Church Times

BSL service at Leicester Cathedral marks earliest documented use of sign language in England

BSL service at Leicester Cathedral marks earliest documented use of sign language in England

Wednesday, February 11, 2026
A SERVICE in Leicester Cathedral on Sunday marked the earliest documented use of sign language in England: a marriage ceremony at what was then St Martin’s, on 6 February 1546. That marriage was between Thomas Tillsye and Ursula Russel. A transcri...