The Bible belonging to the priest who managed to smuggle King Charles II out of England during the Civil War is expected to fetch thousands at auction.
The sale price of Father John Huddleston’s Bible is no less than £2,000, having been purchased for the equivalent of only two and a half pence in the 1950s.
The ‘very rare’ piece belonged to Father Huddleston when he arranged the transport of King Charles II to France during the English Civil War in 1651.
With the help of a priest and a network of royal nobles, the king managed to escape the country, first by trying to get out through Wales, then to Bristol disguised as a servant, then to the south coast at Charmmouth disguised as a deserter. lover.
He finally rode east to Shoreham when he took the coal boat back to France.
The ‘very rare’ piece belonged to Father Huddleston when he arranged the transport of King Charles II to France during the English Civil War in 1651
The “very rare” piece even features the priest’s signature, adding to its value at auction
John Crane, the auctioneer, says it can be ‘very conveniently assumed that this Bible was present at the death of King Charles’
Father Huddleston met the King at Moseley Hall in Wolverhampton, where the King was staying as a resting place during his escape. While there, the priest tended to his feet, which were bruised and bleeding.
He spent two days holed up in Moseley Hall, before the Parliamentarian forces arrived. On their arrival, Father Huddleston was one of many who hid him in a parson’s hole, hidden behind a bedroom wall.
No longer feeling safe at Moseley Hall, the King proceeded to Bentley Hall, near Walsall, where he disguised himself as a servant and succeeded in reaching Bristol and onward to France.
He remained in exile in Europe until 1660, when he returned to Britain.
In exchange for the English crown, he promised a general amnesty for crimes committed during the English Civil War and the period of succession to all those who recognized King Charles II as the rightful monarch.
In 1685, Father Huddleston and the King met again, when a priest attended the King’s deathbed for his conversion to the Catholic faith. He heard his confession before he performed his last rites, reconciled to the church, and absolved him.
Auctioneer John Crane says that it “can be comfortably assumed that this bible was present at the death of King Charles”.
It is made even more special by the fact that it contains Father Huddleston’s signature.
“Buying this item is buying a piece of history,” he said. The signature alone would probably be £600 to £800, but raising the value would be the fact that it was his personal bible.
“Most other books you can put commercial value on, because they’ve been sold before, but this one is so unique, there’s no track record of a follow-up.”
Speaking of the importance of the Bible, Mr Crane added: “His association with King Charles and the friendship between him and Father Huddleston make it unique.
“If it weren’t for Father Huddleston organizing the escape of King Charles II, he might have changed the whole course of history.”
Because of its historical significance, it is hoped that the Bible will not be withheld after purchase
The sale price of Father John Huddleston’s Bible is no less than £2,000, having been purchased for the equivalent of only two and a half pence in the 1950s.
Because of its historical significance, Crane hopes that the Bible will not be isolated after he purchases it.
“I hope that a public body or a museum will buy it so that it can be displayed for the public to enjoy and see,” he said.
“This isn’t about the money, it’s about trying to make sure it gets into good hands and is saved for the benefit of the general public.”
The Bible is part of an international timed auction at thesaleroom.com/catocrane, which closes March 30.
DISCLAIMER:- Denial of responsibility! olorinews.com is an automatic aggregator around the global media. All the content are available free on Internet. We have just arranged it in one platform for educational purpose only. In each content, the hyperlink to the primary source is specified. All trademarks belong to their rightful owners, all materials to their authors. If you are the owner of the content and do not want us to publish your materials on our website, please contact us by email at loginhelponline@gmail.com The content will be deleted within 24 hours.