Notes hidden for almost 500 years in England's first official printed Bible have revealed quotations from Thomas Cromwell's 'Great Bible' as well as notes about a thief dubbed 'Mr Pickpocket'.
The fascinating scribbles, unfitting of the holy tome, were discovered beneath pieces of thick paper in one of seven surviving copies of a Bible published in 1535 by Henry VIII's printer.
One expert believes the important artefact sheds light on the speed of the Reformation and shows how the Royal text swiftly found its way into the hands of the common man and thieves.
Dr Eyal Poleg, a historian from Queen Mary University of London (QMUL), made the discovery in the Bible housed in Lambeth Palace Library in London.
Secret notes scrawled into the pages of Henry VIII's first printed Bible reveal clandestine quotes about the Reformation and a threatening demand for money
Rare Bible containing Henry VIII's preface was published in 1535
Experts revealed two sets of notes made within 20 years of publication
Quotes are from Cromwell's Great Bible, shedding light on Reformation
Others highlight a debt owned to man by 'Mr Pickpocket' who was hanged
By Sarah Griffiths for MailOnline
17 March 2016
Daily Mail
Notes hidden for almost 500 years in England's first official printed Bible have revealed quotations from Thomas Cromwell's 'Great Bible' as well as notes about a thief dubbed 'Mr Pickpocket'.
The fascinating scribbles, unfitting of the holy tome, were discovered beneath pieces of thick paper in one of seven surviving copies of a Bible published in 1535 by Henry VIII's printer.
One expert believes the important artefact sheds light on the speed of the Reformation and shows how the Royal text swiftly found its way into the hands of the common man and thieves.
Notes hidden for almost 500 years in England's first printed Bible (pictured) have revealed quotations from Thomas Cromwell's 'Great Bible' as well as subsequent notes about an unpaid debt owed by 'Mr Pickpocket'
Dr Eyal Poleg, a historian from Queen Mary University of London (QMUL), made the discovery in the Bible housed in Lambeth Palace Library in London.
'We know virtually nothing about this unique Bible - whose preface was written by Henry himself – outside of the surviving copies,' he said.
The Lambeth copy at first seemed 'clean' but Dr Poleg noticed heavy paper had been pasted over blank parts of the book.
'The challenge was how to uncover the annotations without damaging the book,' he explained.
The Bible's preface was written by Henry VIII (painting shown left) but hidden notes scattered throughout the tome include quotes copied from the famous 'Great Bible' of Thomas Cromwell (painting shown right), seen as the epitome of the English Reformation when the Church of England broke away from the authority of the Pope
Lambeth Palace, the official residence of the Archbishop of Canterbury
The researchers worked with Dr Graham Davis, a specialist in 3D X-ray imaging at QMUL's School of Dentistry, using a light sheet slid beneath the pages to expose the hidden text.
They took two images in long exposure - one with the light sheet on and one with it off.
The first image showed all the annotations, scrambled with the printed text, while the second showed only the printed text.
Dr Davis then used software to subtract the second image from the first, leaving a clear picture of the annotations.
The notes are copied from the famous 'Great Bible' of Thomas Cromwell, seen as the epitome of the English Reformation - a series of events in 16th century England by which the Church of England broke away from the authority of the Pope and the Roman Catholic Church.
One example reads: 'On the iij Sonday [of Lent] | [E]phe. v. a. be ye therfore follo. | Lk. xi. b. and he was casting out'.
Dr Poleg told MailOnline: 'This means that the text to be read at Mass on the Fourth Sunday of Lent is the Letter to the Ephesians 5:1 (beginning with 'be ye therfore’) and Luke 11:14 (beginning "and he was casting out").'
Written between 1539 and 1549, they were covered and disguised with thick paper in 1600 and remained hidden until this year.
According to Dr Poleg, their presence supports the idea that the Reformation was a gradual process rather than a single, transformative event.
The Lambeth copy at first seemed 'clean' but Dr Poleg noticed heavy paper had been pasted over blank parts of the book and technology revealed hidden notes (pictured left and right)
The annotations were written during the most tumultuous years of Henry's reign. The period included the move away from the Church of Rome and the Pilgrimage of Grace, (illustrated) the worst uprising of Henry VIII's reign
'Until recently, it was widely assumed that the Reformation caused a complete break, a Rubicon moment when people stopped being Catholics and accepted Protestantism, rejected saints, and replaced Latin with English,' he said.
'This Bible is a unique witness to a time when the conservative Latin and the reformist English were used together, showing that the Reformation was a slow, complex, and gradual process.'
The annotations were written during the most tumultuous years of Henry's reign.
