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Bible, Jardine family, Spedlins Tower, Lochmaben, c1548

Description:

 

It is likely that this 16th century Bible was from the

local family church of the Jardines.

In 1536 a man called William Tyndale was executed

for printing a Bible in English.  During the

Reformation the Bible was translated into many

European languages but it was still illegal to own or

print an English version. Tyndale's last words were

reported to be "Lord, open the King of England's eyes!"

Only three years later, Henry VIII would fund the

translation and printing of the first authorised Bible

in English, partly based on Tyndale's work.

This copy of the Bible was printed in 1540 on

cotton rag, not paper, which is why it survives so

well. The book is missing its decorative frontispiece

which would show Henry VIII commissioning the

translation of God's word into English. The text

flows from the King, through the clergy and nobility

to the ordinary people. This meant that anyone

who could read English could now read the bible

for the first time. Henry's chief minister Thomas

Cromwell directed that the clergy make a copy

of the bible available in their parish for the use

of the people. It was rebound in suede in the late

18th or early 19th century. At the same time the

large margins were removed. This has meant

some of the marginalia, or notes have been lost.

 

The Images:

 

Building the Tower of Babel (Genesis 11: 1-9). 

Here the building of the tower is done using

building techniques familiar to the artist in

the 16th century. Moses is shown with horns

in this and other images in the Great Bible.

This comes from the Latin Vulgate translation

of the Bible by St Jerome in 382AD where

the Hebrew word karan has been translated

"horned".  Modern translations use "shining"

or "emitting rays", but the idea of Moses

having horns persisted through the

Renaissance and can be seen in art and

sculpture of the period.

Moses and the manna from heaven. In the

book of Exodus (16:1-36) manna is described

as being like frost on the ground and tasting

like wafers made with honey. The people are

dressed in contemporary costume.

Moses receiving the Ten Commandments on

Mount Sinai. (Exodus 20:1-17).

David and Goliath (1 Samuel 17). The

figure of Goliath is portrayed in armour of

the 16th century in Continental style.

Joshua before the battle of Jericho

(Joshua 6:1-27).  Like Goliath, Joshua is

portrayed in contemporary armour. There

are also decorative capital letters. The book

has been created to look like a mediaeval

manuscript which had richly painted or

illuminated capital letters. This was common

in the first 100 years of printing. There is

also evidence of a printer's error which has

been corrected by hand.

 

The ghost of Dunty Porteous:


James 'Dunty' Porteous was a miller, and the

illegitimate son of Sir Alexander Jardine

(1645-1689) of Spedlins Tower.  Legend has

it that after an argument, Sir Alexander had

Dunty locked up in a dungeon. Sir Alexander

travelled to Edinburgh on business and forgot

he had the keys to the dungeon in his pocket. 

Dunty Porteous starved to death and began

to haunt the Tower. A reading from the Bible

was used to quiet the ghost.

We do not think this was the Bible that was used.

Source:
Dumfries Museum & Camera Obscura
Accession number:
DUMFM:1951.20


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