Adam Pinkhurst
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In 2004, Professor Linne Mooney was able to identify the scrivener who worked for Chaucer as an Adam Pinkhurst. Mooney, then a professor at the University of Maine and a visiting fellow at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, was able to match Pinkhurst's signature on an oath he signed to his lettering on a copy of Canterbury Tales that was transcribed from Chaucer's working copy.
Not only is it significant in shedding light on the relationship between a writer, his scrivener and their manuscripts at that time, it also adds detail to one of Chaucer's shortest works. Chaucer words unto Adam his scrivener takes the scribe to task for the many errors he introduces and the amount of work Chaucer has to do correcting them.
- Adam scrivener, if ever thee befall
- Boece or Troilus for to write new,
- Under thy longe locks thow maist have the scall,
- But after my makinge thou write mor trew,
- So oft a day I mot thy werke renewe
- It to correct, and eke to rubbe and scrape,
- And all is thorowe thy necligence and rape.
