University in fresh plea for return of rare books

A TOP university has made a renewed appeal for the return of six historic books and manuscripts stolen more than a decade ago.

The books and manuscripts were taken from the Durham University Library, in Palace Green, Durham, in December 1998, where they had formed part of an exhibition charting the progress of English literature.

Also taken during the theft was a priceless Shakespeare First Folio which was returned to the University earlier this month following the trial of Raymond Scott, 53, of Wingate, County Durham.

Scott was cleared of stealing the Folio but was found guilty of handling stolen goods and removing stolen property from the UK.

It is estimated that the value of the other missing books and manuscripts is approximately 160,000.

Included in the theft were two late 14th or early 15th century manuscripts.

The most valuable was a finely preserved English translation of the New Testament, worth 60,000.

The other was a piece worth 50,000 by the medieval political writer Egidius Romanus, with an added fragment of a poem by Geoffrey Chaucer, author of The Canterbury Tales.

Also taken were two printed works by the 10th century scholar Aelfric, Abbot of Eynsham (dated 1566 and 1709), worth 1,500 and 350; a 450 first edition of a version of Beowulf, printed in 1815, and a volume containing three works on English history with maps - Michael Drayton's Poly-Olbion (1612); William Slayter's The History of Great Britanie (1621) and Matthew Stevenson's Florus Britannicus (1662), worth 5,500.

Durham University's head of heritage collections Dr Sheila Hingley said: "The theft of these historic books and manuscripts was devastating for the University community.

"We want them all back."