Neil Ripley Ker (; 1908–1982) was a scholar of Anglo-Saxon literature. He was Reader in Palaeography at the University of Oxford and a fellow of

Magdalen College, Oxford Magdalen College ( ) is a Colleges of the University of Oxford, constituent college of the University of Oxford. It was founded in 1458 by Bishop of Winchester William of Waynflete. It is one of the wealthiest Oxford colleges, as of 2022, and ...

until he retired in 1968. He is known especially for his ''Catalogue of Manuscripts Containing Anglo-Saxon'', which is praised as a milestone in Anglo-Saxon manuscript study.

Biography

Ker was born in

Brompton, London Brompton, sometimes called Old Brompton, survives in name as a Wards and electoral divisions of the United Kingdom, ward in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in London. Until the latter half of the 19th century it was a scattered vill ...

, and was educated at

Eton College Eton College ( ) is a Public school (United Kingdom), public school providing boarding school, boarding education for boys aged 13–18, in the small town of Eton, Berkshire, Eton, in Berkshire, in the United Kingdom. It has educated Prime Mini ...

and

, completing a BA in English Language and Literature in 1931 and a BLitt in 1933. During the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

he was a

conscientious objector A conscientious objector is an "individual who has claimed the right to refuse to perform military service" on the grounds of freedom of conscience or religion. The term has also been extended to objecting to working for the military–indu ...

. In 1945 he was elected a fellow of Magdalen College and in 1946 University Reader in Palaeography. Ker was the first Lyell Lecturer in Bibliography at the

University of Oxford The University of Oxford is a collegiate university, collegiate research university in Oxford, England. There is evidence of teaching as early as 1096, making it the oldest university in the English-speaking world and the List of oldest un ...

in 1952-53 on the topic, English Manuscripts in the Century after the Norman Conquest. In 1955 he held the Sandars Readership in Bibliography at

Cambridge University The University of Cambridge is a Public university, public collegiate university, collegiate research university in Cambridge, England. Founded in 1209, the University of Cambridge is the List of oldest universities in continuous operation, wo ...

and lectured on "Oxford libraries in the sixteenth century." In 1968 he retired from his roles at Oxford to focus on his largest work, ''Medieval Manuscripts in British Libraries''. He completed the first two volumes and most of the third and left a draft of the fourth.

Legacy

Annually, the

British Academy The British Academy for the Promotion of Historical, Philosophical and Philological Studies is the United Kingdom's national academy for the humanities and the social sciences. It was established in 1902 and received its royal charter in the sa ...

awards grants in Ker's name to scholars who publish books "that include analysis of the distinctive features of original manuscripts."

Publications (selected)

*1941: ''Medieval Libraries of Great Britain: a list of surviving medieval books by location with lists of donors and scribes; with a glossary''. *1954: ''Fragments of Medieval Manuscripts Used as Pastedowns in Oxford Bindings, with a Survey of Oxford Binding c.1515–1620''. *1957: ''Catalogue of Manuscripts Containing Anglo-Saxon''. *1960: ''English Manuscripts in the Century after the Norman Conquest: the Lyell lectures,1952-3''. *1964: ''Medieval Libraries of Great Britain: a list of surviving medieval books by location with lists of donors and scribes; with a glossary''; 2nd ed. *1969: ''Medieval Manuscripts in British Libraries''; vol. 1. *1977: ''Medieval Manuscripts in British Libraries''; vol. 2.

References

External links

Neil Ripley Ker on WorldCat
Anglo-Saxon studies scholars English medievalists English palaeographers 1908 births 1982 deaths People educated at Eton College Alumni of Magdalen College, Oxford Fellows of Magdalen College, Oxford Commanders of the Order of the British Empire Fellows of the British Academy Historians of libraries {{UK-nonfiction-writer-stub

Biography

Legacy

Publications (selected)

References

Further reading

External links