Cuthbert at a synod from BL YT 26, f. 53v

Miniature of Cuthbert accepting the bishopric at a synod of fellow monks, from Chapter 24 of Bede's prose Life of St Cuthbert. Image taken from f. 53v 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.