A rare 400-year-old Bible worth about £10,000 has been donated to the vicar of St Cuthbert’s Church in Darlington to raise money for its Opening Doors project.
It is known as a ‘She Bible’, because Chapter 3, Verse 15 of the Book of Ruth mistakenly reads “She went into the city”.
The Bible has been assessed and authenticated by Darlington’s antiquarian bookseller Jeremiah Vokes, who has told the Rev James Harvey that it is a 1613 version.
Only a handful of the ‘She Bibles’ still exist. Oxford and Cambridge universities have one, as do Salisbury, Exeter and Durham cathedrals.
The story of how the Bible ended up at St Cuthbert’s has as many twists and turns as the original journey of St Cuthbert’s body which rested in Darlington en-route to its final destination of Durham, where the Cathedral was established around his shrine.
The Bible was donated to the Oxfam stall at the inaugural Festival of Thrift held in Darlington in 2012. It was bought by Kerry Eaton for her friend Dr James Lycett, who had just told her that he was having problems reading the Bible because the text was so small.
It was Jim’s birthday the following week, so Kerry purchased it as a birthday present. Jim was delighted and then proceeded to read it every day until his death in 2024. He left it to Kerry in his will, who has donated it to vicar Revd James Harvey to use for church fundraising.
Kerry said: “It always felt that there was an element of divine intervention that the Bible ended up with Jim, and I’m sure he would approve of it now being used to support the Opening Doors project.
“St Cuthbert’s is such a beautiful church, and the Opening Doors project will mean that the church will be used and appreciated by more people.
“Jim did the research to establish that it was a ‘She Bible’, but for him, even when he knew it had a monetary value, he saw the true value in the text and the Christian heritage. It was wonderful to know it was being read every day, and I’m sure Jim would approve of this next stage of the Bible’s journey.”
The Revd James Harvey said: “I am so delighted to accept this donation and really pleased that Kerry wants to support the Opening Doors project. It’s truly amazing to think that this Bible was being read over 400 years ago.
“The world has obviously changed dramatically since then and we now really need to make sure that St Cuthbert’s Darlington is fit for the 21st century.
“St. Cuthbert’s Church is one of the top iconic landmarks and focal points in Darlington. It is a majestic building, but whilst our church offers uplifting worship and hospitality, our church doors remain shut for the vast majority of the week. This project aims to literally open our doors so we can ensure that St Cuthbert’s becomes an accessible venue for everyone throughout the week.
“St Cuthbert’s can become a much-needed town centre hub, but we must provide a flexible space inside the building. In addition to offering space and solitude for Christian worship, we want to offer a fit for purpose venue that serves all the people, including the music, arts and culture sectors in Darlington.
“St Cuthbert, who was known for his values of humility, simplicity and tolerance, would definitely approve of what we are aiming to do, which is essentially putting the soul back into the heart of Darlington.”
Photos
Top: Jeremiah Vokes, Kerry Eaton and the Revd James Harvey with the 'She Bible'.
Below: Pages from the 'She Bible'.
Credit: St Cuthbert's Church, Darlington.