Cuthbert praying in the sea from BL YT 26, f. 24

Miniature of Cuthbert praying in the sea, while the spy watches him above; at the lower right, Cuthbert emerges from the sea to have his feet miraculously dried by otters, from Chapter 10 of Bede's prose Life of St Cuthbert. Image taken from f. 24 of Prose Life of Cuthbert; extracts from the Historia Ecclesiastica (History of the English Church and People). Written in Latin.

Henry Yates Thompson (1838-1928) was a British collector and philanthropist who assembled this remarkable collection over his lifetime. The collection is now housed at the British Library in London.

Henry Yates Thompson was born into a wealthy family in 1838. Thompson began collecting manuscripts and other items in the 1870s. His collection quickly gained recognition for its exceptional quality and breadth. He had a keen eye for illuminated manuscripts, which are manuscripts decorated with intricate illustrations and calligraphy. The collection has a particular emphasis on medieval manuscripts.