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Tyndale at Hertford

by Kelli Skinner Eyerly

2025 marks the 500th anniversary of translation of the New Testament by Hertford alumnus William Tyndale. Hertford MSt English (2025) student Kelli Skinner Eyerly curated a display of Hertford rare books to commemorate this important event. The display was held in person next to the Tyndale window in Hertford Chapel in May 2025 and is shared here in digital form.

In foreground edge of early printed book, in background a stained glass window showing a man in 16th century clothes holding a book.
Foxe’s Book of Martyrs and Tyndale window in Hertford Chapel

Tyndale and the Bible

William Tyndale (c.1494-1536) studied at Magdalen Hall, Hertford College’s predecessor, in the 1510s. Tyndale’s Bible was the first English translation based on Hebrew and Greek texts, rather than the Latin Vulgate. Initially working as a tutor, preacher and scholar in Gloucestershire and London, he moved to Europe in the 1520s to work on his biblical translations. He was arrested in Antwerp in 1535, found guilty of heresy, and executed near Brussels in 1536.

Six early printed books books lined up from largest to smallest. The books are a bound in old red and brown leather with gold decorations.
From left to right: Foxe’s Acts & Monuments, early 17th century Bible, 1551 Bible,The Whole Duty of Man, The Plain Man’s Pathway and Tyndale’s Obedience

Tyndale’s Obedience

William Tyndale, The Obedyence of a Chrysten Man (London, 1561)

The Obedience is a seminal work by Tyndale, first published in 1528. Tyndale affirms the supremacy and authority of the Bible over that of the Catholic Church and advocates for access to the scriptures in the vernacular. The book supposedly influenced Henry VIII’s decision to declare the Act of Supremacy in 1534, making him the Supreme Head of the Church of England. Anne Boleyn owned a copy and encouraged the king to read it, leading him to exclaim ‘this book is for me and all kings to read’.

  • Plain brown leather cover, worn with repairs to spine
    17th/18th century calf leather cover of Obedience
  • Title page with decorative border and title in gothic script.
    Title page
  • Page filled with gothic text. Title in centre of page has a manicle (hand with pointing finger) and title reading 'Against the Popes'
    Against the Popes
  • Page opening showing two pages of small gothic script
    f.13 ‘That the scripture ought to be in the English tongue’

View All Souls’ College Library’s digitised full copy of the Obedience

View the catalogue records for Hertford and All Souls’ copies

Foxe’s Book of Martyrs

John Foxe, The Ecclesiasticall History Contaynyng the Actes and Monumentes of Thynges Passed in Euery Kynges Tyme in This Realme, vol 2. (London, 1570)

Foxe’s Book of Martyrs, also known as Acts and Monuments, was first published in 1563 and is a landmark work of Protestant history.  It provides biographies of Christian martyrs from the first apostles to 16th century English Protestants, including William Tyndale. Foxe details Tyndale’s execution for heresy in 1536, noting Tyndale’s last words – ‘Lord! Open the King of England’s eyes’ – symbolizing his enduring hope for widespread access to scripture. This book was widely distributed in England, with copies placed in churches and includes vivid woodcut images for greater accessibility to illiterate audiences.

  • Woodcut printed image showing a crowd surrounding a bound figure being strangled.
    Woodcut of Tyndale’s martyrdom from Hertford’s copy of Foxe’s Acts and Monuments
  • Title page of Foxe’s Acts and Monuments

Visit the Foxe’s Acts and Monuments Online Project for free online early editions.

Hertford Bibles

The Byble,ed. by John Rogers and Edmund Becke and trans. by Richard Taverner and William Tyndale (London, 1551)

The Matthew Bible, edited by John Rogers, who used the pseudonym of Thomas Matthew, includes Tyndale’s New Testament and most of Tyndale’s Old Testament translations, which Rogers saved after Tyndale’s arrest. John Rogers was a friend of Tyndale and Miles Coverdale. Their friendship began in Antwerp, where Rogers was serving as a chaplain to English merchants, and was converted by Tyndale to the Protestant cause. Rogers became the first Protestant martyr burned at the stake during Queen Mary I’s reign in 1555. This was the first complete Bible containing all of Tyndale’s translations from the Hebrew and the Greek (and his prologues). Hertford’s copy had previous owners that added marginalia, including George De Horne in the early 18th century. An example in the images below shows De Horne adding notes next to one of Tyndale’s prologues, cross referencing Foxe’s Book of Martyrs.

