Mingana remained at Woodbrooke for two years where he met his future wife, Emma Sophie Floor, a Norwegian student.

By the time Mingana left John Rylands in 1932 he had risen to the post of Keeper of the Oriental Manuscripts.

In 1924 Mingana made the first of three trips to the Middle East to collect ancient Syriac and Arabic manuscripts.

The expedition was sponsored by John Rylands Library and Dr Edward Cadbury, the Quaker owner of the famous chocolate factory at Bournville, whom Mingana had met through Rendel Harris.

Papers of Alphonse Mingana, including his correspondence, notebooks, reports and other items, are also held at the Cadbury Research Library (reference number DA66).