Kele's Christmas Carolles

Source: Edward Bliss Reed, ed., Christmas Carols Printed in the 16th Century Including Kele's Christmas Carolles Newly Inprynted (Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1932).
Also see Christmas Carols Printed In The 16th Century - In Old Blackletter

One of the oldest sets of printed Christmas carols includes a group printed by Richard Kele in the mid 1500s. His pamphlet was found bound with four other sets or fragments of sets of Christmas carols and poems. These other sets were probably not printed by (or for) Kele, but the group as a whole is referred to as "Kele's Christmas Carolles" for the sake of convenience.

The only title page indicated that it was, ‘imprynted at London, in the Powltry, by Richard Kele, dwelynge at the longe shop vnder saynt Myldrede’s Chyrche,’ probably ‘between 1546 and 1552.’ Antiquarian William Hone wrote in 1823: “I had an opportunity of perusing this exceedingly curious volume which is supposed to be unique, and has since passed into the hands of Mr. [Francis] Freeling.” Hone, Ancient Mysteries Described (1823), p. 102.

Rev. Thomas Dibdin observed that "This singular volume may be classed among the very rarest books of early English poetry in existence; as only one copy of it is at present known [1819], which is in the possession of the Rev.d H. Cotton, of Christ Church, Oxford." Dibdin, Typographical Antiquities. Vol. 4 of 4. (London: London: Longman, Hurse Rees, Orme, and Brown, 1819), pp. 304-305. No other copy has yet come to light.

All the pages in the Kele collection were photographed and reproduced in Edward Bliss Reed's Christmas Carols Printed In The 16th Century, pp. 19-66, consisting of 48 plates. Reed's discussion of Kele's collection in the Introduction is on pages xl-lxiv. The pages in Kele's collection are in “black letter” Middle English, which the modern eye may find difficult to decipher. See right (The kignes banner, etc); also see Christmas Carols Printed In The 16th Century, which has all of these texts printed in the "Old Blackletter" font.

Reed's book is online at Reed's Christmas Carols - 01 and Reed's Christmas Carols - 02. The original is from the University of Michigan. A PDF and OCR of the text is available, but only to "partner institutions." I'm not one. Based on prior experience, a letter to the Library or University requesting access as a private researcher, unaffiliated with any college or university, will either be ignored or the response will be "no." The page images can be downloaded, one at a time.

The entire group consists of these:

1. The first eight leaves, pages 1-16, is the first collection, published by Kele.

2. The second collection also contains eight leaves; it begins on p. 17 and concludes on p. 30. It is missing the first leaf, the title page.

3. The third collection consists of five leaves, in order, pp. 31-40. Again, it is missing the first leaf, the title page.

4. Next are two leaves, pp. 41-44, from one collection.

5. And in conclusion, there are two more leaves, pp. 45-48, also from one collection.

In all, there are 48 pages in this group. There are 24 carols, some incomplete, and there are also 37 poems, for a total of 61 items. Links to carols may be to Kele's texts, although some links are to other collections. For the best display of some carols, it may be necessary to install either Old Blackletter or Junicode Fonts. Below the Alphabetical Listing there is a listing of the carols by collection.

Alphabetical Listing

This index listing is from Edward Bliss Reed, ed., Christmas Carols Printed In The 16th Century (Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1932), pp. 103-104, and includes only the carols in the Kele collection (other carols in Reed's book are discussed below). The first lines of the refrains are in italics; the first lines of the poems are in roman type. The references are to the facsimile reprints.

 

Listing of the Kele Carols by Collection

 

Collection I, pp. 1-16:

1	To euery man that is vnkynde

2	The kiges baner on felde is playd. Burden: Now synge we as we were wont

5	If thou be Johan. First Line: The name of Jo. [Johan] wel prays man

7	Be thou poore or be thou ryche [Dethe began bycau]

10	Psallemus cantantes [My hert is set to syng]

14	Whan that my swete sone. Burden: O my hert is wo

 

Collection II, pp. 17-30:

