Gerald of Wales's 'Itinerary of Wales' in medieval Exeter.

In his Itineraries, William Worcestre (1415-82) made notes on a visit to Exeter in 1478, including one 'de libro doctoris Ewen qui vocatur Itinerarium Wallie', and others on 'certain islands of North Wales, from the book of the Itinerary of Wales by Gerald the Welshman which belongs to Dr Ewen at Exeter (vt in libro Itinerarij Wallie Geraldi Cambrensis habetur apud Excetyr cure doctore Ewen)'.(1) 'Dr Ewen' must be Dr Owen Lloyd (d. 1478), canon and prebendary of Exeter from 1468.(2) A successful canon lawyer and something of a pluralist, Lloyd was also a lover of books. Twenty-three manuscripts and two printed books belonging to him still survive in the library of Hereford cathedral, where he had been canon. They include copies of Terence, Leonardo Bruni (a printed book), Bartholomew the Englishman, Richard Rolle, Isidore of Seville, and Peter Lombard, but not Gerald.(3)

What follows has three …