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Irish Independent
16-05-2025
- General
- Irish Independent
Magna Carta copy bought by Harvard University for just $27 recognised as original document
©Telegraph Media Group Holdings Ltd Today at 21:30 A copy of Magna Carta bought by Harvard University for just $27 in the 1940s is an original worth $21m, scans have shown. The document, originally drafted by Cardinal Stephen Langton, the Archbishop of Canterbury, in 1215 to make peace between King John and rebel barons, is credited with laying the foundations of many democracies around the world. Register for free to read this story Register and create a profile to get access to our free stories. You'll also unlock more free stories each week.
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Harvard's $27 copy of Magna Carta revealed to be $21m original
A copy of Magna Carta bought by Harvard University for just $27 in the 1940s is an original worth $21 million (£16 million), scans have shown. The document, originally drafted by Cardinal Stephen Langton, the Archbishop of Canterbury, in 1215 to make peace between King John and rebel barons, is credited with laying the foundations of many democracies around the world. Although the first version was annulled, it was reissued in 1300 by Edward I, promising protection of church rights, limits on taxes and access to impartial justice. Four of its clauses, including a guarantee of due legal process, are still in law today. There were thought to be only six originals remaining from the final version and Harvard believed it had bought an unofficial replica at auction for $27.50 in 1946. In the auction catalogue, the document was described as a 'copy… made in 1327… somewhat rubbed and damp-stained'. But new analysis by King's College London and the University of East Anglia has found the handwriting, sizing and elongated letters are all consistent with the original. When a similar original Magna Carta was auctioned in 2007, it sold for $21.3 million. Another copy exists outside Britain is the Australian parliament. David Carpenter, professor of medieval history at King's College London, said: 'This is a fantastic discovery. Harvard's Magna Carta deserves celebration, not as some mere copy, stained and faded, but as an original of one of the most significant documents in world constitutional history, a cornerstone of freedoms past, present and yet to be won.' Prof Carpenter was studying unofficial copies of Magna Carta when he came across the digitised version of the document on the Harvard Law School Library website and realised it might be an original document and not an unofficial copy. He began to compare it to other originals to establish its authenticity and teamed up with the University of East Anglia's Nicholas Vincent, a fellow professor of medieval history, to investigate its provenance. The pair realised that its dimensions – 19.2in by 18.6in – were the same as the six previously known originals, as is the handwriting, with the large capital 'E' at the start in 'Edwardus' and the elongated letters in the first line. Using images obtained by Harvard Law School librarians via ultraviolet light and spectral imaging, the pair discovered the text matching up perfectly with that in the other originals. Prof Vincent said: 'If you asked anybody what the most famous single document in the history of the world is, they would probably name Magna Carta. 'It is an icon both of the Western political tradition and of constitutional law.' The pair believe the document may be the lost Magna Carta issued to the former parliamentary borough of Appleby in Westmorland. The manuscript was sent to auction in 1945 by Air Vice-Marshal Forster 'Sammy' Maynard, a First World War pilot, who had inherited archives from Thomas and John Clarkson, leading campaigners against the slave trade. In the early 1800s, Clarkson retired to the Lake District, where he became a friend both of poet William Wordsworth and William Lowther, a local landowner and hereditary lord of the manor of Appleby. Considered a key step in the evolution of human rights against oppressive rulers, Magna Carta has formed the basis of constitutions around the world. It was influential in the founding of the United States, from the Declaration of Independence to the framing of the US Constitution and the subsequent adoption of the Bill of Rights. Only four original copies of the 1215 Magna Carta survive. Two are kept in the British Library (one of which was badly damaged by fire in 1731), one in Salisbury Cathedral the other in Lincoln Castle. Amanda Watson, Harvard Law School's assistant dean for library and information services, said: 'Congratulations to Professors Carpenter and Vincent on their fantastic discovery 'This work exemplifies what happens when magnificent collections, like Harvard's, are opened to brilliant scholars.' Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Calgary Herald
28-04-2025
- Politics
- Calgary Herald
Today in history: Muhammad Ali stripped of heavyweight boxing title
Article content On this date, April 28, in history: Article content Article content In 1220, Bishop Poore laid the first five stones of the famed Salisbury Cathedral in England, one each for himself, Archbishop Stephen Langton, Pope Honorius III, Earl William and Countess Ela of Salisbury. Article content In 1559, the English parliament approved the Church of England's Book of Common Prayer. Article content In 1789, the mutiny on the Bounty occurred when British Captain William Bligh was cast adrift with 18 loyal crewmen by mutineers led by the ship's mate, Fletcher Christian. The mutineers settled on the isolated Pacific island of Pitcairn. The Bligh party sailed 6,400 kilometres in their open boat to Timor, where they were rescued. Article content Article content In 1817, the Rush-Bagot treaty was signed by Canada and the U.S. It limited the number of warships the two countries could maintain on the Great Lakes and Lake Champlain. In 1871, the Treaty of Washington completed disarmament. Article content Article content Article content In 1945, Italian dictator Benito Mussolini, his mistress, and 16 other Fascists were executed by a partisan firing squad near Milan. Also, the British and U.S. governments received a message from Gestapo chief Heinrich Himmler guaranteeing an unconditional German surrender to western Allies but not Russia. Winston Churchill responded that surrender must be to the 'Big Three' — Britain, United States and Russia. Article content Article content In 1967, Muhammad Ali was stripped of his heavyweight boxing title after refusing induction into the U.S. army on religious grounds. Article content Article content In 1968, Walter Stitch was believed to have become, at the age of 98, the first great-great-great-grandfather in Canada. His great-great-granddaughter gave birth to a son in Halifax. Article content In 1969, Charles de Gaulle resigned as president of France when his proposed constitutional reforms were defeated in a referendum. Article content In 1986, the Soviet Union informed the world of the nuclear accident two days earlier at Chernobyl. Article content In 1996, a hockey era ended as the Winnipeg Jets lost their final game. The visiting Detroit Red Wings beat the Jets 4-1 to win their playoff series in six games. The Jets moved to Phoenix for the next season and were renamed the Coyotes. (In 2011, the Atlanta Thrashers franchise relocated to Winnipeg and was reborn as the Jets.)