17	As I went this enders day. Burden: Alone, alone, alone, alone

18	It was a mayde of brente nars. Burden: Synge Dyllum dyllum dyllum dyllum

19	The nunne walked on her prayer. Burden: Inducas inducas

20	My lady went to Caunterbury. Burden: My harte of golde as true as stele; also see: My Heart Of Gold]

22	Ipse mocat me

23	Make we mery in hall and boure. Burden: To encrease our ioy and blysse

25	In Betheleem, That Noble Place. Burden: Be we mery in this feste

26	Lordes and ladyes all by dene.] Burden: Nowell Nowell Nowell Nowell

28	Welcome be this blessed feste. Burden: O blessed & maruelous natyute

 

Collection III, pp. 31-40:

31	Mary moder, cum and se

33	Of sayne Steuen goddes knyght. Burden: To saynt Steuen wyll we pray

35	O Blessyd Johan the euangelyst. Burden: Pray for us to god on hye

36	Marke this songe for it is trewe. First Line: In olde tyme straung thnges cam to pas; also Mark This Song, For It Is True

 

Collection IV, pp. 41-44:

41	This was the tenour of her talkynge. Burden: Timor mortis conturbat me

42	I Shall you tell this ylke nyght. Burden: Blessyd Sephan we the praye

43	Whan the aungell Aue began.

44	O Uery lyfe of swetnes and hope. Burden: Salue regina mater miseridordie

 

Collection V, pp. 45-48:

45	This voyce both sharp & also [shrill] [All mydle erthe it shall fulfyll]

47	Moost souerayn lorde Chryst. Burden: Jesu Christe fili dei viui miserere nobis

ËËËËË

 

Kele Collection Carols Printed by Philip Bliss, Bibliographical Miscellanies (Oxford, 1813)

Editor's Note:

Seven of these Christmas carols were reprinted by Philip Bliss in his 'Bibliographical Miscellanies' (Oxford, 1813), pp. 48-61. At that time, the volume was in the possession of Mr. Henry Cotton, of Christ Church College, Oxford.

Concerning "Bibliographical Miscellanies," Rev. Thomas Dibdin wrote:

The copious extracts from this curious volume, as seen in the work just referred to, 'will give the reader a fair idea of the nature of these compositions, and the taste of the times in which they were collected for general dispersion.' These are doubtless very interesting; especially the two carols of O my heart is wo! and My hart of golde as true as stele; but an inspection of the volume itself will prove the good taste of the critic who gave these extracts, as he has judiciously omitted those portions of a very loose and extraordinary character, which were unaccountably meant to meet the eye of the pious purchaser. These carols were wholly unknown to [William] Herbert, [editor of the second edition of Typographical Antiquities]. Dibdin, Typographical Antiquities. Vol. 4 of 4. (1819), pp. 304.

The seven carols that Bliss reproduced are listed below. In some cases, the first line of the verse, rather than the first line of the burden, is the title of the web page.

In the "Advertisement" (Preface) at the beginning of the volume, Bliss writes:

The Christmas Carols, which are particularly curious, are extracted from a supposed unique copy or copies in the possession of Mr. [Henry] Cotton, Student at Christ Church, to whom the Editor is happy of making this public acknowledgment for his kindness.

Rev. Bliss's text begins on page 47:

Part No. II., Extracts From A Supposed Unique Copy of Christmas Carols

The earliest printed collection of Christmas Carols hitherto discovered is a leaf of a volume printed by Wynkyn de Worde in the year 1521. This leaf was accidentally picked up by the well-known antiquary Thomas Hearne, who inserted it in a volume of tracts that was purchased at Hearne's decease by Dr. Richard Rawlinson, of St. John's College, Oxford, who bequeathed it (with many others) to the Bodleian Library.

This curious fragment contains two Carolls:

1. A caroll of huntynge. [As I Came By A Grene Forest Syde]

2. A caroll bringyng in the bores heed. [The bores heed in hande bring I]

And the following colophone:

Thus endeth the Christmasse carol-
les, newely inprinted at London, in the 
fletestrete, at the sygne of the sonne, by 
Wynkyn de Worde. The yere of our lor-
de. M. D. XXI.

The carols themselves should have been inserted in this place had they not been reprinted so lately; the first in Mr. Haslewood's edition of Juliana Berners' "Boke of St. Albans;" the second in Mr. Dibdin's "Typographical Antiquities."

