Three Centuries of a City Library Part 2

In 1872 the Norfolk and Norwich Law Library, which had just been established, applied for the loan of between 30 and 40 legal works in the City Library, and the Council acceded to its request on condition that any person not a member of the Law Library should have access to the books, and that the books should be returned to the City Library on request. A list of the books lent was printed in the Catalogue of the Law Library published in 1874. The books were returned during the year ending March, 1900.

The Catalogue of 1883 stated that the following was the rule for the use of the City books: "A loan of these books may be obtained at the Free Library, from 11 to 4 on any day of the week excepting Thursday, by application to the Town Clerk, who will supply a Form to be filled up by the applicant and forwarded to the Chairman of the Libraries Committee."

Now the books are issued by and at the discretion of the City Librarian, for use in the Reference Library, in accordance with the rules of the Public Library.

The City Committee, which is responsible for the City Library, provided in 1912 a large exhibition case in the Reading Room for the display of some of the more rare and interesting books.

DONORS.

The Library was formed almost entirely by donations, princ.i.p.ally from local residents, including bishops, deans, and other clergy, magistrates, merchants and tradesmen. The donations from the inception of the Library in 1608 to 1737 are enumerated in the Vellum Book provided for the purpose in 1659, to which reference is made on page 46. The first donation was a gift of fifteen volumes from Sir John Pettus who was Mayor during the year of the foundation of the Library, viz., Severinus Binius'

"Concilia generalia et provincialia," 4 vols. in 5, (Cologne, 1606), "Centuriones Magdeburgh," 7 vols., (Basel), and Bellarmine's "Disputationes de controversiis Christianae Fidei," 3 vols., (Paris, 1608). His gift was followed by one in the same year from Susannah Downing, wife of Alderman George Downing, who had been Mayor in the previous year. She gave Hieronymus Zanchius' "Opera theologica," 8 vols.

in 3, 1605 (Excudebat Stepha.n.u.s Gamonetus). In the following year Thomas Corye, merchant, gave Luther's Works in 7 vols. and three volumes of Ludwig Lavater's Commentaries, (Zurich); Sir Thomas Hirne, the Mayor, gave ten volumes of Calvin's works, and a polyglot Bible--Biblia Sacra, Hebraice, Graece, et Latine (1599), 2 vols.; Thomas Corbett gave St.

Augustine's Works (Basel, 1569); and Henry Doyly gave St. Bernard's Works (Paris, 1586).

The three chief benefactors to the Library were Richard Ireland, who at the time of his death was rector of Beeston, Norfolk; Thomas Nelson, rector of Morston, Norfolk; and John Kirkpatrick, a linen merchant, of Norwich, the eminent antiquary.

Ireland's bequest was made in 1692, and the entry in the Vellum Book is as follows:

"Mr Richard Ireland, Formerly Rector of Beeston and sometime also of St Edmonds in the Citty of Norwich where he was born, gave by his last Will all his Bookes to the publick Library of the Citty: where they are set up on Shelves, and accordingly specifyed in the Catalogue of the Library, viz, the Folios on Cla.s.sis. 16 and the smaller bookes on Cla.s.sis 20 and 21. with some others of the Old Citty Library distinguished in the said Catalogue.

"Memorandum. Some of Mr Irelands bookes which the Library was furnished with before, are set up in the outward Library to be Sold and exchanged for others, as he gave leave." The total number of volumes shown in the Library Catalogue of 1732 to have been given by Ireland is 142.

The entry in the Vellum Book regarding Nelson's bequest in 1714 reads: "Mr Thomas Nelson Late Rector of Morston in the County of Norfolk gave by his Last Will and Testament All his Books unto the Publick Library of this City where they are placed upon Six Shelves by Themselves in the Inner Room belonging to the said Library with his Name Over them in Gold Letters." Numerically his gift was the largest to the Library, 570 volumes being a.s.signed to him in the Catalogue of 1732.

The bequest of Kirkpatrick is recorded as follows under date 1728: "Mr John Kirkpatrick Mercht and Treasurer to the Great Hospital in this City did by his last Will and Testament Give (Note the following are the very Words of his Will) To the Maior Sheriffs, Citizens & Commonalty aforesaid All my Ancient Ma.n.u.scripts and all my Medals and Ancient Coins of Silver & Bra.s.s to be reposited in their Library at the New-Hall. Also my Printed Books in the Anglo-Saxon Language, & all such of my Books which were Printed before the Year of our Lord 1600 as are not already in the said Library, together with Mountfaucon's Antiquities, & Maddox's Firma Burgi lately printed; and I will & desire that all these things be kept there For Publick Use as the other Books in the said Library are. (Thus Far his Will.--

"Sometime after the Decease of the said Mr John Kirkpatrick there was more than Two Hundred Books sent to this Library According to his Will and Desire which are inserted in the Catalogue with his Name before Each Book.

