Book of Hours belonging to Margaret Beauchamp, 1440

Book of Hours owned and used by St.John ancestress Margaret Beauchamp (c1409-1482). Part 2 of the book was possibly a wedding present given to her by her second husband, John Beaufort. He had inherited the original book (often called Part 1) from his mother and Part 2 was added at his expense around the time that he married Margaret.

The book has extra hand written entries on the calendar of saints which record family events such as Margaret St.John becoming Abbess of Shaftesbury.

St.John family historian, Sonia St.John, points out that Margaret would no doubt have visited Margaret St.John (a daughter by her first marriage to Oliver St.John), at the abbey and that it is quite possible she met her second husband John Beaufort there. Not only did Beaufort's mother have a connection with the abbey, his castle at Corfe was relatively nearby. Sonia also suggests that Margaret's marriage to John Beaufort would appear to have been one of choice since Margaret was by that time financially secure and in a position to remain single had she wanted to. Her first marriage to Oliver St.John, as was usual, would have been an arrangement between their respective parents.

The book also has addditional hand written entries which include a series of obituaries of the Grandison family and three medical recipes, including 'incipit: 'Kolla quyntyta', 'Take rosemarie' and 'medson for the meigrem'.