But another curiosity of the same description has been discovered by a friend [presumably Mr. Henry Cotton of Christ Church], who has most liberally allowed me to make this public use of it. This is a collection with the following title:

Christmas carolles newely Inprinted.

[Wood-cut of our Saviour crucified between the two thieves.]

Inprinted at London, in the Powltry by Richard Kele, dwelling at the longe shop under saynt Myldredes Church.

It is impossible to say whether the whole of this valuable relique to be of Kele's printing, since it is imperfect. For my own part I conceive it to be a part of at least three volumes of caroles as there are three different sets of signatures. The first wants probably only the colophon or last leaf, but the others are too imperfect to allow any reasonable conjecture as to their extent or contents.

The following extracts will give the reader a fair idea of the nature of these compositions, and the taste of the times in which they were collected for general dispersion. Nor would he be less surprised at the manners of our ancestors, if delicacy did not restrain me from giving publicity to some of these curious songs, two of which contain the most gross and disgusting obscenity.

It only remains to state that the volume or volumes were probably printed between 1546 and 1552, during which time Kele lived at the Long Shop in the Poultry, and at the sign of the Eagle near unto Stocks Market, in Lombard-street.

1. Now synge we as we were want [The kiges baner on felde is playd; In Blackletter: The kiges baner on felde is playd], p. 48-51.

2. O my hart is wo! [Whan that my swete sone; in Blackletter: Whan that my swete sone] p. 51-53.

3. My harte of golde as true as stele [My lady went to Caunterbury; in Blackletter: My lady went to Caunterbury], p. 53-54 – CS R. (Modern spelling: My Heart Of Gold)

4. To increase our ioy and blysse [Make we mery in hall and boure; in Blackletter: Make we mery in hall and boure], p. 54-55, De Circumcisione Domini.

5. Be we mery in this feste [In Betheleem, That Noble Place; in Blackletter: In Betheleem that noble place], p. 56, Christmas Eve, the Shepherds – S W H R.

6. Nowell, nowell, nowell, nowell [Lordes and ladyes all by dene; in Blackletter: Lordes and ladyes all by dene], p. 57 – S B R (Modern Spelling: A New Carol of Our Lady).

7. Marke this songe for it is trewe; in Blackletter: Marke this songe for it is trewe, [There was one Octauyan], p. 58-61, A Carol of the Innocents – S H R.

In the above listing, the page number refers to the Bibliographical Miscellanies. Initials following the song indicate what collections have reprinted this carol:

• S = William Sandys, Christmas Carols Ancient and Modern (1833)

• W = Thomas Wright, Specimens of Old Christmas Carols, Selected from Manuscripts and Printed Books (1841)

• H = William Husk, Songs of the Nativity (1868)

• B = A. H. Bullen, A Christmas Garland: Carols and Poems From The Fifteenth Century To The Present Time (1885)

• CS = E. K. Chambers and F. Sidgwick, Early English Lyrics (1907)

• R = Edith Rickert, Ancient English Christmas Carols (1910)

There are multiple versions of most of these carols on this web site. Other collections of Christmas carols have included these seven and many of the other 54 songs and poems contained in the Kele collection. Most are not in Middle English, but are, instead, in contemporary language and font. See: Full Index Of The Hymns and Carols.

Additional Carols Printed in the Sixteenth Century

In addition to Kele's carols, the volume by Edward Bliss Reed contained eight other carols that were printed in the 16th Century, including The bores heed in hande bring I; in "Old Blackletter:" The bores heed in hande bring I. This carol is on Plate "A." The printer was Wynkyn de Worde, Christmasse carolles newely enprinted (1521). The fragment is now in the Bodleian Library, Rawlinson 4to. 598(10).

The remaining carols are found on Plates G through N. They are all from a single collection, Christmas carolles newely Imprinted, previously in the possession of Mr. Francis Douce (1757-1834) (Douce fragments f. 48, now in the Bodleian Library, Oxford). The printer and date are unknown. Some pages are missing with the result that some carols are missing verses.

