King David and the three heroes from BL Eg 1070, f. 139

Detail of a full-page miniature of the three heroes bringing King David a cup of water from the well of Bethlehem. Image taken from f. 139 of Book of Hours, Use of Paris ('The Hours of René d'Anjou').

The Egerton Manuscript Collection is named after its founder, Sir Thomas Egerton (1540-1617), 1st Viscount Brackley, was a lawyer, statesman, and patron of the arts during the reigns of Queen Elizabeth I and King James I of England. He served as Lord Keeper of the Great Seal and later as Lord Chancellor of England, holding high positions in the legal and political realms.

Sir Thomas Egerton acquired a substantial number of historical and literary manuscripts. In 1617, shortly before his death, Sir Thomas Egerton bequeathed his collection of manuscripts to the British Museum, which was the precursor to the British Library.