator, Books and Manuscripts.
Toshiyuki Takamiya, Tokyo. Toledo Museum of Art, Julie Melby, Associate Curator of Graphic Arts. Tulane
University Libraries, New Orleans, Wilbur E. Meneray. University of California-Berkeley, Anthony Bliss,
Bancroft Library. University of Colorado- Boulder, Kris McCusker, Special Collections. University of
Delaware Library, Timothy D. Murray, Head, Special Collections. University of Glasgow; see Hunterian
Museum. University of Illinois at Chicago, Gretchen Lagana, Special Collections Librarian and Curator
of the Jane Addams Memorial Collection, Richard J. Daley Library. University of Iowa Libraries, Amy
Cooper, Special Collections, Librarian. University of Manchester, Eng., Glenise Matheson; Dr. Peter
McNiven, Head of Special Collections; D. W. Riley, Keeper of Printed Books, John Rylands University
Library. University of Michigan, Kathryn L. Beam, Curator, Humanities Collection, Special Collections
Library. University of Missouri-Columbia, Troy Gordon, Special Collections, Ellis Library. University
of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Elizabeth Chenault, Nancy Frazier, and staff, Rare Books Room, Wilson
Library. University of North Carolina-Greensboro, William K. Finley, Special Collections Librarian.
University of Texas at Austin, Cathy Henderson, Richard W. Oram, Harry Ransom Humanities Research
Center. University of Ulster Library, Coleraine, Northern Ireland, J. F. E. McLaughlin, University
Archivist and Rare Books Curator. Uppsala Universitetsbibliotek, Harriet Wallman. Victoria and Albert
Museum, London, Geraldine White, National Art Library. Washington University Libraries, St. Louis, Erin
Davis. Wellesley College, Marilyn Hatch, Ruth Rogers, Jill Triplett, Book Arts Collection. Williams
College, Wayne G. Hammond, Assistant Librarian, Chapin Library. Yale Center for British Art, New Haven,
Conn., Elizabeth Fairman, Rare Book Librarian. Yale University, New Haven, Conn., Robert Babcock, Ellen
R. Cordes, Ralph W. Franklin, Stephen C. Jones, Patricia Middleton, Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript
Library. Thomas Riedlinger, Boulder, CO.
For their help in various ways I thank Mark Allen, Norman Blake, Barbara Bordalejo, Orietta Da Rold, A.
I. Doyle, A. S. G. Edwards, Judy Fisher, Karen Gould, Jeremy J. Griffiths, Ralph Hanna III, Simon
Horobin, George Keiser, Paul Needham, Charles A. Owen, Jr., Helen Phillips, Daniel J. Ransom, Ernestine
Ruggiers, Pamela R. Robinson, Peter Robinson, Jeremy J. Smith, Thorlac Turville-Petre, Linda Ehrsam
Voigts, and David Wallace. I am grateful to Piero Boitani and Stefano Manferlotti for their help in my
work at the Royal Library in Naples. I would also like to thank the following for support provided to
the project over the years: the National Endowment for the Humanities, the American Council of Learned
Societies, the Bibliographical Society of London, and at Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State
University: the Newman Library, the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences and its former Dean,
Jerome Niles, the former College of Arts & Sciences, the Department of English, and the Center for
Applied Technologies in the Humanities.
I am grateful to Linne R. Mooney, the Centre for Medieval Studies at the University of York, and the
Leverhulme Trust for their support in the fall of 2007 and 2008, during which time some of the final
work for this project was carried out. This project would not have achieved anything like its final
form, indeed may not have reached completion, without the continued support of Peter Robinson and the
Canterbury Tales Project. The current version of the Catalogue owes a further
debt to David Hill Radcliffe and the Center for Applied Technologies in the Humanities (CATH).
Finally, I acknowledge a debt of gratitude that can never be repaid to my wife, Sara Thorne-Thomsen, for
her patience and understanding during my long and frequent disappearances to rare book rooms around the
world.
