Historic Bibles reunited in Wales for first time in 500 years

The personal Bibles of King Henry VIII and his chief advisor, Thomas Cromwell, are being brought together for the first time in almost 500 years for an exhibition at the National Library of Wales.

The matching Bibles, which were their personal copies, will be displayed side-by-side for the first time since they were made.

With so much religious and political conflict at the time, it is remarkable that both Bibles have survived, with one now kept at the National Library of Wales and the other at St. John’s College, Cambridge. However, it is unknown for sure which one belonged to Henry and which to Cromwell.

The luxurious copies, made in 1538/9, were printed on parchment and hand-coloured by some of Europe’s finest artists.

The printing was supported by Cromwell, a strong supporter of religious reform, who had the two special copies made as part of a campaign to win support from the King.

English translation

The Great Bible was the first English translation of the Bible to be distributed across the realm. By royal order it was to be placed in every church in England and Wales in a place accessible to the laity. At a time when prayers were still primarily in Latin, providing ordinary people with an English Bible was truly revolutionary. It marked the beginning of a new era of giving people more access to the Bible than ever before.

Despite the title page, showing an idealised image of Henry VIII distributing bibles to ordinary people, the King wasn’t fully comfortable with letting ordinary people read the Bible and he imposed restrictions on access after Cromwell’s execution.

However, the impact of the Great Bible could not be reversed and after Henry’s death, the use of Bibles in churches and homes proliferated.

Special appeal

Rhodri Llwyd Morgan, Chief Executive of the National Library of Wales said: “The Age of the Tudors continues to hold a special appeal today. The two bibles were the personal property of two of the period’s great characters and they are the centrepiece of a fascinating exhibition charting the momentous events that are relevant to us now.

“It is a real privilege to be able to exhibit together the two volumes of such a significant publication at the National Library.  In the exhibition we also show the story of the major political and social changes of the age, including the quest for a Welsh language Bible, a key development in the history of the language and its safeguarding today.

“It has also been a privilege to work with Cambridge University Library and the research team as innovative technologies help reveal more of the secrets within the two bibles and discovering more about the circumstances in which they were created.”

The Bibles have recently been studied as part of the Hidden in Plain Sight research project, in collaboration with Cambridge University Library and Queen Mary University of London, and funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council, which looks at how ancient books were used, changed and cherished.

Using a range of scientific tools, from x-ray to microscopes and even DNA analysis, new light has been shed on the books histories, leading to discoveries about how they were made and changes over time.

The project revealed that Cromwell had his portrait painted and pasted into the title page of the St John’s copy – a move expertly hidden for centuries. The opening title page was further manipulated to gain Henry’s support, by altering an image of a courtly woman to resemble Jane Seymour, Henry’s beloved and recently deceased consort.

Other discoveries are set to be revealed during the course of the exhibition.

New secrets

Dr Amelie Roper, Head of Research and Manager of Cambridge University Library Research Institute, said: “This rare opportunity to study the Bibles side-by-side has unearthed new secrets and created exciting paths of discovery. Hidden in Plain Sight project members from Cambridge University Library and Queen Mary University of London have used innovative heritage science techniques to capture these findings, ready to be explored in the exhibition and as the project continues.”

Other contemporary items from the library’s collection, which tell the story of the dissolution of the monasteries, the development of the Welsh language, and which look at Anne Boleyn and court gossip will also be on display.

The exhibition runs until 22 November 2025 in the National Library of Wales’ Hengwrt Gallery.