Personal religious testament, 1666

Paper notebook containing the close written manuscript text of a spiritual work. The first pagebears the title and explanation: 'The First Booke of An Erring Heart, wherein is shewed what anErronious heart is and what harme it does both to its self and to others .... As alsoe how injuriousand offensive it is to God & how little he likes it & less hee loves it. Togeather with a shortdiscovery of the principles practises & tendances of every erronious heart... All written shortlyand plainely...by the authour thereof. C.H. Began about the 6th of February 1665 & finisht about the12th of May following.'

The first book is in 14 chapters, and 48 pages (original pagination). The second book, in 12chapters and 50 pages (separate original pagination) follows immediately. It is entitled: 'Thesecond Booke of The cure of an Erring heart, wherein is shewed what the heart is and how it isspoyled & made subject to Err; as alsoe how it is healed & restored and made true and soundagaine.... Written by C. H. Began this 14th day of May 1666. And finisht June 29th [16]66'.

This anonymous work is ascribed on its first page to 'C.H.'. It is possible that this was CharlesHarvey of Elston, who appears to be the subject of the fragmentary parchment indenture in which thepaper notebook has been covered. The indenture apparently refers to lands in Kneeton,Nottinghamshire, but reference is also made to Elston, Nottinghamshire, where a Charles Harvey isrecorded in the 1660s. (See the Papers of the Smith-Bromley family of East Stoke Nottinghamshire,also held at the University of Nottingham). The work was said to be written between 6 February and12 May 1666. Other facts about its writing are unclear, although internal evidence might in timehelp to identify the circumstances of its creation.

No arrangement has been necessary

ACCESS: Accessible to all registered readers.

LANGUAGE: English

• This description is the only finding aid available for the collection. Copyright on thedescription belongs to the University of Nottingham.

REPROGRAPHIC: Reprographic copies can be supplied for educational use and private study purposesonly, depending on access status and the condition of the documents.

COPYRIGHT: Identification of copyright holders of unpublished material is often difficult.Permission to make any published use of any material from the collection must be sought in advancein writing from the Keeper of Manuscripts and Special Collections (email mss-library@nottingham.ac.uk).

The custodial history of the manuscript is not known. It was given to the University ofNottingham's Department of Manuscripts in about 1949 by a Nottingham firm of solicitors, MessersHunt Dickins and Willatt, formerly Hunt, Williams and Dickens. It is assumed that it formed part ofa family collection handled by the firm.