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Aberystwyth, Dyfed, United Kingdom
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Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
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Alnwick, Northumberland, United Kingdom
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Althorp House, Northamptonshire, United Kingdom
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Amherst, Massachusetts, United States
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Amsterdam, Netherlands
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Anglesey, United Kingdom
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Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States
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Auckland, New Zealand
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Austin, Texas, United States
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Bangor, Gwynedd, United Kingdom
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Barnstaple, Devon, United Kingdom
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Bath, Somerset, United Kingdom
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Bateman’s, Burwash, Sussex, United Kingdom
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Beaupré Hall, Outwell, Norfolk, United Kingdom
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Bedfordshire, United Kingdom
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Bedminster, Somerset, United Kingdom
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Berkeley, California, United States
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Berkshire, United Kingdom
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Bermondsey, Southwark, United Kingdom
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Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, United States
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Bridgend, Glamorganshire, United Kingdom
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Blackburn, Lancashire, United Kingdom
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Bloomington, Indiana, United States
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Boston, Massachusetts, United States
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Boulder, Colorado, United States
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Bristol, United Kingdom
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Buckenham, Norfolk, United Kingdom
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Buckingham, Buckinghamshire, United Kingdom
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Buckinghamshire, United Kingdom
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Buffalo, New York, United States
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Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk, United Kingdom
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Burnham, Buckinghamshire, United Kingdom
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Burwash, Sussex, United Kingdom
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Caernarfon, Kent, United Kingdom
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Caister-on-Sea, Norfolk, United Kingdom
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Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States
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Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom
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Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom
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Canterbury, Kent, United Kingdom
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Cape of Good Hope, South Africa
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Cape Town, South Africa
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Carbondale, Illinois, United States
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Carlisle, Cumbria, United Kingdom
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Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States
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Chatsworth House, Derbyshire, United Kingdom
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Cheshire, United Kingdom
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Chester, Cheshire, United Kingdom
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Chicago, Illinois, United States
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Clitheroe, Lancashire, United Kingdom
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Clun, Shropshire, United Kingdom
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Colchester, Essex, United Kingdom
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Columbia, Missouri, United States, Coleraine, Ulster, United Kingdom
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Coleraine, Ulster, United Kingdom
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Cooling, Kent, United Kingdom
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Corby, Northamtonshire, United Kingdom
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Cumberland, United Kingdom
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Dallas, Texas, United States
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Dartmouth, Devon, United Kingdom
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Daventry, Northamtonshire, United Kingdom
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Deene Park, Corby, Northamtonshire, United Kingdom
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DeKalb, Illinois, United States
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Derby, Derbyshire, United Kingdom
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Derbyshire, United Kingdom
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Detroit, Michigan, United States
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Devonshire, United Kingdom
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Dorset, United Kingdom
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Dover, Kent, United Kingdom
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Great Dunmow, Essex, United Kingdom
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Little Dunmow, Essex, United Kingdom
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Dunstable, Bedfordshire, United Kingdom
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Durham, Durham, United Kingdom
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East Langdon, Kent, United Kingdom
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Eastry, Kent, United Kingdom
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Isle of Ely, Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom
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Essex, United Kingdom
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Evanston, Illinois, United States
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Exeter, Devon, United Kingdom
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Exeter Cathedraal, Exeter, Devon, United Kingdom
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Faversham, Kent, United Kingdom
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Fenny Stratford, Buckinghamshire, United Kingdom
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Fonthill, Wiltshire, United Kingdom
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Foston, Derbyshire, United Kingdom
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Foxearth, Essex, United Kingdom
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Geneva, Switzerland
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Vale of Glamorgan, United Kingdom
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Glasgow, Strathclyde, United Kingdom
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Gloucestershire, United Kingdom
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Grand Rapids, Michigan, United States
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Greensboro, North Carolina, United States
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Hampshire, United Kingdom
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Hawkedon, Suffolk, United Kingdom
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Hawstead, Suffolk, United Kingdom
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Helmingham, Suffolk, United Kingdom
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Herefordshire, United Kingdom
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Hereford, Herefordshire, United Kingdom
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Hertford, Hertfordshire, United Kingdom
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Hertfordshire, United Kingdom
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Monks Horton, Kent, United Kingdom
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Ingestre, Staffordshire, United Kingdom
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Iowa City, Iowa, United States
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Ipswich, Suffolk, United Kingdom
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Ivybridge, Devon, United Kingdom
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Kent, United Kingdom
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Kentwell Hall, Long Melford, Suffolk, United Kingdom
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King’s Lynn, Norfolk, United Kingdom
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Lancashire, United Kingdom
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Latrobe, Pennsylvania, United States
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Leeds, West Yorkshire, United Kingdom
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Leek, Staffordshire, United Kingdom
