An Inquisition Post Mortem from Tamworth, Warwickshire, dated 1315, with music added later.

The left margin (viewed from the dorse) has been worn away in places through neglect or rodents.

Ars nova notation in score

verso

Parchment

RISM B/IV 2: A 14th century Inquisition Post Mortem from Tamworth in Warwickshire meas. 850 x 275 mm. originally, though the left margin (viewed from the dorse) has been worn away in places through neglect or rodents. The Post Mortem itself is dated 1315, but the music was obviously written on the blank space at the back somewhere about the mid-century. This is clear from the fully developed Ars Nova notation. The wavy edge to the right margin is caused by the indentation necessary where a piece of the parchment was removed as a receipt. Since no music is lost on that side, it is perfectly clear that all the music was written after the document entered the Exchequer. It remained unnoticed till c. 1953, when Mr Neville Williams, a member of the Public Record Office staff, came across it. The 5 Agnus and 3 Sanctus are typical three-part English mass settings of the 14th century. The plainsong is always in the middle voice and the outer voices move in the dance-like rhythms of 6/8 and 9/8 These conductus settings in score have in some cases lost their clefs with the left margin, but the frequent use of dots of division suggests that mensuration signs were not employed. There are in any case no mensuration signs for pieces beginning in the middle of a line. There are 36 five-line staves altogether, divided up into 12 sets of three, all using the same brown ink as the words and music.

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