"N.B. The Medals and Coins are not yet delivered But are still in the Hands of John Custance, Esq." Although the memorandum following the extract from the will states that more than 200 books were sent to the Library, the total number of books a.s.signed to him in the 1732 catalogue is 168. Possibly the remainder were duplicates, and were sold or exchanged for other books.

Many other donations are worthy of special mention, but it is impossible to enumerate all of them. Gabriel Barbar, in the name of the Society of Virginia, gave 11 vols. in 1614, in which year, says Blomefield, "the Lords of the _privy council_, by letters dated the 22nd of _March_, desired the city to given [sic] encouragement to a _lottery_, set on foot for the benefit of the _English Virginia_ plantation, . . . and by another letter dated 21 Dec. 1617, they desired them to a.s.sist Gabriel Barbor, &c in the management of a running _lottery_, to be by them kept in Norwich." {20a} In 1618 Thomas Atkins, Merchant of Norwich, gave seven volumes and 5 pounds for books.

During the mayoralty of Thomas Cory, 1628-29, the City of Norwich gave a copy of the second edition of John Minsheu's "The Guide into Tongues"

(London: John Haviland, 1627) for which twenty s.h.i.+llings were paid. {20b} This work is still of value as a dictionary of Elizabethan English. In 1659 the City also gave a set of the famous English Polyglot Bible, edited by Bryan Walton, in 6 vols., (London, 1657)--a work which was a fine scholarly achievement of the Church of England at a time of great depression.

In 1658 Joseph Paine, Alderman of Norwich, who was Mayor in 1660, gave one book and 20 pounds for the purchase of books. In the Minute Book the donation is described thus under date Dec. 13, 1658: "Mr. Whitefoot, Mr.

Harmar, and Dr. Collings made report to ye rest of the Brethren mett this day That Mr. Joseph Paine Alderman of the City of Norwich uppon Munday preceding this meeting, sent for ye 3 minrs. aforesaid to his house, and there did give into the hands of Mr. John Whitefoot one of the aforesaid minrs. twenty pounds declaring it his mind that it should be laid out at the discretion of ye 3 minrs. aforesaid together with Mr. George c.o.c.k to bee added to them to buy such bookes with it as they shall judge most fit for ye City Library."

The ministers evidently desired to mark especially their appreciation of Paine's gift. On February 9th, 1662/3 "The brethren taking notice that no bookes were yet markd as the guift of Sr Jos. Paine, and Mr. Whitefoot acquainting the brethren that he had procured printed paps to this purpose--Ex Dono Dni _Josephi Paine_ militis hujus Civitatis praetoris, they ordered that some of those papers should bee affixed to the 9 vol.

of ye Criticks: wch cost 15l & to the 4 vol. of Gerard's Comon places wch cost 3l 13s & to the 2 vol. of Theophilact. wch cost 1l 02s: in all 19l 17s: the other 3s: beeing accounted for ye Carriage: they also ordered that a like paper be affixed to Ravanella before giuen to the library by ye said Sr Jos. Paine."

In the Vellum Book under date Dec. 12th, 1659, are entered 29 volumes as a gift from Thomasine Brooke, "Widow & Relict of Wm Brooke, Gent." These were evidently purchased with a donation of 20 pounds, as under the same date in the Minute Book is the following: "Mr. Whitefoot acknowledged himself to have received of Mrs Brooke wid. to the use of the library to bee laid out uppon bookes by ye Consent of ye minrs. the summe of twenty pounds."

Sir Thomas Browne, who made Norwich his home from 1637, gave in 1666 eight volumes of Justus Lipsius' Works, (Antwerp, 1606-17), and under the entry recording this gift, which describes the donor as "Thomas Browne, Med: Professor", has been written in a different hand, "Opera sua, viz.

Religio Medicj, Vulgar Errors, &c." (A reproduction of the page in the Vellum Book recording Browne's gift faces page 46.) The latter volume was evidently a copy of his "Pseudodoxia Epidemica . . . together with the Religio Medici," sixth edition, (London, 1672), which is still in the Library.

Another eminent benefactor was Thomas Tenison, who became Archbishop of Canterbury in 1694, and is noteworthy to librarians as having established a public library in his parish of St. Martins-in-the-Fields, London, in 1695. Tenison was educated at the Norwich Free School, and in 1674 he was chosen "upper minister" of St. Peter Mancroft, Norwich, having been previously preacher at that Church. He was admitted to the use of the City Library on February 9th, 1673, and on March 2nd, 1674 and April 6th, 1675, he gave the following five volumes: Georgius Codinus' "De Officijs et Officialibus Magnae Ecclesiae et Aulae Constantinopolitanae" (Paris, 1625); Edward Herbert's "De religione gentilium" (Amsterdam, 1663); Peter Heylyn's "Historia Quinqu-Articularis" (London, 1660); Archbishop James Ussher's "Chronologia sacra" (Oxford, 1660); and the "Racovian Catechism," which is entered in the 1732 catalogue as "Moscorrow's Catechism."

