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Tristan da Cunha Family Bible on show for first time in the British Library’s exhibition
Sacred: Discover what we share
The Tristan da Cunha family Bible, which records the marriage of Corporal William Glass, has gone on display for the first time in the British Library’s major exhibition, Sacred: Discover what we share (which runs to September 23).
This groundbreaking exhibition presents some of the world’s earliest-surviving, most important and beautiful religious texts from the Jewish, Christian and Muslim faiths. Rare and exquisite examples from the Library’s collections - considered to be one of the greatest in the world – are presented alongside treasures on loan from other institutions.

Many of the lavishly illustrated or decorated manuscripts and books have never been on public display. Others will be on show for the first time in the UK , including the Tristan da Cunha family Bible, which has not been on display before at the British Library.

The marriage of William Glass is noted in the Bible between the Old and New Testaments, on the pages provided for family records of marriages, births and deaths. The Bible is highlighted in the exhibition as an example of how sacred texts such as these are used in private worship. 

The Bible was printed at Boston in 1831, and may have been taken to the island by one of the many American whaling ships that stopped there at some time before 1836, when the entry relating to the birth of their thirteenth child (of sixteen) is written in a different or shakier hand than those of the older children. These entries illustrate the tradition of entering important family events in a Bible, reflecting Christian belief in Christ’s teaching that all who believed in him would become ‘children of God’ (John 1: 12).
Rona Levin, representing the British library adds that ‘I personally found the Tristan da Cunha Bible intriguing in that it is not only an example of how Christian texts reached the most far-flung and remote corners of the world but also provides a fascinating link to past life on Tristan da Cunha, recording events at the heart of the tiny island community.'

The Bible was presented to the Library by the Tristan da Cunha Fund in the 1930s, having previously been owned by a descendant of William Glass, Mrs Annie Glass-Lake, of New London , Connecticut .
The official opening of the exhibition on April 26 was attended by HRH The Duke of Edinburgh who is a royal patron alongside His Majesty Mohammed VI, King of Morocco.
This exhibition is funded by donors representative of all three faiths, including the Coexist Foundation, The Moroccan British Society and Saint Catherine Foundation.
The exhibition runs from 27 April - 23 September 2007 and is open every day. Admission to the exhibition is free and timed tickets are in operation. Advance booking is recommended online at http://boxoffice.bl.uk, phone 01937 546546 or in person at the British Library. Exhibition hours are: Monday, Wednesday-Friday 09.30-18.00, Tuesday 09.30-20.00, Saturday 09.30-17.00, Sunday and Bank Holiday Mondays 11.00-17.00. All galleries are accessible by wheelchair. Information can be requested from Visitor Services staff on:  020 7412 7332.  For further information about the British Library and its exhibitions please see www.bl.uk

Important Display of 1933 Tristan Photographs

Shown left is a photograph from Janice Hentley of a display in the Council Chamber of a set of black and white mounted photographs taken on Tristan in 1933 by scientist/photographer Alfred Saunders. 

Mr Saunders, who visited Tristan on the RSS Discovery, was awarded the Polar Medal for service in Antarctica from 1924 - 1939, and subsequently established a family photographic business in High Street, Pinner in which he retained an interest until his death aged 83 in 1982.
The photographs - showing individual islanders, family groups, settlement houses, interior and exterior views of St Mary's church, and a view of longboats on big beach - were kindly donated last year by Mr Saunders' son Peter, who had worked in the Pinner business himself for  44 years.  Sadly, the advent of digital photography had decimated the firm's core business and he was closing it down. While clearing the loft of the building, he had discovered among some archival material the Tristan photographs which his father had taken, developed and mounted himself.The display material includes a central photograph of Mr Saunders senior which he took himself using a simple remote control, and also a recent photograph of Peter Saunders with a camera used by his father. The Tristan community is grateful to Mr Saunders for providing these important early photographs which are already attracting great local interest.

Following ancestor's footsteps to Tristan after 364 years
Stephan Coertsen from South Africa hopes to retrace the footsteps of his ancestor by visiting Tristan da Cunha soon and has made a first enquiry about travel arrangements.
His visit would be a very special occasion as his 17th Century relation Jan Coertsen van den Broec was one of a group from the Dutch ship Heemstede who made the first recorded landing on Tristan da Cunha on 17th February 1643.
They left a tablet with the following inscription -
“Today, February 17, 1643, from the Dutch flute Heemstede Classes Gerrits en Bier, Brootsfot de Hoorn, and Jan Coertsen Van den Broec, landed here."

The tablet was found on 10th January 1656 by the crew of the Dutch ship Nachtglas.

We hope to record Stephan's historical visit if and when he is able to secure a passage.

John Glas from Sweden looks for:
 A Swedish connection with the Tristan Glass Clan

John has discovered that the first Glas member in the Swedish branch came from Scotland in the 17th century. At that time he spelt the name Glass and then he took the Swedish spelling with only one “s”.
John wants to contact anyone who can help discover any link between the Glass who emigrated to Sweden in the 17th Century and William Glass who founded the Tristan da Cunha Settlement.

Linda Redfern from Port Elizabeth in South Africa asks about
The yacht 'Coimbra' which was wrecked on Tristan in the 1950s

Linda's father Noel Redfern was one of the survivors of this modern, aluminium construction yacht which was damaged in a mid-ocean cyclone and limped to Tristan da Cunha to be wrecked on rocks. One of the crew was lost at sea, and a second sailor died soon after arriving back in Cape Town following injuries received at sea. The crew remained on Tristan for 4/5 months
The story became well known through the stories of Jeffrey Jenkins and the wreck is known to have been called ‘The Loneliest Wreck in the World”
We are keen to track down :
Memories of islanders about the wreck and its crew; Newspaper cuttings or stories, and Photographs to confirm the date and details of the incident and the crew's stay ashore.
Peter Millington from Sheffield University asks about
Old Year's Night Traditions

Peter runs the website www.folkplay.info for the Traditional Drama Research Group who are cataloguing folk traditions across the world.
There are many similar traditions of dressing up in disguise at New Year, known as Okalolies, Guisers or Mummers.

We are interested to hear about Memories of Tristan's Old Year's Night, The origin of the Tristan tradition and receiving more photographs.

The photograph left is from James Glass and shows Tristan men in disguise at an Old Year's Night Reception at the Residency.
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This page first published December 2006