Beinecke MS 698
Trier, s. XVIin-XVII
Obituary of the Convent of Poor Clares in Trier, in German

f. 1r blank

1. f. 1v		It is tzo wissen, in den jaren unssers Herren XVc XXII, Peter und Paulus dach, 
umm den goetlichen dienst und gezijde die vollenkoemelicher zo halden und darna beiden vur unse 
noitdurfft, hait unsser erewirdigster provinciail minster Mathias Weynssen von Dordrach, in und 
anbrengen der zweyher andechtiger wirdiger unsre?? vaeder, pater Jacob Vanckel und broder 
Hermannus Molite, uns verlycht und absolviert van den vyl jairgetze vigilien vur die doden, 
besonder die men so vyl jair her halden hait ... Geschreben in profesto sancti Iohannis Baptiste 
anno Domini XVc XXXVI. Eyn Ave Maria vur die schryber suster Eva Welschpilch.

Note by Sister Eve Welschpilch, 23 June 1536, about the way of lightening the burden of 
commemorations (vigils) conceded to the Convent by the Provincial of the Order, Matthias 
Weynssen of Dordrecht, on 29 June 1522. See also art. 9. This text is no longer present

2. f. Ir		Masses, services, commemorations etc. to be performed for master Heynrich van 
Lutzelburck, Canon of Saint Simeon in Trier and great benefactor of the Convent (see also art. 7, 
15 July).

3. f. Iv		Masses to be performed for the Tertiaries of Saint Martin and the Tertiary Nuns 
on the Affelter, August 1490 (see also art. 7, 3 August and 31 August).

4. Obit of Joist Basan, curate of Emmel and benefactor of the Convent, d. 25 May 1486.

5. f. IIr-v	Notes s. XIX.

6. ff.1r-31r	Calendar of obits of members of the Convent. The computistical data are: the Day 
Letter, the 1st  and the 14th or 16th day of each month, a few feasts and (added s. XVI/XVII) the 
modern numbering of the days of the months with arabic numerals. Among the feasts: 
Bernardinus of Siena OFM (20 May), Translation of Francis (24 May), Antony of Padua OFM 
(13 June), Clare (12 August), Francis (4 Oct.). The obits, by hands ranging from the early 
sixteenth to the seventeenth century, all open with a variant of the formula "Hie sal gedechtnis 
geschien vor ...". The earliest death recorded is 1453 (1 Febr.), the latest 1659 (24 Dec.). 
Noteworthy are the numerous obits of sisters s. XVI/XVII who had fled Antwerp before 1585, 
at the time Catholicism was persecuted in that city.

7. ff. 31v-61v	Calendar of obits of benefactors of the Convent. The arrangement and the period 
covered are the same as in art. 6. The mention of the donations and corresponding obligations is 
often framed in ink. In conformity with artt. 1 and 9 the mention of obligations (vigils) from the 
side of the Convent towards a series of benefactors has been cancelled.

8. f. 61v	Domine Deus, infunde nobis dona gracie, beati apostoli Iacobi piis meritis reple 
tuos famulos bonis, qui subdis colla gencium [these 19 words numbered with Roman numerals 
and with the letters A-T]. Dise collecte sol man also verston: nuentzehen wort sint in dem 
martirilogio, also sint in der collecten nuentzehen wort I jor, und also menig buochstabe an einem 
wort ist, also menige woch ist von dem Winacht dage biz zu "Circumdederunt" ... das ist das jor 
die gulden zale unde weret ewiclichen. Amen.

See on this computistical text B. Bischoff, "Ostertagtexte und Intervalltafeln", in B. Bischoff, 
Mittelalterliche Studien, v. 2 (Stuttgart, 1967), pp. 192-227 (216).

9. ff. 62r-63v	Sealed transcription of a charter, granted by Joseph Bergaigne,  Provincial of the 
Franciscan Order, dealing with the lightening of the obligations incurred towards the benefactors 
and drawn up in the Convent of Poor Clares at Trier, Jan. 1618, and confirmation of that charter 
drawn up at Trier, 16 May 1725. See also art. 1.

10. f. 64r	 Note on the commemorations of two special benefactors which must be 
maintained at all times (s. XVII).

11. f. 64v	 Note on the benefactress Kersten Quint, 1590.

12. f. 65r-v	 Notes mostly s. XIX.


Parchment, ff. II + 65, 200 x 135 mm.; ff. 62-63 inserted on paper.

I-VI8 (ff. 1-48), VII6 (ff. 49-54), VIII8 (ff. 55-61, 64-65).

The main section of the manuscript (artt. 6-8) has pricking in the upper, outer and lower margins 
and ruling in black ink for one column of 30 lines below top line, 148 x 100 mm. Ruling type 36 
with a wide distance between the double vertical bounding lines. The last but one prick in the 
vertical row is double.  In the Calendar (artt. 6-7) there are 6 days on every page, providing 5 
lines for entering obits every day. There are many blank spaces and days without obits.

Many Gothic hands ranging from the early sixteenth to the nineteenth centuries, but mostly from 
the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. The Calendar itself (artt. 6-7) is written in Gothica 
Textualis Formata in red ink; art. 8 too is in Textualis Formata. Artt. 1 and 4 are copied by Sister 
Eve Welschpilch in Gothica Hybrida Libraria/Formata. It was apparently the same scribe who 
entered the earliest obits in the Obituary.

The Day Letters are in red ("A") or stroked with red ("B-G"). Names of months and feasts in 
red.

Original binding: brown blind-tooled leather over oak boards, decorated with double fillets and 
small lozenge tools ("Ihesus" and "Maria" monograms) and rosettes; bound on five white leather 
thongs.Spine with five raised bands, rebacked. Remnants of one brass clasp attached to the rear 
cover. The front pastedown is detached.

The Obituary ("Seleboich", see art. 1) was organized in the early sixteenth century, obits being 
transcribed from a s. XV manuscript recording the deaths of members and benefactors; the 
majority of the obits was entered afterwards at the time of the decease of the persons involved. 
That the Convent to which it belonged was that of the Poor Clares in Trier appears from art. 9; its 
patronym "Sta. Maria Magdalena" is mentioned in one of the printed documents kept together 
with the manuscript. Presented c. 1860 by Dr. John Schue, Hartford, to the Connecticut 
Historical Society (bookplate of the latter, with motto "Sustinet qui transtulit", pasted on the rear 
pastedown). Purchased from Laurence Witten, Southport, Connecticut, in ... on the Edwin J. 
Beinecke Fund.

Albert Derolez

R 16.02.09