The text is a translation done into English for use in the
Brigittine monastery of Syon by the priest Richard Whitford [fl.
1495-1555?], the "wretche of Syon", as he often signed himself, a
well known translator and compiler of devotional texts in the
vernacular. It was printed by de Worde {STC 17532] "for the
edifacacyon of certayn religyous persones vnlerned, that dayly dyd
rede the same martiloge in latyn, not vnderstandynge what they
redde". The English text follows in essence the text represented by
the Latin Syon martyrology, London, British Library, Adiditional MS
22285, but from a different, more correct copy which contained
additional entries. Additional MS 22285, was devised for the male
Brigittine community, but was conserved in exile by the female
community until 1809, when it was sold to the Earl of Shrewsbury.
The "additions" mentioned are not liturgical in character, but are
somewhat careless gleanings form Jacobo de Voragine's 'Legenda
Aurea', Petrus de Natalibus, 'Catalogus Sanctoreum', and a work
'Sanctilogium Salvatoris', all employed so as to furnish a
devotional rather than a liturgical text in the vernacular, The
reference to Salisbury {Sarum] in the title of the printed volume
is explained by the fact that Syon was founded in 1415, the year
after the London diocese [in which the monastery was situated]
adopted the Sarum Use, and that the Brigittine custom was to follow
the local use, It would seem doubtful that a uniform Sarum
martyology ever really existed. In this edition readings are
collated from the Latin martyrology to be found in a Sarum breviary
in London, British Library, Harley MS 2785. On a broader view, the
Syon martyorology followed a rather corrupt text of Usuard with
numerous variations and interpolations.
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