Journey of a Lost Manuscript

by Lorraine Smith

The rediscovery in an Australian country town of a sixteenth century manuscript believed destroyed by fire.
When an old parchment was found inside a copy of 'Alice in Wonderland' in a second hand bookshop, everything about it was a mystery.
Discovered to be an Elizabethan manuscript, this is the enthralling story of its travels from Gildersome, West Yorkshire in 1583 to Warrnambool, Victoria in 2013.
It is a journey with so many twists and lucky escapes it should be a novel - but this is a true story.

Genres: Nonfiction

184 pages, Paperback

First published September 9, 2016

Reviews

[Bookish · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful story of a vellum manuscript from Tudor times, its appearance in a bookshop in Warrnambool, and the journey of discovery undertaken by Lorraine Smith to learn of the manuscript's history.
It's well-written and very enjoyable to read. The reader gets a good feel for the character of the author as well as the different personalities she has encountered in her research.
The photographs and maps are all clear and well-labelled.

A great story, wonderfully told.

[Sandra Worrall-Hart · Rating 5 out of 5]

A crisp writing style, with the author, Lorraine Smith, chatting the reader through the journey of discovery of the sixteenth century manuscript. No words are wasted, and the reader is swept along with challenge after challenge, recounted by the author, as she uncovers pertinent details from many sources. The author's research is varied, and wide, and patient. Chapter 5, where the author explained the transcription of the document, was enlivened with the experience of the author and her daughter's discoveries - the explanations of the history of documentation, and use of grammar in the sixteenth century, were woven through with personal experiences. When the author described the two trips, to discover more, I felt I was there with her. And Linda Smith talks about the people she meets with gentle respect. I found this part of the book cosy with discovery. Lovely book.

[Carol Wocker · Rating 5 out of 5]

What fascinating journey is revealed in this book. From one side of the world to another, it’s amazing this manuscript survived for over 400 years. I might have to visit the book shop in Warrnambool next time we go.

[E.H. Alger · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very interesting true story of the unlikely discovery of an Elizabethan document (dated 1583) inside an old copy of Alice in Wonderland in a second-hand bookshop in a country town in Victoria. The author, who is the owner of the bookshop, writes simply but enthusiastically. Her attempts to get the document authenticated and transcribed, and then to uncover its journey from the town of Morley in the UK, by ship to Australia and the small country town of Korumburra (where it was believed to have been destroyed in a chemist shop fire) and eventually to her bookshop in Warrnambool, are entertaining and quite engrossing. The book, very nicely produced by her husband’s printing press, is illustrated with numerous photos. At only 167 pages it makes for a quick and enjoyable read.

[Amanda Witt · Rating 5 out of 5]

An incredible story about what was 'just a piece of paper' found in a book in the author's bookshop. Details both the Australian and English connections via all the research.

[Susan Wight · Rating 3 out of 5]

A sixteenth century document was discovered inside Alice in Wonderland in a second-hand shop in Warrnambool.

This is the true story of discovering what the document is, authenticating it and investigating how a document written under the rule of Elizabeth I could turn up in an Australian bookshop over 400 years later.

Very interesting and enjoyable and this will add incentive to pop into second-hand bookshops more often.