Oxburgh Hall A restoration project at a country house in Norfolk, England has uncovered items that shed new light on the steadfast faith of a Catholic family in the wake of the English Reformation.
The discoveries include a fragment of a 15th-Century illuminated manuscript found by a builder in the eaves of Oxburgh Hall, a moated manor house in the village of Oxborough, the National Trust conservation charity announced during the week.
The builder’s eye was drawn to the parchment by the glint of gold leaf and the blue illuminated initials, which remained bright though the text had lain for centuries amid debris.
Researchers believe that the manuscript may have been used during secret Masses celebrated at the country house, which has been home to the Bedingfeld family for the past 500 years.
Russell Clement, general manager at Oxburgh Hall, said: “These objects contain so many clues which confirm the history of the house as the retreat of a devout Catholic family, who retained their faith across the centuries.
“We will be telling the story of the family and these finds in the house, now we have reopened again following lockdown.”