TURN-UP FOR THE BOOK
Library book returned almost millennium late
LIBRARIANS in Crawley got the shock of their lives yesterday when an overdue book was returned to the town’s library – over 900 years after it was borrowed.
The first edition copy of the Domesday Book was taken out of the library in November 1086 by Silas Glass on a twoweek loan. But it was never returned and was assumed to be lost. However, it re-appeared 936 years later in a box of junk owned by Frank Glass, a 42nd generation descendent of Tyler’s.
The book, by William the Conqueror, was published in 1086 and became an instant best seller, despite 95% of the population being illiterate at the time.
“I was going through some of my late dad’s stuff in the garage when I came across the book,” said builder Frank. “It was due to be returned by my ancestor on November 28th 1087, but he must have forgot, or died of the plague or something.”
“I suppose it was then handed down from generation to generation until it came to my dad. Of course, the branch where he borrowed it from was long gone, but I thought it was my duty to return it to the present branch.”
Frank took the book to the current Crawley Library, expecting a lighthearted exchange with the staff. But he may wish he had kept quiet, as the punishments for the late return of a library book in 11th century England were extremely harsh.
“Libraries did not implement monetary fines in those days as nobody had two ha’pennies to rub together,” said chief librarian, Agnes Bullstrode. “Instead, a series of medieval punishments were meted out for late returns. Women were tied to a stool and and ducked in the village pond, just like if they were a nag or a fishwife.”
Unluckily for Frank, the punishment for men transgressing Dark Age library rules were even more severe, with male late returners being required to pick up a small rod of red hot metal heated in a brazier, and carry it one pace for each day their book was late.
And as Senior librarian, Bullstrode is insisting that the punishment be imposed on Frank.
“I understand that times have changed and this may seem barbaric by today’s standards,” she said. “But it was the punishment of the time, and we have to send an example to anyone else keeping library books for centuries longer than they should.”
The staff at the library have borrowed a brazier from the Works Department and deputy head librarian, Ernest Gordon, has volunteered to carry out the punishment.
“He’s quite excited about it actually,” said Agnes. “He’s got a big pair of metal tongs to lift the rod out of the fire and hand it to Mr Glass.”
“And he’s going to do it with no shirt on and a leather hood over his head,” she added.