A valuable and extremely high quality facsimile of the world-famous Lindisfarne Gospels has been given to Hereford Cathedral Library by Mrs Margaret Flint.

Margaret is a lover of fine books and manuscripts, and had owned the German-made facsimile for some years before deciding that it would be more widely seen and appreciated as part of the Cathedral’s collection.  We are very grateful to her for her generous and visionary action.  Her stipulation that we should use it and display it regularly is one that we will be very happy to be fulfilling. 

The formal presentation was made at a small reception in the Library, with friends and members of the Cathedral staff enjoying a glass of champagne (courtesy of Margaret’s husband John).  In presenting the Gospels, she said that she hoped that her action would encourage others to consider whether they might do something similar.  The Chancellor, receiving the Gospels for the Library, said that it had grown and been enhanced many times over the years as the result of gifts made by benefactors, and that Margaret stood in a long and distinguished tradition.

The Lindisfarne Gospels are currently being displayed alongside the Hereford Gospels (in the ‘We have a Gospel to proclaim’ exhibition in the Chained Library).  Although there are certain similarities between them, the Hereford Gospels is a much smaller ‘working’ book, and the Lindisfarne Gospels primarily something created for display and as a focus for reverence.  Made within about 100 years of each other, the Lindisfarne Gospels (perhaps 680-720) is the earlier book.