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Leicester, Leicestershire, United Kingdom
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Leicestershire, United Kingdom
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Lichfield, Staffordshire, United Kingdom
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Lincoln, Lincolnshire, United Kingdom
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Lincolnshire, United Kingdom
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Liverpool, United Kingdom
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London, United Kingdom
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Longleat, Warminster, Wiltshire, United Kingdom
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Long Melford, Suffolk, United Kingdom
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Ludlow, Shropshire, United Kingdom
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Mainz, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany
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Maldon, Essex, United Kingdom
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Manchester, United Kingdom
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Middlesex, United Kingdom
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Nantwich, Cheshire, United Kingdom
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Naperville, Illinois, United States
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Nether Heyford, Northamptonshire, United Kingdom
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Newark, Delaware, United States
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New Haven, Connecticut, United States
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New Orleans, Louisiana, United States
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New York, New York, United States
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Normal, Illinois, United States
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Northwich, Cheshire, United Kingdom
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Norwich, Norfolk, United Kingdom
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Nottinghamshire, United Kingdom
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Over Heyford, Northamptonshire, United Kingdom
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Norfolk, United Kingdom
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Northampton, Northamptonshire, United Kingdom
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Northamptonshire, United Kingdom
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Northumberland, United Kingdom
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Ockendon, Essex, United Kingdom
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Olympia, Washington, United States
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Otford, Kent, United Kingdom
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Overstrand, Norfolk, United Kingdom
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Oxford, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom
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Oxfordshire, United Kingdom
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Oxnead, Norfolk, United Kingdom
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Pembrokeshire, United Kingdom
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Penshurst, Kent, United Kingdom
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Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
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Pilton, Devon, United Kingdom
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Pitchford, Shropshire, United Kingdom
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Plymouth, Devon, United Kingdom
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Potton, Bedforshire, United Kingdom
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Princeton, New Jersey, United States
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Reigate, Surrey, England
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Rochester, New York, United States
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Rotherhithe, Southwark, England
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Stockholm Royal Library (National Library of Sweden), Stockholm, Sweden
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Rutland, United Kingdom
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Saffron Walden, Essex, United Kingdom
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Saint Louis, Missouri, United States
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Saltfleetby, Lincolnshire, United Kingdom
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San Diego, California, United States
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San Francisco, California, United States
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San Juan, Puerto Rico
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San Marino, California, United States
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Sandwich, Kent, United Kingdom
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Sevenoaks, Kent, United Kingdom
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Shaugh, Devon, United Kingdom
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Shotesham, Norfolk, United Kingdom
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Shropshire, United Kingdom
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Shrewsbury, Shropshire, United Kingdom
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Somerset, United Kingdom
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Southport, Connecticut, United States
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Southwick, Hampshire, United Kingdom
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Southwark, London, United Kingdom
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Spalding, Lincolnshire, United Kingdom
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Spokane, Washington, United States
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Staffordshire, United Kingdom
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Stanford, California, United States
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Stonyhurst College, Lancashire, United Kingdom
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Sudbury, Suffolk, United Kingdom
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Suffolk, United Kingdom
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Surrey, United Kingdom
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Sussex, United Kingdom
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Tandridge, Surrey, United Kingdom
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Tenterden, Kent, United Kingdom
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Thetford, Norfolk, United Kingdom
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Thorpe Mandeville, Northamptonshire, United Kingdom
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Thorpe Market, Norfolk, United Kingdom
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Tillingham, Essex, United Kingdom
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Toledo, Ohio, United States
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University Park, Pennsylvania, United States
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Urbana, Illinois, United Kingdom
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Vale Royal, Cheshire, United Kingdom
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Ware, Hertfordshire, United Kingdom
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Wareham, Dorset, United Kingdom
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Warminster, Wiltshire, United Kingdom
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Warwick, Warwickshire, United Kingdom
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Warwickshire, United Kingdom
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Washington, D. C., United States
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North Riding, Yorkshire, United Kingdom
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West Riding, Yorkshire, United Kingdom
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Well, Yorkshire, United Kingdom
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Wellesley, Massachusetts, United States
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Wellington, Shropshire, United Kingdom
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Wells next-the-Sea, Norfolk, United Kingdom
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Westminster Abbey, London, United Kingdom
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Whitfield, Kent, United Kingdom
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Williamstown, Massachusetts, United States
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Wiltshire, United Kingdom
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Wolverhampton, United Kingdom
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Worcestershire, United Kingdom
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Worcester, Worcestershire, United Kingdom
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Worcester Cathedral, Worcester, Worcestershire, United Kingdom
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Wormer, Netherlands
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Yealmpton, Devon, United Kingdom
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York, Yorkshire, United Kingdom
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East Riding of Yorkshire, United Kingdom
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Yorkshire, United Kingdom
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Duff, E. Gordon. William Caxton. 1905; rpt. New York: Burt Franklin,
1970.