John Wyclif (1324-1384)
Theologian and philosopher John Wyclif is often credited with translating some of the earliest English versions of the New Testament.
Between 1380 and 1384, the English text was produced by a team of scholars close to Wyclif, but it's unlikely he was directly involved.
The version attributed to him – 'The New Testament, translated from the Latin, in the year 1380, by John Wiclif' – was printed for the first time in 1731.
Our earliest printed edition dates from the early 19th century. It reproduces the spelling of the original handwritten version, which is very different from modern English spelling. [NLS shelfmark: AB.8.86.8]
Bible translations attributed to Wyclif formed part of the display about 'The Bible in English' in our George VI Bridge Building from 2 November 2011 to 8 January 2012.