Elizabethan bible has been uncovered

The search for Manawatu¯ ’s oldest bible has uncovered one from Elizabethan times – Elizabeth I that is.

Bibles old and new were brought to St John’s Church in Feilding on National Bible Day on Sunday.

The church is on the hunt for Manawatu¯ ’s oldest bible and the oldest find now dates back more than four centuries.

The most impressive find came courtesy of Feilding woman Jenny Mckelvie. An inscription on the inside cover of her bible says that it was published in 1599, when Queen Elizabeth I was on the British throne.

The bible was shipped over from England when Jenny’s grandmother died. It was found tucked away in a secret drawer of a bureau.

Before the discovery of Mckelvie’s bible, the oldest one found was a 1616 edition discovered in St Peter’s Church in Palmerston North. Unlike this one, the age of Mckelvie’s has not yet been authenticated.

St John’s priest Sarah Mcmenamin said people brought in a ‘‘treasure trove’’ of bibles to last Sunday’s service.

About 10 more people than normal came just to showcase their bibles.

‘‘A lot of people came in and just wanted to tell us their stories,’’ she said.

Mcmenamin said about 20 older bibles were brought in, as well as many newer ones.

Most of the older ones had been passed down through families.

There were various compact editions that had been taken by soldiers to war.