Originally a collection of separate bifolios or other small gatherings, with some single leaves. Many scribal hands are present; among the identified scribes are William Smith, Henry Palmer, John Geeres, Henry Loosemore, Thomas Wilson, Robert Ramsey, John Amner, and John Lugge. A number of scribes remain unidentified; two of these also copied portions of various liturgical manuscripts at Durham Cathedral (MorehS). Assembled at Peterhouse College for use of the college chapel. The gathering and assembling of materials for the part-books was probably directed by John Cosin, Master of Peterhouse from 1634. Cosin commissioned the composition of some of the pieces. Some of the gatherings were copied in Cambridge; others were probably copied at Durham and Ely, and then acquired by Cosin through friends and associates in those places. The books were later transferred from the Peterhouse College library to the Cambridge University Library.

The Peterhouse Partbooks are not numbered consecutively as they were not all discovered and included in the library's collection at the same time. For some years they were also referred to by the numbers given to a set of photocopies of the books (which still exist), while three newly-discovered books did not have shelf-marks. The list below gives the sets in order and with the photocopy numbers for ease of cross-reference.

Latter Caroline Set
DECANI
Medius - MS. 44 - photocopy 485
Contratenor - MS. 42 - photocopy 486
Tenor - MS. 35 - photocopy 487
Bass - MS. 37 - photocopy 488
CANTORIS
Medius - MS. 45 - photocopy 489
Contratenor - MS. 53 - LOST
Tenor - MS. 43 - photocopy 490
Bass - MS. 36 - photocopy 491
Organ Book - MS. 46 - photocopy 493

Rebound in new covers in the 19th century; the original bindings were probably of black leather, with the Peterhouse College arms and voice designations stamped on the side.

black void mensural

Many leaves have page or folio numbers from the earlier collections to which they once belonged. Most of the old numbers are cancelled and replaced with foliation using letters and numerals (A, A1, A2, etc.)

Original index.

paper

1 Mass, 1 Kyrie-Credo pair, 8 Te Deums, 57 Services or Service sections, 120 anthems, 28 motets, 1 textless piece — 216

Amner-7, A. Batten-ll, Beck-l, Bennet-l, Boyce-l, Byrd-13, Child-8, Deering-2, Derrick-1, M. East-5, J. Farrant II-1, R. Far-rant-1, A. Ferrabosco 1-1, Fido-1, Geeres-2, Gibbons-11, N. Giles -4, Heath-1, Hinde-1, Hooper-3, J. Hutchinson-l, R. Hutchin-son-3, M. Jeffries-1, Juxon-1, R. Knight-1, Laud-1, Loosemore -6, J. Lugge-2, J. Marson-1, Molle-5, Morley-5, T. Mudd II-3, J. Mundy-11, Palmer-1, Parsley-1, R. Parsons II-3, Patrick-1, Philips-1, Portman-3, Ramsey-10, Shepherd-1, Edward Smith-1, W. Smith-1, Stonard-3, Strogers-2, Tallis-12, Taverner-1, Tom-kins-14, Tye-2, Ward-1, Warwick-1, Weelkes-1, R. White-1, W. White-1, T. Wilkinson-3, Wilson-15, anon-19

7 paper partbooks of an original 8 (Médius Decani-lbO folios, Contratenor De-cani-\4\, Tenor Decani-llá, Bassus Decani-169, Médius Cantoris-ltä, Tenor Cantoris-145, Bassus Cantoris-146), ca. 295 x 188 overall, but folios are of widely varying sizes. The manuscript is a collection of originally separate bifolios or other small gatherings, with some single leaves. Many of these have page or folio numbers from the earlier collections to which they once belonged. Most of the old numbers are cancelled and replaced with foliation using letters and numerals (A, Al, A2, etc.). Rebound in new covers in the 19th century; the original bindings were probably of black leather, with the Peterhouse College arms and voice designations stamped on the side. Original index. Many scribal hands are present; among the identified scribes are William Smith, Henry Palmer, John Geeres, Henry Loosemore, Thomas Wilson, Robert Ramsey, John Amner, and John Lugge. A number of scribes remain unidentified; two of these also copied portions of various liturgical manuscripts at Durham Cathedral (MorehS).

Copied ca. 1625-40, except for the Taverner Mass, which is in a mid-16th century hand, copied on paper identical to that found in the indices of CambriU Peter. 471-4. Assembled ca. 1635-43 at Peterhouse College in Cambridge, for use of the college chapel. The gathering and assembling of materials for the part-books was probably directed by John Cosin, Master of Peterhouse from 1634, whose High Church-oriented liturgical innovations aroused vigorous controversy. Cosin himself commissioned the composition of some of the pieces, and the influence of his ideas is reflected in much of the repertory. Some of the gatherings were copied in Cambridge; others were probably copied at Durham and Ely, and then acquired by Cosin through friends and associates in those places. (Cosin had been a prebendary at Durham Cathedral before coming to Cambridge, and he was also a close friend of Lancelot Andrewes, Bishop of Ely, another supporter of the High Church movement). The books were later transferred from the Peterhouse College library to the Cambridge University Library.