Campaign for return of 13th-century Sarum Master Bible to Salisbury Cathedral receives £10,000 donation
Lisa Nandy described efforts to return the rare tome to its original location as ‘our country at its best’
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Your support makes all the difference.A campaign to return a 13th-century copy of the Bible to its ancestral home in Salisbury Cathedral has been hailed by the culture secretary as an example of “our country at its best” – as it received a remarkable £10,000 donation.
The bible is one of only six manuscripts attributed to the Sarum Master, who was among the greatest artists of the medieval period and illuminated pages of vellum in his workshop in Salisbury. The campaign is aiming to raise £90,000 in 90 days to secure its return.
The generous £10,000 donation was gifted by the Old Possum’s Practical Trust, founded in 1990 by Valerie Eliot, the wife of TS Eliot, to promote literary and cultural initiatives through grants that honour the poet’s legacy.
Funded largely by proceeds from Cats, the trust has contributed to numerous projects over the years, continuing Eliot’s impact on literature and the arts.
A spokesperson for the TS Eliot estate said: “We would like to see this extraordinary book returned to where it was originally written. It feels like poetic justice for this jewel of a manuscript to return seven centuries after it was written and illuminated on vellum.”
The Sarum Master was known for his work on religious manuscripts, particularly the Sarum Missal, which was used for the liturgical practices of the cathedral, influencing English Christianity before the Reformation.
At the time, no other city apart from London and Oxford supported this scale of book production, and Salisbury became renowned as an academic and cultural centre.
Lisa Nandy, the culture secretary, said: “This campaign by Friends of the Nations’ Libraries to return a book handwritten by one of England’s most famous medieval artists to the place where it was made 700 years ago shows our country at its best.
“I applaud and give my full support to the charities involved for stepping in to save a masterpiece of bibliographical, artistic and religious content.”
The Friends of the Nations’ Libraries (FNL), which protects the UK’s written and printed history, is campaigning to raise the £90,000 to purchase the incredibly rare copy of the Bible from a private collector.
Geordie Greig, chair of FNL, said: “I am determined that this campaign by Friends of the Nations’ Libraries to return a literary treasure to an ancient cathedral library, 700 years after it was written by one of the few known medieval artists, will be successful.
“To achieve this we are asking the public and donors to help us to save the Master of Sarum Salisbury Bible, a treasure of infinite historical and bibliographical merit.”
Christopher de Hamel, an expert on medieval manuscripts, said: “The Sarum Master was one of the earliest manuscript artists in England of whom we have a recognisable oeuvre.”
He added that Salisbury’s flourishing book trade during the medieval period meant that its published manuscripts were available for purchase, which led to the “Use of Sarum” – the liturgy developed in Salisbury – becoming standard for all of southern England until the Reformation period.
The artist is known for his intricate and highly stylised illustrations, which were characteristic of Gothic art. His work includes detailed images of saints, biblical scenes, and illuminated initials, with vibrant colours, flowing lines, and elaborate gold leaf.
Salisbury Cathedral is visited by around 250,000 people each year and boasts the tallest spire in the country, which stands at 123 metres. It also houses a library, founded in 1445, that holds a large collection of manuscripts dating from the ninth century and is one of the earliest purpose-built library rooms in England.
Among its prized possessions is one of only four remaining copies of the 1215 Magna Carta and the world’s oldest mechanical clock.
The Very Rev Nicholas Papadopulos, Dean of Salisbury, said: “We are immensely grateful to the Friends of the Nations’ Libraries for their invaluable support with the campaign to bring the Sarum Bible back to Salisbury after nearly 800 years.
“The artistry of the Sarum Master speaks to a centuries-long tradition of creativity at Salisbury. We are delighted at the prospect of being able to share this treasure with visitors to the cathedral library in the future.”
You can donate here: Return the Sarum Master Bible to Salisbury Cathedral
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