• A woman a mayd in thought and deede; in "Old Blackletter:" Come to Bethlehem and Ye Shall Se

• To euery man that is vnkynde; in "Old Blackletter:" To euery man that is vnkynde

• Synfull man thou art vnkynde; in "Old Blackletter:" Synfull man thou art vnkynde

• Get the hence what doest thou here; in "Old Blackletter:" Get The Hence What Doest Thou Here . Burden: "Farewell aduent and haue good daye." Also see A Carol Of The Birth of Christ (Edith Rickert, 1914)

• What alleluya is a lofte; in "Old Blackletter:" What alleluya is a lofte

• In this tyme of Chrystmas; in "Old Blackletter:" In this tyme of Chrystmas. Burden: In the honour of Christ's byrth. See: In This Time Of Christmas

• The husbande of Mary; in "Old Blackletter:" The husbande of Mary

Note that Thomas Wright edited two collections of Christmas carols from the 15th century. Although they have a similar name, they are very different collections from two different sources, both apparently the manuscript song-books of professional minstrels. See:

• Songs and Carols Now First Printed From a Manuscript of the Fifteenth Century. (The Percy Society, 1847, from MS. Eng. poet. e. 1, now in the Bodleian Library)

• Songs and Carols from a Manuscript in the British Museum of the Fifteenth Century (The Warton Club, 1856, from the Sloane Manuscript No. 2593, now in the British Museum). Twenty carols from the Sloane manuscript were previously published by Wright, Songs and Carols Printed From A Manuscript in the Sloane Collection in the British Museum (London: William Pickering, 1836).

He had also edited Specimens of Old Christmas Carols Selected from Manuscripts and Printed Books (The Percy Society, 1841).

History of the Kele Carols

This information was extracted from a number of sources, believed to be accurate.
No guarantees, however, can be made.

1546 and 1552. Printed by Richard Kele (Collection I). It is unknown when the parts of four other collections were printed and added.

1552-circa 1650: Unknown ownership.

Circa 1650, Roger Morrice acquired the pamphlet.

Jan. 17, 1701. Date of death of Rev. Roger Morrice, age 71. His name is written on the title page. He matriculated at Magdalen Hall, Oxford, Feb. 22, 1650-1. Chaplain to Denzil, Lord Hollis until he was ejected, 1662. Died at Hoxton, Middlesex, Jan. 17, 1701-2. He left a large collection of manuscripts and books, which was sold after his death.

1701- Oct. 15, 1733. (start date approximate). Owned by Samuel Marriott who on Oct. 15, 1733, wrote a notice of ownership that was pasted in the book indicating that he had owned and preserved this book for "for about or near to 30 Years." Nothing is known about Mr. Marriott.

1733-1813. Unknown.

1813. Owned by Mr. Cotton, student at Christ Church, and loaned to Philip Bliss who transcribed seven carols in his book "Bibliographical Miscellanies" (1813). Rev. Henry Cotton (1789–1879), Christ Church, Oxford, B.A. (1811), M.A. (1813), D.C.L. and admitted into holy orders (1820). He authored a dozen or so books. The Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900, Volume 12, noted "All his writings ... are highly creditable to his scholarship, while his ‘Fasti Ecclesiæ Hibernicæ’ (5 vols. 1851–1860) is a standing monument of the most patient industry. It has done for the Irish church what Hardy's ‘Le Neve’ has done for the English; in fact, it excels its English rival...." He retired after losing his eyesight in 1872, died at his residence in Lismore 3 Dec. 1879, and was buried in the graveyard of Lismore Cathedral.

1819. Rev. H. Cotton, Christ Church, Oxford, still had possession when Dibdin wrote his notes.

Between 1819 and 1823. Sold to Sir Francis Freeling (1764-1836) of London. William Hone, in his Ancient Mysteries Described (1823), wrote "I had an opportunity of perusing this exceedingly curious volume, which is supposed to be unique, and has since passed into the hands of Mr. Freeling." William Sandys in 1833 also reports that the volume is now in the hands of Sir Francis Freeling.

Nov. 25, 1836. Purchased for £25 by Thomas Thorpe, the agent and librarian of William Henry Miller, founder of the Britwell Court library.

March 31, 1924. At the dispersal of the Britwell Court Library, it was sold to the Huntington Library, San Marino, California.

 

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