Far in the back of The Ella Strong Denison Library in Claremont, California, one finds a small rare books room containing some of the most fascinating manuscripts in the world. Of all these, one in particular grabs the eye of the curious observer: Kirby 1. As one can see from the pictures included on this site, Kirby 1 is beautiful inside and out. In addition to its visual character, one seems compelled to wonder about the history of this wonderfully illuminated manuscript . When was this manuscript made? Who made it, and why? Who are the people shown in these amazing illuminations? How did the library come to possess it? These are all intriguing questions, the answer to each hidden in libraries, rare book collections and even other manuscripts.

To start with, the manuscript known as Kirby 1 is a Flemish book of hours which dates back to the late fifteenth century. Book of hours were extremely popular around this time period, especially in the area of Europe from which Kirby 1 originates, due in part to the generous patronage of the arts by the upper class (e.g. Dukes Philip the Good and Charles the Bold) (Brown 27). Kirby 1 was commissioned as a wedding present for Philippa Utenhove by her new husband Jacob Donche. As was the custom with book of hours, the couple had themselves painted into a few scenes of the manuscript . Although the cost of having such a personalized book created was relatively high, the couple probably had no trouble paying for the manuscript due to Jacob’s position as "Master of the waters and marshes of Flanders," (Marrow, Sept. 1981). Jacob obtained this position around the year 1460 while married to his first wife, Maria Boudens, under the rule of Duke Philip the Good of Burgundy (Bartier).

Some researchers debate whether Maria was the second wife and Philippa was the first, based on inaccuracies in other manuscripts. Prof. Dr. K.G. van Acker, the chief-librarian of the University of Ghent Library, who has experience researching similar manuscripts, settled this controversy. Van Acker found convincing evidence that the manuscript was commissioned for Philippa, not Maria. For one, the manuscript contains the coat or arms of both the Donche house and the Utenhove house, Philippa’s family name. Also, Kirby 1 contains the Utenhove family motto, "sans anoy." This shows that the manuscript was indeed made for Philippa, and around the time of her wedding to Jacob (about 1480). Through cross-referencing family histories, the date that Maria died was 26 February 1479, which complies with the statement that the book was created in 1480, since this was the approximate year that Jacob married Philippa, his second wife (Marrow, Nov. 1981).

Aside from Jacob and Philippa, many people have owned Kirby 1 over the years, ending with The Ella Strong Denison Library of Scripps College. After Jacob’s death in July of 1492, Philippa married a Portuguese knight named Christoffel Barousse. One can assume that the manuscript remained in the possession of Philippa during this time, due to its value, both sentimental and monetary. In September of 1541, Philippa died and the ownership of the manuscript becomes unclear. Owing to the fact that no transaction records exist from the sixteenth century, one cannot tell if Christoffel Barousse kept the manuscript or sold it. The next clue regarding ownership is tied in with notes in Kirby 1, dated about 1639, which begin, "Jaques Janaee…" (Dutschke 88-89). These notes are ambiguous at best, but as more cross-referencing with other manuscripts is completed and more connections are found, someone will discover the identity of that owner. The next known owner of Kirby 1 was the Mme la douairiere Van Tieghem de ter Hoye, nee Soenens. This owner left a leaf of paper in the manuscript , which contained her coat of arms, allowing her to be identified. At her death, her collection of books was sold at auction on 11 May 1865, in her house at Bruges. The book was then bought by a Frenchman from Ypres, Jules Capron. In 1875, a large part of Capron’s library was sold off at auction in Brussels. Auction records proclaim a Baron de Wyckerslooth de Weerdersteyn who bought the book. This Baron is most likely Corneille-Charles-Auguste, born in Brussels, 11 December 1846.

Bookplate which appears in the inner front cover of Kirby 1.

This baron was a descendant of a wealthy family from the Netherlands, and in 1870 married Jeanne-Philippée de Bernard de Montessus de Balore. From here the trail of ownership is unclear until the final purchase of Kirby 1 by the Kirby’s in 1944. Some believe that the book could have been taken to France (maybe by one of the bibliophiles like Capron), and then taken to America during the second world war. Here Benjamin Kirby, a lawyer, and his wife Myrtle, picked up the manuscript at an auction in 1944. Finally, the Kirbys then donated the manuscript to The Ella Strong Denison Library (Donche).

Kirby 1’s long and interesting history, from its synthesis in the late 1400’s to arriving at The Ella Strong Denison Library, makes it not only valuable financially, but also historically. Out of all the objects around today, how many have come directly from the fifteenth century? Very few have survived, let alone survived in such a presentable condition as Kirby 1. Hopefully future studies will reveal enough information to piece together the complete history of Kirby 1, but for now Kirby 1 is a rare and beautiful book which holds its own unique spot in the history of the world.