Winchester College

The Great She Bible

On Saturday 13 March, in the presence of the Governing Body the Warden, Sir David Clementi, presented to the Headmaster a copy of the Great She Bible variant of the King James Bible of 1611. Two successive wardens, Thomas Bilson (1581-96) and John Harmar (1596-1613) were actively engaged in this definitive translation of the Bible into English and indeed John Harmar's work took place in the very room in which the presentation took place: the study he had built in 1597 shortly after taking up the wardenship. This copy was bought by the members of the Governing Body as a gift to the school and will form the centrepiece of the planned exhibition next year celebrating the Winchester College contribution to this landmark of the English language.

Portrait of Thomas Bilson
The Warden drawing attention to the portrait of Thomas Bilson
  
Headmaster thanking the Warden for the gift
The Headmaster thanking the Warden for the gift
  
The Bible in the display case made by Rupert Brown
The Bible in the display case made by Rupert Brown, and open to show the final page of the Apocrypha (to the translation of which Bilson contributed) and the title-page of the New Testament, for which Harmar was part of the committee responsible for the Gospels, the Acts of the Apostles, and the Book of Revelation
  
The 1615 fire surround installed for Warden Love
The display case in front of the 1615 fire-surround installed for Warden Love in 1615 and flanked by cases containing the bibles bequeathed to the school by John Harmar