Miniature gold bible found near York
Detectorist Buffy Bailey has found a miniature gold Bible while detecting in a field near York. She was searching farmland near Sheriff Hutton Castle in North Yorkshire York with her husband, Ian, 59, when her detector picked up a strong signal. Digging down five inches, she expected to find little more than a sheep’s ear tag or a ring-pull from an old can. But instead she discovered a solid gold Bible measuring 1.5cm.
Mrs. Bailey said, “My husband and I are going all over the country to detect metal. We decided to visit York as we knew it had a lot of history. We arrived at the farm and the landowner asked if we wanted to go out right away – we said yes“.
Sheriff Hutton Castle belonged to Richard III and he often stayed there. Mrs Bailey has since shown the book to the Richard III Society and it is currently being assessed by the Yorkshire Museum. The images are thought to be St Leonard and St Margaret – who were both patron saints of child birth. It is believed to have belonged to either Richard III’s wife, Anne Neville, his mother Cecily Neville, or his sister-in-law Anne Beauchamp.
This article has been readily described in the media as a miniature Bible but I agree with those who are saying that it is more likely to represent a miniature pre Reformation devotional book. The saints on this object do not appear in the Bible for one thing. It could well be a bead from a very high status rosary similar to the Langdale Rosary, which is the only example to have survived the Reformation.