  • Red leather cover with gold decoration
    Cover of Hertford copy
  • Title page with black and red print in centre and decorative border.
    Title page of Hertford copy
  • Printed text page with two columns. In the top right margin is 18th century handwriting in pale ink.
    Prologue with marginalia citing Foxe’s Acts and Monuments

View the catalogue record for Hertford’s copy

View a digitised copy of a similar 1551 edition from the Museum of the Bible

Book of Common Prayer, Bible and Books of Psalters c.1600-1615

This volume has several books bound in one, including a complete bible, a book of common prayer, and two psalters. This bible is open to a psalter ‘after the translation of the Great Bible.’ The Great Bible was the first authorized (by Henry VIII) English Bible. The translation for it was taken from the Matthew Bible, which is almost entirely comprised of Tyndale’s translation of the Bible. Much of the poetic language of so many English bibles was taken from Tyndale’s initial translation.

  • Very large book with many pages. Textblock is age stained. Binding is red leather with gold decoration and a navy and gold central decoration
    Hertford’s early 1600s Bible
  • Front cover of book in re leather and gold decoration. Gold text reads Hertford College Library. In centre is a navy and gold decorative oval.
    Cover of Hertford copy
  • Open book. On left page is a image of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden surrounded by animals. The right page shows text from the start of the First Book of Genesis
    Genesis title page
  • Title page of Psalter with large decorative border
    Psalter title page

View the records for this volume in the library catalogue

Devotional literature in the century after Tyndale

Two books side by side on a black background. The book on the left has a plain brown leather cover and the book on the right is larger and has a red leather cover and elaborate gold decoration.
Left: The Plain Man’s Pathway and right: The Whole Duty of Man
Richard Allestree, The Whole Duty of Man (London, 1680)

Tyndale’s work, and indeed all Protestantism, advocated the putting of the spiritual welfare of Christians into their own hands. In the decades after Tyndale’s Bible, Protestant devotional works aimed at guiding readers in their spiritual lives became popular. They give practical advice and simplify complex theological ideas. The Whole Duty of Man talks about one’s duty to God, to self, and to others.

Hertford’s copy includes a list of births in the Bowyer family from 1708 to 1720 in the front endpapers.

  • Title page of the Whole Duty of Man. Text reads: The Whole Duty of Man, Laid down In a plain and Familiar Way for the Use of All, but especially the Meanest Reader. Divided into XVII Chapters ; One whereof being read every Lords Day, the Whole may be read over Thrice in the Year. Necessary for all Families. With private devotions For several occasions.
    Title page
  • Book open to illustrated frontispiece with royal coat of arms of James II on left page. On right page is engraviing of the title 'The whole Duty of Man' surrounded by angels on decorative columns.
    Frontispiece
  • Handwritten list of people in the Bowyer Family with the dates of birth from 1708 to 1714, and details of christenings and godparents.
    Family names 1/2
  • Handwritten list of people in the Bowyer Family with the dates of birth from 1715 to 1720, and details of christenings and godparents.
    Family names 2/2
  • Handwritten list of
    Pages110-111 Duty of prayer

View the catalogue record for Hertford’s copy

Arthur Dent, The plaine-mans path-way to heauen (London, 1612)

The Plain Man’s Pathway to Heaven, also a guide on Christian daily living, is one of two books known to have been owned by John Bunyan, author of another significant devotional work: The Pilgrim’s Progress. Hertford’s recently acquired copy of Plain Man’s Pathway is signed by John Bunyan, but the provenance has not been authenticated.

  • Title page reading 'The Plaine-Mans Path-Way to Heauen. The Second Part. Set foorth Dialoguewise, for the understanding of the ignorant. By Arthur Dent, Preacher of the world of God.' Surrounded by decorative border including royal crest and two seated female figures.
    Title page
  • Left had pages has a signature 'Elizbobote' at the top of the page. In centre of the page is a signature 'John Bunyan' in ink that has leeched onto paper. On the right page is the a printed dedication to 'The Honorable, Sir Thomas Fleming'
    Dedication with signature on left
  • Final two printed pages of the epistle dedicatory signed W.S. with handwritten note underneath.
    Dedication with reader note
  • On the left page is a signature 'John Bunyan' in ink that leeched. On the right page is the first page of the main printed text with the royal crest above. There are ink doodles in the margin.
    First page opening with signature on left hand page

View the records for this volume in the library catalogue

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