Purchased For $27.50, Harvard Discovers It’s A Priceless, Original, Magna Carta
Photo: Lorin Granger/Harvard Law School.
India-West News Desk
BOSTON, MA – Imagine stumbling upon a forgotten treasure in your attic, only to discover it’s a priceless artifact. That’s essentially what happened in the hallowed halls of Harvard Law School Library. For decades, a seemingly unremarkable manuscript, purchased for a paltry $27.50 back in 1946, lay tucked away.
Now, in a stunning revelation that has sent ripples through the world of medieval history, UK academics have declared it to be a genuine, long-lost original Magna Carta from the year 1300.
Professor David Carpenter of King’s College London, the lead researcher behind this groundbreaking discovery, the BBC said, was captivated by digitized images of the manuscript he encountered online. He recognized it not as a mere copy, “stained and faded” as it was once described, but as an authentic and incredibly rare piece of history.
This isn’t just another version; according to Professor Carpenter, it is “the last Magna Carta,” a fundamental document in the evolution of global freedoms. His astonishment at the oversight, that such a significant artifact could have been sold for what he termed “peanuts,” is palpable, the BBC said.
The story of how this treasure ended up in Harvard’s possession is a fascinating journey through time and across continents. Library records indicate its acquisition in 1946, labeled simply as a 1327 copy with some wear and tear. However, the meticulous year-long investigation by Professors Carpenter and Nicholas Vincent of the University of East Anglia, pieced together a compelling provenance.
They believe the manuscript originated in Appleby, Cumbria, and then passed through the hands of the influential Lowther family, who gifted it to Thomas Clarkson, a prominent abolitionist in the late 18th century. From Clarkson, it moved through a succession of heirs until it landed in a Sotheby’s auction in late 1945, where a London bookseller snapped it up before it eventually made its way to America.
The Magna Carta itself, first established in 1215, was a revolutionary document that guaranteed fundamental rights and liberties, crucially placing even the monarch under the authority of the law. Its reissue by subsequent kings up to 1300 means that numerous original versions once existed. Professor Vincent estimates that perhaps as many as 200 originals were circulated throughout England. Of these, only 24 were previously known to have survived, mostly held in the UK, with a few scattered in institutions in the US and Australia.
While the faded condition of the Harvard document meant the professors had to rely on advanced imaging techniques to study it, the evidence overwhelmingly points to its authenticity. The handwriting, the dimensions, and most importantly, the precise wording of the text, all align perfectly with the known 1300 originals.
Now, the hope is that this “lost” Magna Carta will finally be brought into the light, allowing the public to witness firsthand a document that underpins so much of modern constitutional law and the ongoing pursuit of freedoms worldwide.