The period included the move away from the Church of Rome, The Act of Supremacy, the suppression of the monasteries, and the executions of Anne Boleyn, Thomas More, and John Fisher, as well as the Pilgrimage of Grace.
This was the worst uprising of Henry VIII's reign caused by the dissolution of the monasteries - which led the king to take a more cautious approach.
Dr Poleg also gained a fascinating insight into the subsequent life of the book, after the point at which Latin Bibles had definitively fallen out of use.
Dr Poleg worked with Dr Graham Davis (both pictured), a specialist in 3D X-ray imaging at QMUL's School of Dentistry, using a light sheet, which was slid beneath the pages to expose the hidden text
Written between 1539 and 1549, the notes were covered and disguised with thick paper in 1600 and remained hidden until this year. An image of an unassuming page is shown left and hidden notes, right
On the back page, he additionally uncovered a hidden, handwritten transaction between two men named as Mr William Cheffyn of Calais (then an English possession), and Mr James Elys Cutpurse of London.
Cutpurse, in medieval English jargon, means pickpocket.
The transaction states that Cutpurse promised to pay 20 shillings to Cheffyn, or would go to Marshalsea, which was a notorious prison in Southwark.
After trawling the archives, Dr Poleg found that Mr Cutpurse was hanged in July 1552.
'Beyond Mr Cutpurse's illustrious occupation, the fact that we know when he died is significant, Dr Poleg said.
'It allows us to date and trace the journey of the book with remarkable accuracy - the transaction obviously couldn't have taken place after his death.'
He added: 'The book is a unique witness to the course of Henry's Reformation.
'Printed in 1535 by the King's printer and with Henry's preface, within a few short years the situation had shifted dramatically.
The fascinating annotations were hidden for centuries beneath thick pieces of paper glued onto roomy pages (example shown left) but a wealth of notes were found beneath (pictured right)
The second translation hidden on the back page of the book states that Cutpurse promised to pay 20 shillings to Cheffyn, or would go to Marshalsea, which was a notorious prison in Southwark (illustrated above)
He explained the Latin Bible was altered to accommodate reformist English, and the book became a testimony to the greyscale between English and Latin in the murky period between 1539 and 1549.
'Just three years later things were more certain. Monastic libraries were dissolved, and Latin liturgy was irrelevant.
'Our Bible found its way to lay hands, completing a remarkably swift descent in prominence from Royal text to recorder of thievery.'
THE HIDDEN ANNOTATIONS
The notes are copied from the famous 'Great Bible' of Thomas Cromwell, seen as the epitome of the English Reformation - a series of events in 16th century England by which the Church of England broke away from the authority of the Pope and the Roman Catholic Church.
One example reads: 'On the iij Sonday [of Lent] | [E]phe. v. a. be ye therfore follo. | Lk. xi. b. and he was casting out'.
Dr Poleg told MailOnline: 'This means the text to be read at Mass on the Fourth Sunday of Lent is the Letter to the Ephesians 5:1 (beginning with 'be ye therfore’) and Luke 11:14 (beginning "and he was casting out").'
On the back page, he additionally uncovered a hidden, handwritten transaction between two men named as Mr William Cheffyn of Calais, and Mr James Elys Cutpurse of London.
Cutpurse, in medieval English jargon, means pickpocket.
The transaction states that Cutpurse promised to pay 20 shillings to Cheffyn, or would go to Marshalsea, which was a notorious prison in Southwark.
After trawling the archives, Dr Poleg found that Mr Cutpurse was hanged in July 1552.
REVEALING THE THE ANNOTATIONS
Historian Dr Eyal Poleg relied on the expertise of Dr Graham Davis, a specialist in 3D X-ray imaging to reveal the hidden notes beneath thick pieces of paper glued on top of them.
They used a light sheet, which was slid beneath the pages to expose the hidden text.
The first image showed all the annotations, scrambled with the printed text, while the second showed only the printed text.
Dr Davis then wrote a novel piece of software to subtract the second image from the first, leaving a clear picture of the annotations.
TIMELINE OF THE BIBLE
The Lambeth copy of the Bible was published in 1535 by Henry VIII’s printer.
The first annotations were made between 1539 and 1549 and are notes copied from the famous ‘Great Bible’ of Thomas Cromwell, seen as the epitome of the English Reformation.
The second set of scribbles revealed were made after this, but before 1552.
The notes on the back page of the precious Bible show a handwritten transaction between two men: Mr William Cheffyn of Calais, and Mr James Elys Cutpurse of London.
Cutpurse, in medieval English jargon, means pickpocket.
