Explore Market Harborough and Lutterworth
Canon John Wycliffe 1328 - 1384
It is believed that Lutterworth is the place where Canon John Wycliffe produced the first translation of the Bible from Latin into English.
John Wycliffe was an English theologian, lay preacher, translator, reformist and university teacher who was known as an early dissident in the Roman Catholic Church during the 14th century. His followers are known as Lollards, a somewhat rebellious movement, which preached anticlerical and biblically-centred reforms. He is considered the founder of the Lollard movement, a precursor to the Protestant Reformation. He was one of the earliest opponents of papal authority influencing secular power.
Wycliffe was also an early advocate for translation of the Bible into the common tongue. He completed his translation directly from the Vulgate into vernacular English in the year 1382, now known as Wycliffe's Bible. It is probable that he personally translated the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John; and it is possible he translated the entire New Testament, while his associates translated the Old Testament. Wycliffe's Bible appears to have been completed by 1384, with additional updated versions being done by Wycliffe's assistant John Purvey and others in 1388 and 1395.
For more information on John Wycliffe visit Lutterworth Museum located in the town.
Sir Frank Whittle 1907 - 1996
The market town of Lutterworth is famous for being the place where Frank Whittle developed the jet engine.
From an early age Whittle demonstrated an aptitude for engineering and an interest in flying. Determined to be a pilot, his abilities earned him a place on the officer training course at Cranwell. He excelled in his studies and became an accomplished pilot. While writing his thesis he formulated the fundamental concepts that led to the creation of the turbojet engine, taking out a patent on his design in 1930.
The Whittle Unit engine ran successfully on 12 April 1937. It was pronounced as 'streets ahead' of any other advanced engine and the Air Ministry became interested enough to fund development with a contract to develop a flyable version. Because of the dangerous nature of the work being carried out during testing, development was moved from Rugby to British Thomson-Houston's Ladywood foundry at Lutterworth in Leicestershire in 1938 where there was a successful run of the Whittle Unit. The Air Ministry funds finally arrived which proved to be a mixed blessing - the company was now subject to the Official Secrets Act, which made it extremely difficult to gather more private equity. In April the Air Ministry issued contracts for production lines with a capacity of up to 3,000 engines a month.
Find out more about Frank Whittle's invention at the town's museum which holds a very large unrivalled collection of original papers including the 1936 Patent, Power Jets Autograph book from 1945 and the Champagne bottle signed by everyone at a party at RAF Cranwell on the night of the first flight plus many more artifacts and displays.
A memorial has been erected in the middle of a roundabout outside Lutterworth and a bust of Frank Whittle has been erected in Lutterworth, where much of Whittle's development, including the invention of the jet engine, was carried out.
Data reproduced from Wikipedia.
________________________________________________________________________________________
Hover over each image to find more things to explore in the area.
