A RARE edition of William Shakespeare’s works has gone on display in a new museum at a public school.

The recent public unveiling of a lost First Folio of William Shakespeare in the Bibliotheque de St-Omer in northern France has great significance for Stonyhurst College, based near Clitheroe.

Stonyhurst College's copy of the 1623 First Folio, which is just one of 233 First Folios that have survived, is the first printed collection of his plays, including Hamlet.

The First Folios were first published after Shakespeare died in 1616 by colleagues John Hemings and Henry Condell, who were part of Shakespeare’s acting troupe.

The two actors decided to get together and collect all of Shakespeare’s manuscripts and then printed them using a printing press.

The collection came into the college’s hands when former pupil John Arundell donated his large historical library to the school after he died in 1835.

John’s personal library, which originally belonged to his ancestor Second Lord Arundell, included 4,000 books and manuscripts as well as the First Folio.

The First Folio collection, which is just one of 300 other exhibits in the museum, sits alongside items that belonged to Tudor and Stuart Royalty.

Curator Jan Graffius, who has worked with the college for 16 years and lives on the site, said: “This unveiling has been five years in the making as this is the first time we have a dedicated museum space within the college.

“The First Folio shows how the printing process has changed certain words in his plays and may reflect changes the actors made at certain performances.

“For instance, our version of Hamlet has a number of manual changes to it.

“The First Folio however is merely a microcosm of the college’s collection.

“The new college museum is now able to show to the public the finest objects in our possession.”

People wanting to visit the museum must make advanced bookings via the college’s website https://www.stonyhurst.ac.uk/news-events/category/collections/