MS 259: William Laud, History of my Troubles

Archive Unit
  • This material is held at
  • Reference
      GB 473 MS259
  • Dates of Creation
      England, 17th c.; 1641-45
  • Name of Creator
  • Language of Material
      English Latin
  • Physical Description
      Leaves (paper) of various sizes, some folded to fit volume, some partial and tipped in, but forming a block of between 292-303 x 187 mm. Text area: varies, but typically 282 x 145 mm. Fol. vii + 258 + vii leaves. (1 later pencil sequence of foliation in top right of each recto dated 1994 on fol. xivr: vii 258 viii-xiv leaves. Also a contemporary numeration: 1-6 [2] 7-8 [2] 9-10 [1] 11b 11a 12a-b 13b 13a 14 [2] 15-16 pages 17-161 [1] 162-179 [1] 180-245 leaves (numbered top left corner of verso) 246-257 pages 258-265 leaves). Binding: 20th c? brown morocco over millboard? Boards with gilt double-fillet border with exterior toothed ornament, frame in a foliate gilt roll outlined by double fillets and with exterior foliate corner ornaments, and a gilt double fillet panel with interior foliate toothed ornament. Board edges with double fillet and turn-ins decorated in gilt. Spine divided into six compartments by 5 raised bands, with extensive gilt ornamentation, incorporating a bishop’s mitre in each compartment. 2nd compartment from top bears gilt text “ABP: LAUD’S | AUTOGRAPH | HISTORY OF | HIS OWN | TROUBLES” . Marbled endpapers. Binding dimensions: 316 x 203 mm.

Scope and Content

Autograph account by William Laud (1573-1645, Archbishop of Canterbury) composed while in the Tower of London, of his trial, from his impeachment on December 18th 1640 until January 3rd 1645. Laud managed to convey the manuscript into the hands of his executor, Richard Baylie (President of St John's & Dean of Salisbury, 1585/6-1667), who deposited it at St John's, Oxford. It was subsequently published in full by the Church of England historian Henry Wharton (1664-1695) in 1694, and in the edition of Laud's works edited by J. Bliss in 1853.

1. Fols 1-258: Laud, William. History of the Troubles (from caption fol. 1r). Chiefly English but with passages in Latin. Single 17th c. cursive mixed hand. Written in long lines with ca. 67-69 lines to a page. Most leaves, although by no means all, bear their text on the verso, with notes or additions on the recto only. Occasional blanks. Dates, references and notes in margins. Some crossing through and underlining.

  • a. Quote from Psalm 11 prefixed in Laud's hand, fol. vii verso: "The Foundations will be cast down, & what hath the righteous done? Ps. 11. 3. Or as it is rendered in the last Translation. If the Foundations be destroyed, what ca[n] the Righteous doe? Non apposui ultima[m] manu[m] W: Cant:"
  • b. Text, fols 1r-258v: "[Caption] The Historye of the Troubles wch fell upon of Willia[m] Laud, Lord ArchByshop of Cant: wch fell upon hime Decemb. 18. 1640. written bye himself during his Impresonment in ye Tower. [Text] The Historye of mye trobles wch fell upon me Decemb. 18. 1640 beinge Fridaye. Vpon this daye ... And thus far I had [presided?] in this sad Historye bye Janua. 3. 1644. The rest shall follow as it comes to my knowledge."

Access Information

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Acquisition Information

Notes by Henry Wharton on fol. vi recto in 17th c. hand:

"This is the Originall History of Archbishop Laud, all wrot with his own hand, delivered to me October 31. anno. 1693. by Lord Abp Sancroft, and according to his command published by me anno 1694 put into the presse March 10 anno 1693.

I will that after the publication of the Printed Copie this Originall Book be delivered by my Executors to the President and Fellows of St Johns Collegde [sic] in Oxford if it be not hereafter sent by me to them before my death.
Hen. Wharton.

It was published in the end of November 1694. [two lines crossed through].

I delivered it to Mr William Louth, Fellow of the said Colledge, (deputed by the President & Fellows of the said Colledge to receive it by a Publick Instrument under the Colledg seal) together with the Original Diary of Archbishop Laud, on the 27th day of December 1694.
Hen. Wharton."

The Coxe supplement says that Archbishop Gilbert Sheldon (1598-1688) had a second copy of this history which he asked his successor William Sancroft (1617-1693) to print, but owing to the shortcomings of this second manuscript they determined to locate the original. This they found at St John's, deposited there by Laud's executor, Richard Baylie, a former President. Wharton undertook the printing of this original manuscript.

Pencil shelfmark on fol. i verso.

Other Finding Aids

This catalogue entry derives from Stewart Tiley's unpublished descriptive catalogue of the post-1500 western manuscripts at St John's College, Oxford (2018). This entry was uploaded to ArchivesHub in April 2023 as part of the St John's College Library digitization project. To learn more about the project and to find digital resources, please visit the Digital Library

Bibliography

Laud, William, 1695. The history of the troubles and tryal of the most reverend father in God, and blessed martyr, William Laud, Lord Arch-Bishop of Canterbury. Ed. Henry Wharton. London: Richard Chiswell.
Laud, William, 1853. The works of the Most Reverend Father in God, William Laud, D.D. sometime lord archbishop of Canterbury . Ed. James Bliss. Oxford: John Henry Parker.