CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — A medieval manuscript by an English agronomist describing the agricultural management of a manor is the 15-millionth volume of the collection of the University Library at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
The manuscript is a 14th-century copy of the text of Walter of Henley’s 13th-century work “Hosbondrye,” one of the most influential works on agriculture and land management in the Middle Ages.
“It is directly tied to our long and august history as an agricultural college, which is one of the reasons we thought it would be an appropriate fit for the University Library,” said Lynne M. Thomas, the head of the Rare Book and Manuscript Library, where the Henley manuscript will be housed.
The manuscript is a 14th-century copy of Walter of Henley’s work, and one of 41 surviving copies.
It is one of 41 surviving manuscript copies of Henley’s work. The Library purchased the manuscript with money from the Waco Worthy Albert and Betty Jean Albert Endowment Fund and a $50,000 bequest to RBML from Betty Albert’s estate, as well as with similar funds from the Funk ACES Library and Veterinary Medicine Library. The late Betty Albert made endowments in memory of her husband, who was a U. of I. animal sciences professor, to purchase print materials related to the management and breeding of cows, sheep, pigs and horses. The RBML bequest was made to purchase rare books about animal husbandry for the same species.
Walter of Henley wrote “Hosbondrye” in the form of a sermon and from the viewpoint of the owner of a small estate, Thomas said.
“This is a work by a steward telling other people how to be a steward,” she said. “Henley talks about handling an estate as a business proposition. It’s not solely about the welfare of animals or subsistence. It’s knowing how to grow your yields and knowing when to cut your losses. There’s an emphasis on profit honestly and honorably gained. It’s very much a working document that is very clear about what it is and who it’s for and what its goals are, which is a profitable estate with a moral center to it.”
Henley wrote the work be to accessible and understandable, Thomas said: “One of the reasons this manuscript got copied over and over was that it was easily understood. Henley was trying to make it as clear as possible how he thought the raising of cows should be done.”
Library administrators decided to use the Albert bequest to RBML for its 15-millionth volume and worked with book dealers to find an appropriate item. The Walter of Henley manuscript became available – the first time a copy of the manuscript had come to the auction market since 1978, Thomas said.
The one purchased by the Library previously was part of the Rothamstead Collection at the Lawes Agricultural Library. It is slightly different than other versions of the manuscript in its interpretations of some words and in omissions of some corrections and sentences, Thomas said. The Library purchased it in 2020 but the pandemic delayed its unveiling.
The price was $95,000, nearly double the RBML bequest, so Thomas, on the advice of Associate University Librarian for Collections and Technical Services Thomas Teper, approached Sarah C. Williams, the head of the Funk ACES Library, and Erin E. Kerby, the head of the Veterinary Medicine Library, about collaborating on the purchase using money from their libraries’ Albert endowment funds.
“Given the specific nature of this particular endowment and the fact that the item fit the donors’ intentions quite well, we were happy to contribute toward that,” said Williams, who noted that a 1986 exhibit created by the agricultural library on rare agricultural books in the U. of I.’s collections mentioned the significance of Henley’s work.
Kerby said the libraries have partnered before to make larger purchases using money from their endowment funds, including another recent purchase of a historical map showing horse breeds from around the world.
“It can be tricky to find really special and unique pieces in this particular area,” Kerby said. “Publishing, especially in the sciences, has really changed. There’s a lot less focus on books and manuscripts and print materials, and a lot more focus on electronic materials and online journals. Having an endowment like this that sets money aside for more traditional formats is valuable. You never know when something like this is going to be useful to a researcher.”
An image and description of the manuscript will be framed and displayed in the Millionth Volumes Exhibit in the north-south corridor of the Main Library. A digital version of the manuscript is available in the RBML Digital Library. The catalog record of the manuscript was created by RBML graduate student Mariagabriella Stuardi.
Editor’s notes: To contact Lynne M. Thomas, email lmt@illinois.edu. To contact Sarah C. Williams, email scwillms@illinois.edu. To contact Erin E. Kerby, email ekerb@illinois.edu. For information about the University Library, contact Heather Murphy at hmurphy@illinois.edu.
