Hull Maritime Museum unearths part of 15th Century book

Hull's Maritime Museum said "all indications point to it being original"

A piece of one of the first books printed in English more than 500 years ago has been unearthed by a museum sorting through its exhibits.

Hull Maritime Museum is preparing to put exhibits into storage prior to a major refurbishment.

It has found a leaf from The Golden Legend, printed by William Caxton in 1498.

It is believed to have been acquired by the museum during the the 1930s or 1940s.

The Golden Legend records the lives of saints and was originally written in Latin by Jacobus de Varagine in 1290.

The museum's double-sided extract includes The Lyf of Saynt Brandon and The Lyf of Saynt Dorothee.

St Brendan, sometimes known as Brendan the Navigator, has been credited by some with long sea voyages, even as far as North America, during the 6th Century.

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Hull City Council has said more than 50,000 items are to be packed up before refurbishment

A note on the paper reads: "This leaf of William Caxton's Golden Legende (his translation of Jacobus de Voraginus Leganda aurea) was accomplyshed and fynyshed at Westmynster at Caxton's own printing press by Wynlyn de Worde in 1498."

Robin Diaper, a curator at the museum, said: "This significant page is extremely fragile but a fine example of what we hold in store."

Caxton established a press in London at Westminster in 1476, the first in England.

He printed more than 100 books and translated many of them himself, he died in 1492.

A revamp of the museum is due to start in 2021 as part of the £27.5m maritime city project.

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