Two substantial membranes from a rotulus of English music from the very early 14th century (314 x 251 mm and 325 x 285 mm). Membrane 1r was at the beginning of the rotulus: it has a spacious gap at the top and large decorative initials in red and green. It has 11 staves and is followed by membrane 2r (with 14 staves) after a gap of two lost staves.

Four compositions are preserved, all incomplete; three can be partly completed from other sources:

1. Membrane 1 recto contains the two upper voices, in two columns side by side, of the Ascension voice-exchange motet Ascendenti sonet geminacio/ Viri galilei, followed by fragments of the two lower parts, which continue after a gap on membrane 2 recto, including much of the hitherto missing voice IV. Most of the music was reconstructed by Peter Lefferts from the one existing known source in Westminster Abbey 12185, f. 1 recto. (Dissertation, pp. 694–701). The new source complements that by confirming the texting of the uppermost part.
2. This is followed on membrane 2 recto by the two upper parts of a large-scale, nine-stanza, seven-section, four-part, voice-exchange motet on St Margaret, Margareta pascens oves, lacking the end and the lower parts. All of the text and fragments of the remaining music can be reconstructed from strips (1, 2, 3, 8) in London, British Library, Add. MS 40011 B.
3. Membranes 1-2 verso have Regina preminencie/Gemma nitens, a three-voice, triple-texted motet, which survives in a shortened, single-texted two-part version in score in Cambridge, Gonville and Caius College, MS 512/543, f. 262 (published in PMFC XVII, 20), and with fragments of the texted tenor of this three-part version in London, British Library, Harley 3132.
4. This is followed on membrane 2 verso by a four-part motet (hitherto unknown, and formally exceptional), Naufragantes visita/Navigatrix inclita/T. [A]ptatur. The upper parts exchange segments of text. Both lower parts have text at the beginning and end.

Fox-Strangways family archive, Ilchester Estates

English, longs, breves, and stemless syllabic semibreve groups separated by dots.

Brought to the attention of DIAMM and kindly photographed by Dr Mark Forrest, Collections Archivist, Dorset History Centre