"O Lord, Open the Eyes of the King of England”

Schedule

Wed Oct 28 2026 at 06:30 pm to 08:00 pm

UTC+00:00
Location

Cross Street Chapel | Manchester, EN

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500 years since William Tynedale was martyred for translating the Bible into English
About this Event

In October 1526, book browsers outside St Paul's Cathedral were shocked when a large run of a 700-page anonymous volume appeared. It was a first – a Bible in English – and it came courtesy of William Tyndale, who had been forced to go to Worms in Germany to get it published.

It was then illegal for the Bible to be in English, and copies had been smuggled into England hidden in bales of cloth. They were soon being burned outside St Paul’s. Those caught in possession were made to ride seated backwards on a donkey wearing boards on which the pages of the offending work were pasted. They then had to throw the boards into a fire as a warning of their own fate should they continue reading the banned translation.

Ed Glinert of New Manchester Walks and author of "Manchester: The Biography" relates the terrifying story on the 500th anniversary of the events.

Practical Information

The talk includes a Q&A session.

Booking is essential. Lit&Phil members: we recommend logging into the website to make booking your free member ticket quicker and easier.

Accessibility Information

The venue is wheelchair accessible with an accessible toilet on the ground floor. Please contact us regarding any specific accessibility requirements you may have by emailing [email protected]

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Where is it happening?

Cross Street Chapel, Cross Street, Manchester, United Kingdom

Event Location & Nearby Stays:

Tickets

GBP 7.21 to GBP 16.96

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The Manchester Literary and Philosophical Society
Host or PublisherThe Manchester Literary and Philosophical Society

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