Chymical processes of the Duke of Buckingham

Contributor:

Rainsford, Charles, 1728-1809 (former owner); Northumberland, Hugh Percy, Duke of, 1742-1817 (former owner)

Name:

Buckingham, George Villiers, Duke of, 1628-1687; Charles Rainsford Collection of Alchemical and Occult Manuscripts (University of Pennsylvania)

Timespan:

Early works to 1800

Date:

1750

Description:

Alchemical compendium that primarily discusses metals and minerals and includes instructions for chemical experiments and processes such as the transmutation of metals or making small pearls larger (p. 241) as well as practical applications such as remedies for the pox (p. 96).

Language:

English

Provenance:

Formerly owned by Charles Rainsford (British army officer, fellow of the Royal Society, and alchemist); bequeathed by Rainsford to Hugh Percy, Second Duke of Northumberland.; Owned by the 2nd through 12th Dukes of Northumberland, ms. 609, Alnwick Castle, Northumberland, 1809-2014 (bookplate, inside upper cover; stamps throughout).; Sold at auction at Sotheby's (London), 15 July 2014, as part of Lot 411.

Relation:

Unique at Penn blog post: https://repository.upenn.edu/uniqueatpenn/23/

Subject:

Alchemy -- Early works to 1800; Alchemy; Chemistry -- Early works to 1800; Chemistry

Resource Type:

Text

Form/Genre:

Codices; Diagrams; Drawings (visual works); Manuals (instructional materials); Manuscripts, English; Manuscripts, French; Manuscripts, Italian; Manuscripts, Latin; Manuscripts, European

Physical Description:

142 leaves : paper; 202 x 161 mm bound to 210 x 165 mm + 1 note

Rights:

https://rightsstatements.org/vocab/NoC-US/1.0/

Notes:

Ms. codex.; Title from caption title (p. 1).; Pagination: Paper, 140 leaves; [iv], 1-23, 23-84, 84-135, 126-262, [ii]; contemporary pagination in ink, upper outer corners.; Script: Written in a cursive script in the hand of Charles Rainsford with a note laid into the manuscript written in a second hand.; Decoration: Several pen and ink drawings of alchemical apparatus (p. 137, p. 153); alchemical symbols throughout.; Binding: Contemporary parchment. Front and back pastedowns have come loose from boards. Paper is stained and deteriorating due to moisture damage.; Origin: Written in England in the second half of the 18th century.; Purchased with support from the B. H. Breslauer Foundation.; English, Latin, French, Italian, and German.

Physical Location:

Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts, Manuscripts, Ms. Codex 1695