Letters to the Editor
I knew today was going to be a good day, and I knew that it was going to be even better when TJ vol. 19 arrived in the post. It is always a thumping good read.
I was very moved indeed to hear of everyone's kind prayers at Wells Cathedral. Few have ever enjoyed that privilege — Thomas a-Becket and Thomas More perhaps but not usually us lesser mortals! Unlike those offered up for the two Thomases, in my case they were successful. And I will say this: not only does prayer work but you can feel it working. I exaggerate not.
The publication of the Wycliffe New Testament is being understandably delayed... I cannot wait to see it in print and am still hoping that someone will come forward with Forshall and Madden's 1850 edition.
God bless you,
Bill,
Email 21 September, 2001
Thank you for your recent order from my Antiquarian theology catalogue....
I am grateful for the copies of the Tyndale Journal. I recognize a few names amongst my customers. It occurred to me that some of your readers art like to receive my regular catalogues of Antiquarian Theology. I also e an Antiquarian Bible catalogue once a year. My address is:
Humber Books, Rozel House, 4 St Mary's Lane, Barton on Humber, North Lincolnshire, UK Tel ++44 (0)1652 634958 (fax 634965)
For the really trendy members they can view the catalogues on my website at www.humberbooks.co.uk In the meantime, good editing and good hunting.
Sincerely,
Peter Cresswell,
Humber Books
As an activity for the Slimbridge Local History Society (SLHS) I have been searching the connection between William Tyndale the Martyr (WTM) and Edward Tyndale, his supposed brother. Both have been associated with Slimbridge, the latter quite certainly.
Whilst concentrating on readily accessible material I found that in the 1522 Military Survey of Gloucestershire a William Tundale was a chantry priest in Bradstone, a hamlet adjoining Slimbridge and Stinchcombe in 1522. The latter is, of course, the currently adopted birthplace of WTM. I was, to say the least, intrigued. Shortly afterwards whilst enquiring at the Gloucester City Library about W B Greenfield's often referenced Pedigree of the Tyndale family (published privately) a series of articles by W B Greenfield in the Genealogist 18 was produced. My impression is that most biographers have missed this exceptionally detailed account of Tyndales, including WTM, which is based on many years diligent searching of original documents. Although Greenfield dismisses the Bradstone WT on the grounds that he died in 1523 it turns out that his full name was William Tyndale alias Hewchyns.
What to believe; he did not die in 1523, he did, but was Edward's brother and Stokesley (ex Rector of Slymbridge) was not unreasonably misinformed about Edward and WTB being brothers, or all is as previously thought and there were, by pure coincidence, two priests named William Tyndale alias Hytchins associated with a small area of Gloucestershire, of roughly the same age alive at just the same time? At least, the last option might explain some of the confusion about dates of birth, ordination etc.
Meanwhile the SLHS work is more focussed on the parentage, life and death of Edward. Rudder in his History of Gloucester takes Edward to be descended from a Tewkesbury family, although Greenfield says there is 'not a tattle of evidence' to support it and implicitly accepts the coincidence view. I am not so sure because Edward had many associations with Tewkesbury.
Any additional information would be most welcome.
Yours in confusion, Eric Carpenter, Slimbridge, Gloucestershire
The Tyndale Society Journal no. 18 arrived by this morning's post and provoked me into deciding (provisionally) to come to the Geneva Conference at the end of October.
I confess that I found the Journal more interesting than usual... The article on Danish biblical translations, and that on Gutenberg and the origins of printing, were of particular interest to me. Incidentally a discount mail order firm — Postscript — is offering a facsimile reprint of the Gutenberg Bible (a reprint of a facsimile published in 1913/14) in two volumes at £300 ...
Yours sincerely,
Robin Everitt, 28 April 2001
Editor's Comments
It clearly pays to advertise! In the event Robin Everitt was unfortunately unable to come to the Geneva Conference. Nonetheless, reports of the papers given on Danish and Icelandic Bibles there are printed in this issue of the Journal. Furthermore he will be a little aggrieved to hear that the delegates received a facsimile page of the Gutenberg Bible!
Thanks for all of your hospitality. My short stay in Geneva was an extremely pleasant one.
Choosing Geneva as a site for the Tyndale Conference Geneva 2001 the last weekend of October was an excellent decision because of the absolute beauty of the city, the lake and the mountains, combined in such a complimentary way. The weather was superb. The timing was perfect in that the Protestant Reformation, to which this event was connected, began when Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses to a church door in Wittenberg on 31 October 1517. And the city of Geneva played such a major role in this reformation because it was here that John Calvin resided and where William Whittingham, Anthony Gilby and associates produced what was to be known as the Geneva Bible in 1560, influenced in great measure by William Tyndale. I find the marginal notes of this Bible to quite informative.
What impressed me most about this event was the friendliness of those attending (I knew no one upon arrival and most when I departed), the quality of the presenters and the excellent use of audio-visual equipment. The accommodation at the Centre de Rencontres was reasonably priced and quite adequate. The organizers, Valerie Offord and Judith Munzinger, are to be commended for their thorough and hard work.
Yours sincerely,
Dennis Stevens, Maryland, USA, November 2001
Dear Valerie and Committee members,
This comes to say how very enjoyable the Tyndale Conference was and a very warm thank you to all concerned.
Not only were the arrangements excellent but the speakers made their subjects so 'alive' and accessible to the audience. I came away with a profound sense of gratitude to early Bible translators who took immense risks and were even martyred for their beliefs in vernacular Bibles. We inherit the fruits of their labours. I was also grateful that Christian scholars today seek Biblical truth at deep levels and probe translations for the benefit of future generations and are genuinely interested in truth for truth's sake. I found this very heartening.
Thank you all so much for making such a splendid experience possible.
Kind regards,
Cynthia J. Gunn, Clarens, Switzerland, 28 October 2001
