Stemma Genealogy

This Latin Bible from 1580 was once part of a library collection in a manor house in Hampshire. The house became derelict and was destroyed by fire in 1963 and some of the books where rescued by a neighbouring tenant on the estate.

After the death of this tenant in later years, this home was cleared of any belongings and this book, among a few others, were once again rescued – this time from a skip!

This latest project is to examine the possible origins of the Bible and to discover if the original owner can be determined.

It is in good condition, with the exception of the deteriorating spine and some very light water marks. The inside back flyleaf of the book contains hand written details in Latin of family baptisms and the back of the book displays the coat of arms from the University of Cambridge.

Before research the pages are lightly cleaned to removing any surface dirt and the gutter is brushed to clear any loose debris or insects.

Then anything that may be relevant at a later date is photographed, for example, the notes written in Latin in the margins and parts of the text that have been underlined.

After cleaning and photographing, the Bible is wrapped in acid free tissue and placed into an archival box for future preservation. The photographs are then used for research instead of continually handling the book.