An extremely rare book which dates back to the early 17th Century has been sold at auction for more than £16,000.
The Booke of Martyrs by John Taylor was expected to go for up to £5,000 by Adam Partridge Auctioneers in Macclesfield.
But the book which dates back to 1627 went for £16,500 - more the triple the original estimate.
The book, a miniature version of the original text by John Foxe published in 1563details Christian martyrs throughout history, focussing in particular upon Protestant struggles under the Catholic Church.
Those mentioned include William Tyndale, the first person to translate the Bible into English, Thomas Cranmer, Archbishop of Canterbury from 1533-1555, and Thomas Cromwell, 1st Earl of Essex, a character in the BBC’s recent adaptation of Hilary Mantel’s Wolf Hall.
The owner from Northwich had no idea of its value until he visited Adam Partridge Auctioneers during one of its valuation days.
The book was discovered by valuer Fiona Young who immediately knew it was special. It was later confirmed as one of just two known in existence.
Fiona said: “Despite the size of the book, it was clear that it had some age to it, and the distinctive back-to-back binding caused it to catch my eye.”
