A Digital Catalogue of the
Pre-1500 Manuscripts and Incunables of the
Canterbury Tales
Second Edition
NOTATIONAL CONVENTIONS
Unsigned gatherings are so indicated by placing square brackets around the gathering’s
sequential numbering (e.g., “[12]” signifies the twelfth unsigned gathering). This
convention is used for all manuscripts, given that even when signatures do survive, they are often
unhelpful and/or inconsistent (e.g., Dd, Hg) and do not indicate the gathering’s placement in
any helpful fashion.
Leaves inserted within a gathering are signified by the symbol “χ”
(“chi”: see
Bowers 1949, pp. 235-243); the placement of the
inserted folios is indicated by prefacing their notation with the folio number that precedes the
added material (that is, the preceding folio’s structural placement within that gathering).
For example, in Hengwrt, ten (or possibly eight
note) folios are inserted in
Quire [22], an original gathering of six (or eight?). This is recorded as:
[22]6+10 (3+χ10) fols.
161-176
This should be interpreted as: “Quire [22] (bracketed since there is no signature to that
effect) consists of an original gathering of six folios, to which are added ten folios, inserted
after the third folio of the original structure.”
Lost folios are similarly indicated. For example, in Cn Quire [10], the twelfth folio is cut away
and a singleton is inserted following the ninth folio in the gathering:
[10]12 (—12, 9+χ1 [i.e., the
singleton leaf, fol. 109]) fols. 100-111
When missing conjuncts can be inferred, they are indicated by the convention “1.12,” for
example, signifying that the first and final folios, presumed to be conjuncts in an original
gathering of twelve, are wanting. Although it has not been necessary very often to indicate paper
folios that are watermarked versus those that are not, when it is useful I have used boldface to
distinguish the watermarked half of a bifolium, e.g., 58+60.
DATING
Following the principle articulated by
Dutschke (1989, 1:xv), I use
Ker’s Latin sigla to suggest the approximate date (1969). Thus,
“s. XV” signifies the fifteenth century; “s. XV
in”
(“ineunte”) the beginning of the fifteenth century; “s. XV
ex” (“exeunte”) the end of the fifteenth century; “s. XV
2” the second half of the fifteenth century; “x. XV
3/4” the third quarter of the fifteenth century, and so on. When a more specific
basis (e.g., scribal colophon, dating of texts contained in a MS other than
CT) for dating is available, the date will be given and the evidence briefly set
forth.
OTHER
Scribal abbreviations are expanded within square brackets; insertions are indicated through the use
of angle brackets. Line breaks are signified by “|.”
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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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Bowers, Fredson. Principles of Bibliographical Description. Saint
Paul’s Bibliographies 15. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1949; Winchester, England: St.
Paul’s Bibliographies, 1986.
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Dutschke, C. W. Guide to Medieval and Renaissance Manuscripts in the
Huntington Library. 2 vols. San Marino: Huntington Library, 1989.
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Hanna, Ralph III. introd. The Ellesmere Manuscript of Chaucer’s
Canterbury Tales: A Working Facsimile. Cambridge: D. S. Brewer, 1989. 1-15.
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Ker, N. R. Medieval Manuscripts in British Libraries. Vol. 1. Oxford:
Clarendon, 1969.
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Hanna cautions (
1989, n. 14) that we cannot be
certain that the original quire was not a six, and that ten leaves, rather than eight, were
inserted, and I argue in “ ‘ Chaucer’s Scribe’ Adam, and the Hengwrt
Project” (forthcoming) that this is indeed the case.