The transaction states that Cutpurse promised to pay 20 shillings to Cheffyn, or would go to Marshalsea, a notorious prison in Southwark.
The fascinating scribbles, unfitting of the holy tome, were discovered beneath pieces of thick paper in one of seven surviving copies of a Bible published in 1535 by Henry VIII's printer.
One expert believes the important artefact sheds light on the speed of the Reformation and shows how the Royal text swiftly found its way into the hands of the common man and thieves.
Dr Eyal Poleg, a historian from Queen Mary University of London (QMUL), made the discovery in the Bible housed in Lambeth Palace Library in London.
Secret notes scrawled into the pages of Henry VIII's first printed Bible reveal clandestine quotes about the Reformation and a threatening demand for money
Rare Bible containing Henry VIII's preface was published in 1535
Experts revealed two sets of notes made within 20 years of publication
Quotes are from Cromwell's Great Bible, shedding light on Reformation
Others highlight a debt owned to man by 'Mr Pickpocket' who was hanged
By Sarah Griffiths for MailOnline
17 March 2016
Daily Mail
Notes hidden for almost 500 years in England's first official printed Bible have revealed quotations from Thomas Cromwell's 'Great Bible' as well as notes about a thief dubbed 'Mr Pickpocket'.
The fascinating scribbles, unfitting of the holy tome, were discovered beneath pieces of thick paper in one of seven surviving copies of a Bible published in 1535 by Henry VIII's printer.
One expert believes the important artefact sheds light on the speed of the Reformation and shows how the Royal text swiftly found its way into the hands of the common man and thieves.
Notes hidden for almost 500 years in England's first printed Bible (pictured) have revealed quotations from Thomas Cromwell's 'Great Bible' as well as subsequent notes about an unpaid debt owed by 'Mr Pickpocket'
Dr Eyal Poleg, a historian from Queen Mary University of London (QMUL), made the discovery in the Bible housed in Lambeth Palace Library in London.
'We know virtually nothing about this unique Bible - whose preface was written by Henry himself – outside of the surviving copies,' he said.
The Lambeth copy at first seemed 'clean' but Dr Poleg noticed heavy paper had been pasted over blank parts of the book.
'The challenge was how to uncover the annotations without damaging the book,' he explained.
The Bible's preface was written by Henry VIII (painting shown left) but hidden notes scattered throughout the tome include quotes copied from the famous 'Great Bible' of Thomas Cromwell (painting shown right), seen as the epitome of the English Reformation when the Church of England broke away from the authority of the Pope
Lambeth Palace, the official residence of the Archbishop of Canterbury
The researchers worked with Dr Graham Davis, a specialist in 3D X-ray imaging at QMUL's School of Dentistry, using a light sheet slid beneath the pages to expose the hidden text.
They took two images in long exposure - one with the light sheet on and one with it off.
The first image showed all the annotations, scrambled with the printed text, while the second showed only the printed text.
Dr Davis then used software to subtract the second image from the first, leaving a clear picture of the annotations.
The notes are copied from the famous 'Great Bible' of Thomas Cromwell, seen as the epitome of the English Reformation - a series of events in 16th century England by which the Church of England broke away from the authority of the Pope and the Roman Catholic Church.
One example reads: 'On the iij Sonday [of Lent] | [E]phe. v. a. be ye therfore follo. | Lk. xi. b. and he was casting out'.
Dr Poleg told MailOnline: 'This means that the text to be read at Mass on the Fourth Sunday of Lent is the Letter to the Ephesians 5:1 (beginning with 'be ye therfore’) and Luke 11:14 (beginning "and he was casting out").'
Written between 1539 and 1549, they were covered and disguised with thick paper in 1600 and remained hidden until this year.
According to Dr Poleg, their presence supports the idea that the Reformation was a gradual process rather than a single, transformative event.
The Lambeth copy at first seemed 'clean' but Dr Poleg noticed heavy paper had been pasted over blank parts of the book and technology revealed hidden notes (pictured left and right)
The annotations were written during the most tumultuous years of Henry's reign. The period included the move away from the Church of Rome and the Pilgrimage of Grace, (illustrated) the worst uprising of Henry VIII's reign
'Until recently, it was widely assumed that the Reformation caused a complete break, a Rubicon moment when people stopped being Catholics and accepted Protestantism, rejected saints, and replaced Latin with English,' he said.
'This Bible is a unique witness to a time when the conservative Latin and the reformist English were used together, showing that the Reformation was a slow, complex, and gradual process.'
The annotations were written during the most tumultuous years of Henry's reign.
