Conservation Work Begins on Unique 14th Century Bible
The Vulgate Bible dates from the late 14th Century and is one of only three surviving from that time period. It has been cared for by St Thomas’ Church in Bristol since medieval times, but the manuscript was badly damaged during WWII. Until now it had probably not been viewed since the 1970s.
The bible was passed onto the CCT when St Thomas’ church came into our care in 1988. In 2010, following discussions between the St Thomas Ecclesiastical Charity and the South West Regional Team, a fundraising campaign began to conserve it.
£12,400 has now been raised to support this project.
On 28 February 2012 the Vulgate Bible was handed over to an eminent manuscript conservationist, Christopher Clarkson. He will endeavour to repair, tint and clean the velum pages where possible, and ensure that the Bible is stabilised so that further deterioration should not occur.
There is a plan to design an interpretive display on the Bible and its conservation, which will initially be positioned in the Bristol Records Office before being transferred to St Thomas’ for permanent exhibition.