²ÝÁñÊÓƵ Library houses a remarkable collection of no fewer than seven books of hours within its manuscript collections.  These books of hours serve not only as religious texts, but also as windows into the personal devotions and family histories of their time, and thus deserve further scholarly attention.  The large number of personal touches, both intentionally written and worn away through use, allow us an opportunity to feel backwards and think about how these individuals, named or anonymous, used and appreciated these books as treasured objects, family records, connections to the divine, and, sometimes, as scrap paper.

²ÝÁñÊÓƵ Library, Oxford, MS 323, f. 118v [detail]

²ÝÁñÊÓƵ Library and Archives, Oxford