The period included the move away from the Church of Rome, The Act of Supremacy, the suppression of the monasteries, and the executions of Anne Boleyn, Thomas More, and John Fisher, as well as the Pilgrimage of Grace.
This was the worst uprising of Henry VIII's reign caused by the dissolution of the monasteries - which led the king to take a more cautious approach.
Dr Poleg also gained a fascinating insight into the subsequent life of the book, after the point at which Latin Bibles had definitively fallen out of use.
Dr Poleg worked with Dr Graham Davis (both pictured), a specialist in 3D X-ray imaging at QMUL's School of Dentistry, using a light sheet, which was slid beneath the pages to expose the hidden text
Written between 1539 and 1549, the notes were covered and disguised with thick paper in 1600 and remained hidden until this year. An image of an unassuming page is shown left and hidden notes, right
On the back page, he additionally uncovered a hidden, handwritten transaction between two men named as Mr William Cheffyn of Calais (then an English possession), and Mr James Elys Cutpurse of London.
Cutpurse, in medieval English jargon, means pickpocket.
The transaction states that Cutpurse promised to pay 20 shillings to Cheffyn, or would go to Marshalsea, which was a notorious prison in Southwark.
After trawling the archives, Dr Poleg found that Mr Cutpurse was hanged in July 1552.
'Beyond Mr Cutpurse's illustrious occupation, the fact that we know when he died is significant, Dr Poleg said.
'It allows us to date and trace the journey of the book with remarkable accuracy - the transaction obviously couldn't have taken place after his death.'
He added: 'The book is a unique witness to the course of Henry's Reformation.
'Printed in 1535 by the King's printer and with Henry's preface, within a few short years the situation had shifted dramatically.
The fascinating annotations were hidden for centuries beneath thick pieces of paper glued onto roomy pages (example shown left) but a wealth of notes were found beneath (pictured right)
The second translation hidden on the back page of the book states that Cutpurse promised to pay 20 shillings to Cheffyn, or would go to Marshalsea, which was a notorious prison in Southwark (illustrated above)
He explained the Latin Bible was altered to accommodate reformist English, and the book became a testimony to the greyscale between English and Latin in the murky period between 1539 and 1549.
'Just three years later things were more certain. Monastic libraries were dissolved, and Latin liturgy was irrelevant.
'Our Bible found its way to lay hands, completing a remarkably swift descent in prominence from Royal text to recorder of thievery.'
THE HIDDEN ANNOTATIONS
The notes are copied from the famous 'Great Bible' of Thomas Cromwell, seen as the epitome of the English Reformation - a series of events in 16th century England by which the Church of England broke away from the authority of the Pope and the Roman Catholic Church.
One example reads: 'On the iij Sonday [of Lent] | [E]phe. v. a. be ye therfore follo. | Lk. xi. b. and he was casting out'.
Dr Poleg told MailOnline: 'This means the text to be read at Mass on the Fourth Sunday of Lent is the Letter to the Ephesians 5:1 (beginning with 'be ye therfore’) and Luke 11:14 (beginning "and he was casting out").'
On the back page, he additionally uncovered a hidden, handwritten transaction between two men named as Mr William Cheffyn of Calais, and Mr James Elys Cutpurse of London.
Cutpurse, in medieval English jargon, means pickpocket.
The transaction states that Cutpurse promised to pay 20 shillings to Cheffyn, or would go to Marshalsea, which was a notorious prison in Southwark.
After trawling the archives, Dr Poleg found that Mr Cutpurse was hanged in July 1552.
REVEALING THE THE ANNOTATIONS
Historian Dr Eyal Poleg relied on the expertise of Dr Graham Davis, a specialist in 3D X-ray imaging to reveal the hidden notes beneath thick pieces of paper glued on top of them.
They used a light sheet, which was slid beneath the pages to expose the hidden text.
The first image showed all the annotations, scrambled with the printed text, while the second showed only the printed text.
Dr Davis then wrote a novel piece of software to subtract the second image from the first, leaving a clear picture of the annotations.
TIMELINE OF THE BIBLE
The Lambeth copy of the Bible was published in 1535 by Henry VIII’s printer.
The first annotations were made between 1539 and 1549 and are notes copied from the famous ‘Great Bible’ of Thomas Cromwell, seen as the epitome of the English Reformation.
The second set of scribbles revealed were made after this, but before 1552.
The notes on the back page of the precious Bible show a handwritten transaction between two men: Mr William Cheffyn of Calais, and Mr James Elys Cutpurse of London.
Cutpurse, in medieval English jargon, means pickpocket.
The transaction states that Cutpurse promised to pay 20 shillings to Cheffyn, or would go to Marshalsea, a notorious prison in Southwark.
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