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Prof Tamara Atkin and Dr David Rundle identify 17 medieval manuscript fragments in Guernsey

Researchers have uncovered 17 medieval manuscript fragments in Guernsey, providing the first significant evidence of the island's literary culture during the Middle Ages. The fragments, dating from the 12th to the 15th centuries, reveal that medieval citizens had diverse reading tastes, often preferring French over English as a literary language. Prof Tamara Atkin and Dr David Rundle worked with the Island Archives team to identify the pieces, which had been hidden in plain sight for centuries. The fragments were preserved because they were repurposed as covers and bindings for administrative records in the 16th and 17th centuries. Among the notable finds are excerpts from Ovid's poetry, biblical texts, and a rare dramatic poem from the French secular play L'Estoire de Griseldis. Archival assistant Callum Tostevin-Hall led the discovery after noticing a vellum cover with Latin text during a conservation project. The Island Archives will host an academic study day on September 10 to discuss the findings.

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