The Prince and the Plunder

A book on how Britain took one boy and piles of treasures from Ethiopia

Category: Manuscripts

A manuscript containing a homily in honour of the Archangel Gabriel (OR 618)

Published / by Andrew Heavens / Leave a Comment

What: An 18th century Ethiopian manuscript containing a homily in honour of the Archangel Gabriel

Where: The British Library, 96 Euston Rd, London NW1 2DB

Ref: OR 618
Digital version – http://www.bl.uk/manuscripts/FullDisplay.aspx?ref=Or_618

Provenance:
Stamped on the first page: “Presented by the Secretary of State for India Aug. 1868”
Listed as part of the “Magdala collection” in William Wright’s Catalogue of the Ethiopic manuscripts in the British Museum acquired since the year 1847

A manuscript containing a homily in honour of the Angel Raphael (OR 619)

Published / by Andrew Heavens / Leave a Comment

What: An 18th century Ethiopian manuscript containing a homily in honour of the Angel Raphael

Where: The British Library, 96 Euston Rd, London NW1 2DB

Ref: OR 619
Digital version – http://www.bl.uk/manuscripts/FullDisplay.aspx?ref=Or_619

Provenance:
Stamped on the first page: “Presented by the Secretary of State for India Aug. 1868”
Listed as part of the “Magdala collection” in William Wright’s Catalogue of the Ethiopic manuscripts in the British Museum acquired since the year 1847

A manuscript of the Miracles of our Lord Jesus Christ (OR 620)

Published / by Andrew Heavens / Leave a Comment

What: An 18th century Ethiopian manuscript of the Miracles of our Lord Jesus Christ

Where: The British Library, 96 Euston Rd, London NW1 2DB

Ref: OR 620
Digital version – http://www.bl.uk/manuscripts/FullDisplay.aspx?ref=Or_620

Provenance:
Stamped on the first page: “Presented by the Secretary of State for India Aug. 1868”
Listed as part of the “Magdala collection” in William Wright’s Catalogue of the Ethiopic manuscripts in the British Museum acquired since the year 1847

Colonel Prideaux’s gospel, collected during captivity, last seen in Calcutta *

Published / by Andrew Heavens / Leave a Comment

What: A 17th century copy of the Gospel of St John

Where: Last heard of in 1883 when it was in the collection of Col W F Prideaux, who had been one Emperor Tewodros’s captives on Magdala. Current whereabouts of gospel unknown

Prideaux, wrote a letter that was printed in the September 1883 edition of the periodical The Bibolographer. He was replying to an earlier letter from a Mr Reade about a book that had been brought back by one of the soldiers on the Abyssinian Expedition.

Prideaux says in his letter that he brought back a 17th century copy of the Gospel of John. See the bolded passage in his letter below.

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Mr Reade’s prayer book, last seen near Dublin, ‘picked up after the sack of King Theodore’s palace’

Published / by Andrew Heavens / Leave a Comment

What: An 86-page Ethiopian vellum book, possibly of prayers, with “quite beautiful” writing

Where: Last heard of in 1883 when it was in the possession of a George H. Reade of Greythorn, Kingstown (now Dún Laoghaire, Dublin). Current whereabouts of the book unknown.

Reade wrote a letter that was printed in the June 1883 edition of the periodical The Bibliographer, looking for information on an 86-page Ethiopian book that had come into his possession via the mother of a soldier on the Abyssinian Expedition.

Col W F Prideaux, who had been one Emperor Tewodros’s captives on Magdala, wrote back with some information and suggestions in the September edition of the Bibliographer.

Read Reade’s description of the book and his account of where it came from in his letter below.

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A manuscript containing hymns, prayers and part of the Gospel of John (OR 578)

Published / by Andrew Heavens / Leave a Comment

What: An Ethiopian manuscript dated 1646 containing hymns, prayers and part of the Gospel of John

Where: The British Library, 96 Euston Rd, London NW1 2DB

Ref: OR 578
Digital version – http://www.bl.uk/manuscripts/FullDisplay.aspx?ref=Or_578

Provenance:
Stamped indistinctly on the inside cover: “Presented by the Secretary of State for India Aug. 1868”
Listed as part of the “Magdala collection” in William Wright’s Catalogue of the Ethiopic manuscripts in the British Museum acquired since the year 1847