Nathaniel c.o.c.k, described as a Merchant of London, but who was doubtless connected with the county, is credited with a donation of 33 volumes in 1674. These volumes were evidently purchased with the legacy of 20 pounds which Edmund c.o.c.k, his executor, paid to the Library-Keeper. This legacy is mentioned in the Minute Book, and also by Blomefield, {22} who states that he was the brother of Edmund c.o.c.ke, and that he also "gave the _city chamberlain_ 100l, to be freely lent to five honest poor _weavers_, housekeepers and freemen, without interest, they giving security for the repayment at three years end."

In 1676, the year of the death of Edward Reynolds, Bishop of Norwich, the Vellum Book records a donation from him of 24 volumes. These books, however, were probably purchased with a legacy, as in the a.s.sembly Book, 21st Sept., 1676, it is stated that the Clavors [Keepers of City Chest]

to pay Robt Bendish Esq. 20 pounds to be pd to Mr John Whitefoot senr. to buy bookes for City Library according to will of Edward [Reynolds] late Bp. of Norwich.

Dean Humphrey Prideaux, the orientalist, was another distinguished benefactor. In August, 1681, he was installed as a Prebendary of Norwich, and in the following March he gave a copy of his edition of two tracts by Maimonides which he published with the t.i.tle "De jure pauperis et peregrini apud Judaeos" (1679), "and other money [1 pound] from many others received" with which were purchased Joannes Caspar Suicerus'

"Thesaurus Ecclesiasticus," 2 vols. (Amsterdam, 1682), and J. J.

Hoffman's "Lexicon Universale Historico-Geographico-Chronologico-Poetico-Philologic.u.m," 2 vols. (Basel, 1677). When Dean of Norwich he gave a copy of the two works upon which his literary fame rests, "Life of Mahomet" and "The Old and New Testament Connected," 2 vols. (1716-18), and also his "Validity of the Orders of the Church of England," and "The Original and Right of t.i.thes," (Norwich, 1710).

Three citizens and Aldermen of Norwich gave donations of money in 1678 amounting to 11 pounds, with which ten volumes were purchased: Augustine Briggs 5 pounds, Thomas Wisse 3 pounds, and Bernard Church 3 pounds.

In 1700 William Adamson, Rector of St. John's Maddermarket, Norwich, who was buried therein in 1707, "gave to this Library three shelves full of books, viz. Cla.s.sis 17, 18, and 19, the first in Folio, the Second in quarto, the third in Octavo, and are Specifyed in the Catalogue of the Library." The total number of the books a.s.signed to him in the 1732 catalogue is 118 vols.

In 1706 John Moore, Bishop of Norwich "gave to this Library Eusebij, Socratis, Sozomeni, Theodoriti, & Evagrij Hist. Ecclesiast. in 3 vol., Paris, 1678," and Thomas Tanner, who had been made Chancellor of the Norwich Diocese in 1701, gave a copy of La Bigne's "Sacrae Bibliothecae Sanctorum Patrum," 5 vols. (Paris, 1589). Tanner also gave a large donation in 1726 which was thus recorded: "Thomas Tanner, S.T.P. and Chancellor of the Diocess of Norwich This year added more than an Hundred Books to those which he had formerly Given to this Publick Library; Which are particularly inserted in the Catalogue, with his Name before each Book." Possibly some of the books he gave were duplicates and were exchanged for others, as the 1732 Catalogue credits him with only 92 vols.

During the years 1707 to 1709 several Fellows of Trinity and other Cambridge Colleges gave donations of books (See List of Donors at the end of Part I., pp. 52-56). The Minute Book records that on August 5th, 1707 "was brought into the Library by Mr. Reddington, Fellow of Trinity College, in Cambridge, these following books being the gift of several persons of the said college, as here follows." These donations, numbering 28 volumes, were the gift of twelve Fellows, and may have been the result of an organised effort by Reddington to increase the Library.

John Reddington was Rector of St. Edmund, Norwich, 1712, Rector of Rackheath, 1711-39, and of Hethel, 1737-39, and master of Norwich Grammar School from 1732 to 1737. He died in 1739, aged 57. In 1708 the Minute Book states that on Sept. 6th Mr. Reddington brought in five books the gift of five Fellows of Trinity College; and on Oct. 4, Mr. Brett brought in 8 volumes the gift of John Lightwin, the President of Caius College, and four other Cambridge men.

Benjamin Mackerell, described as "of the City of Norwich, Gent.", gave two volumes in 1716, and 13 volumes in 1731, when he held the office of Library Keeper.

