Date based on Britten's diary entries from the time. The date at the end of the manuscript source is the original composition date, 9 Jul 1930.
Fair copy with signature, original composition date and place, 'HOLT on JULY 9th 1930'. Britten has added a comment at the bottom of page 1v in reference to the text: 'Words taken from "The Oxford Book of English Verse" '.
3 pages of 5 page manuscript [1v-3r]
Black ink; 23.5 x 30.5 cm. Paper manufacturer's catalogue No. = RC1. Shares a volume with other sources. See Related Records and Title Page of Collected Volume.
'[signature] / TWO CHORAL SONGS / No I A HYMN TO THE VIRGIN (Anon) / CHORUS S.A.T.B - SEMI-CHORUS S.A.T.B / No II I SAW THREE SHIPS (Anon) / CHORUS S.A.T.B / Set to music by / E.BENJAMIN BRITTEN / 1st peformed St.John Church 1931?'.
Archive
https://www.bpacatalogue.org/archive/BBM-a_hymn_to_the_virgin-1-3