The Hidden Chapter: An Investigation into the Custody of Lost Knowledge

The Hidden Chapter is the climax of over twenty years of research into a collection of geometrical and mathematical drawings that had once been in the possession of John Byrom, an eighteenth century poet and secret Jacobite whose biography Joy Hancox was writing. With Byrom’s death in 1763 the drawings had been put to one side and their significance was overlooked. When Joy Hancox set out to discover the meaning and purpose of 516 pieces of paper and card as a resource, there were only a few scholars with any understanding to enlighten her and even these offered different interpretations. So she embarked on a remarkable journey that completely changed her life.

In the process she came to believe that some forty of the drawings were concerned with the design concept of the Elizabethan playhouses, and traced the connection between the drawings and the site of the first brass works in the kingdom at Tintern, Monmouthshire. Shareholders in this enterprise included leading figures connected with the Elizabethan acting companies and Shakespeare’s plays.

With additional help from archaeology, ground penetrating radar, private documentation and local support, Joy Hancox has uncovered aspects of the history of Tintern and the surrounding area that have long been lost or forgotten. New evidence of the Roman occupation, the multi-layered significance of the Norman French presence, and the power of nineteenth century aristocracy all figure in a reassessment of this area of South Wales.

The aim of the book is to provide factual data, for scholars and all those interested in Hermetic studies, the Elizabethan playhouses, Freemasons and Templars.