King Henry IV from BL YT 48, f. 147

Detail of an historiated initial 'H'(enry) of Henry IV, at the beginning of his Statutes. Image taken from f. 147 of Nova Statuta (index Statutes of England, Statuta Angliae, Statute book), from Edward III to Henry VI, ending in the year 1451. Written in French.

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.