A True Cross relic, understood to be a fragment from the crucifixion of Jesus, will be re-displayed at a convent in Northern England including new research and previously unseen documentation certifying the object. 

The sacred relic is placed in a silver-gilded case with precious stones and crystal, which was made especially for the artefact in 1870 and its been kept in the convent for centuries.

According to the new research, the relic was given to a knight from the Shirley family by the Patriarch of Jerusalem, for his "valour" during the Crusades and it is likely it changed hands before it was given to a Jesuit priest who gifted to the convent. 

Dr Hannah Thomas, the first lay person to look after the convent's collections, told PA: "We are thrilled to be able to enrich our knowledge of this piece, which has been so well protected and admired for centuries.

"It is a centrepiece of our collections and remains an object of contemplation with both religious and historic significance.

"We considered Easter, and the anniversary of when it was first authorised for veneration, to be the most appropriate time to share this research and to highlight this special object."

The True Cross relic will be displayed from April 2 at the Bar Convent in York.