John Jermy was stated in 1729 to "have sent & Given to this Library several Law Books and others; which are particularly inserted in the Catalogue, with his Name before Each Book." In 1733 he gave forty books, and in 1737 fourteen books. In the 1732 Catalogue he is credited with 67 volumes.

Edmund Prideaux, the son of Dean Prideaux, in 1730 "gave to this Library more than Threescore Books which are all of them inserted in the Catalogue with his Name before each Book." In the 1732 Catalogue only 49 volumes are shown to have been given by him.

The last entry in the Vellum Book records a gift from Robert Nash, Chancellor of the Diocese of Norwich, of a copy of "A Defence of Natural and Revealed Religion: being an abridgment of the Sermons preached at the Lecture founded by the Hon. R. Boyle," 4 vols. (London, 1737), by Gilbert Burnet, vicar of Coggeshall, which was published in that year.

Possibly it was the misfortune of the Library to lose a donation of ma.n.u.scripts from Peter Le Neve relating to Norfolk that would have been of inestimable value, as the collector's work, said Mr. Walter Rye, "was characterised by strictest honesty," and the material "formed the backbone of the well-known county history, begun by Blomefield, and completed by Parkin." {24} Bishop Tanner, one of Le Neve's executors, stated in a letter to Dr. Rawlinson in 1735 that "There was an ugly Codicil made a few days before his death in favour of his wife, upon which she set up a claim for several of his Norfolk Collections, and has hindered the execution of that part of his will, which relates to the putting those papers into some public library in Norwich. But I have hopes given me that she is coming into better temper, and will let us perform our trust without entering into a chancery suit." {25a} There is no codicil to the will at Somerset House, and the actual words relating to his collections are as follows: "I give and bequeath unto the Revd.

Doctor Tanner Chancellor of Norwich and Mr. Thomas Martin of Palgrave all my abstracts out of Records old Deeds Books pedigrees seals papers and other collections which shall only relate to the antiquities and history of Norfolk and Suffolk or one of them upon condition that they or the survivor of them or the Exors or Admors of such survivor do & shall within 12 months next after my decease procure a good and safe repository in the Cathedral Church of Norwich or in some other good and publick building in the said city for the preservation of the same collections for the use and benefit of such curious persons as shall be desirous to inspect transcribe or consult the same." Le Neve's widow evidently impeded his purpose, as his collections did not come to the city.

A donation, the loss of which, however, cannot be regretted, is referred to in the Court Book for 1677: "The Chamberlain, with the advice of Rob'

Bendish & Jo: Manser, Esqrs are to consult a good workeman about ye making of a Case of Deale for ye skeleton of a Man given to the City Librarie & to report ye charge." {25b} Kirkpatrick quotes this and remarks: "But it seems it was not made, for there is no skeleton in the library now." {25c} Since the days of Rameses II., whose Egyptian Library bore the inscription "Dispensary of the Soul," libraries have often been properly so regarded, as their contents are undoubtedly remedial agents of vigour and virtue, but it is not clear why a library should be regarded as a repository for man's mortal frame.

CONTENTS OF THE LIBRARY.

The Library having been established primarily but not exclusively for the clergy, by whom it was chiefly used, its contents were designed to facilitate their studies, and pre-eminence was given to theological works, and other works of particular interest or value to them.

Regarding the contents of the Library in 1706, when the first printed catalogue was published, the Rev. Joseph Brett said in the preface: "It may be more proper to observe, that upon the first Foundation of this Library many and great Benefactions, (by which alone it was first raised, and still encreases) were given by the Magistrates, Gentlemen and Tradesmen of this City, by which means, here is no inconsiderable Collection of Divinity Book, [sic] for that time especially. But considering the great Advance of Learning, in the last Century, the fine Editions of many of the Fathers, and the many learned Books that were then published, it must be owned, that this Library is now very deficient, even in Divinity itself. Besides here are very few Humanity Books, few or none of Law, Physick, Mathematicks, or indeed of any science but Divinity." Large donations from the Rev. Thomas Nelson, John Kirkpatrick, and others greatly increased the usefulness of the Library, and accordingly Mackerell, in his preface to the 1732 Catalogue, considered that "this Library is far from being meanly provided with Books (I wish I could say in all Faculties)."

While time has caused many of the works to decrease in value and practical interest, it has greatly enhanced the value of the few ma.n.u.scripts and the considerable number of early printed books in the Library. The following are the most interesting and valuable ma.n.u.scripts, some of which are on loan at the Castle Museum for exhibition. Dr. Montague Rhodes James, the Provost of King's College, Cambridge, one of the greatest authorities on early ma.n.u.scripts, has kindly examined and dated four of them, and he has also supplied detailed descriptions which it is hoped will be published on another occasion.

Ma.n.u.sCRIPTS.

Anon. IN APOCALYPSIN. XIIIth century.