Canterbury Cathedral Library donors

This page lists a selection of provenances from books in the Cathedral Library which record books given to the Library by Canons and others, or which in some way relate to the history of the Library. It is restricted to printed books currently in the Dean and Chapter's collections and therefore excludes provenances from the Howley-Harrison Collection, the Elham Library and the Mendham Collection (on loan to the Cathedral).

Index of Donors recorded in this wiki.
Index of other previous owners recorded in this wiki.

A full list of names of all previous owners is available for books printed before 1801 in the Dean and Chapter collections (including the Howley-Harrison and Elham Collections) and for the Mendham Collection (now no onger held at the Cathedral Library).

IN PROGRESS
The entries on this page are being transferred to individual separate pages.

c. 1629: Gerhard Vossius, Canon of Canterbury

c. 1630: Sir Nathaniel Brent

c. 1630: William Jervis, Six Preacher

1633: Archbishop George Abbot

c. 1636: Maurice Barrowe

1641?: A gift or purchase? Possibly a post-Restoration accession.

Ben Jonson. Magnetick lady: or, Humors reconcil'd. A comedy composed by Ben: Iohnson. 1641.
[W2/A-2-12(1)]
Inscription on title page: Xt Ch. Library

16601680: Canon Thomas Pierce

1663

A manuscript of Cicero given by William Kingsley:

Of Classic Authors I may notice a beautifully written Manuscript of M.T. Ciceronis Epistolae, in folio, presented to the Library by Dr. Kingsley, Archdeacon and Prebendary, in 1663. At the beginning of this MS. is the following note :—"This Booke I Edmund Witherpoll found in the Lybrary off owre Ladye's Churche in Bulleyn the xxv day of Sept. Anno Domini 1544." Edmund Witherpoll probably accompanied Henry the Eighth in his expedition against Boulogne, and brought away this literary treasure with him. [B. Botfield, pp.18-19].

Kingsley died in 1648. This gift must have remained in the hands of his son William until 1663 although it is not listed in his entry in the Benefactors' Book.

c. 1665: John Somner and William Somner

1668: Sir Eliab Harvey

1668: Rev. Jonas Owyn, Rector of Sibertswold cum Colred

[1670]: Canon Peter Du Moulin

1675: Alderman Thomas Fidge

1675?: Edmund Burges

c. 1680: Fleetwood Dormer

16941719: Canon George Thorp

1697: Martin Lister

c. 1697

Purchase of Edward Bernard's catalogue of English and Irish manuscripts. The catalogue contains a list of the Cathedral's manuscripts (vol. 2, pp. 223 and 389) and a list of 'Mr. Somner's Posthumous Manuscripts, now in the Library of Christ-Church Canterbury' (p. 389).

Shelfmark W2/A-16-7(1)

Edward Bernard, Catalogi librorum manuscriptorum Angliae et Hiberniae, in unum collecti, Oxford, 1697.

Inscriptions on second front free endpaper: Liber. Eccl[es]iæ. Christi. Cantuar. Empt. Sumptu Eccl[es]iæ. pr. £1-3s-0d.
[and] Libri Mss Eccl: Xti Cantuar. Vid. Tom. II. Part. 1, pag. 223 & 389.

c. 1708: Archdeacon John Battely

1713: John Lewis, Vicar of Minster

1721: Canon David Wilkins

1732

Probable subscription copy of the Archdeacon of Canterbury

Shelfmark W/F-3-8/13

Collection of voyages and travels. 1732.

The Subscription list records the name of 'Reverend Dr. Lisle Arch-Deacon of Canterbury'.

1733

Cathedral Library subscription copy

The Dean and Chapter subscribed to the publication of the following book, according to the subscription list (Nomina fautorum) printed in it, which lists: Canterbury, Rev. The Dean and Chapter of. The copy is marked by the publisher for delivery to Canterbury and gives the subscription price £6-11s-6d.

Shelfmark W/B-5-4/6

Augustin Calmet. Historical, critical, geographical, chronological and etymological dictionary of the Holy Bible, ... annexed, Bibliotheca sacra, or a ... catalogue.
London: 1732.

Inscription on front pastedown, vol. 1: 3 Volumes For Christ Church Library 1733 p. 6-11-6.

The Dean and Chapter subscribed to the publication of this work, according to the subscription list (Nomina fautorum) printed in it, which lists: Canterbury, Rev. The Dean and Chapter of.

c. 1733: The following book was probably purchased on publication. It was in the Library by 1743 when it appears in the printed catalogue.

Jethro Tull. Horse-hoing husbandry: or, an essay on ... tillage and vegetation. ... By I. T. 1733.
[W2/A-5-7]
Inscription on front free endpaper: For the Library of Christ Church Canty p. £1-2s-6d.

1761: The following books are probably part of a single order placed by the Dean and Chapter with a bookseller. The dated inscription is probably inserted by a member of the Chapter staff.

John Taylor, Paraphrase with notes on the Epistle to the Romans. 1754. [W/B-2-35]

George Benson, D.D. Paraphrase and Notes on six of the Epistles. 1752. [W/B-2-39/40]

George Benson, D.D. Paraphrase and notes on the three Epistles of St. John. ... By the author of the Paraphrase ... on St. Paul's epistles ... 1749. [W/B-2-40]
Inscription on front pastedown of each book: The Library of Xt. Church Canty. 1761.

1763: Revd John Duncombe

1777–1778 Archbishop Frederick Cornwallis

[1781?]: Dean George Horne

1795

Cathedral Library subscription copy

Shelfmark W/F-1-10/13

James Macknight. New literal translation ... of all the apostolical Epistles. With a commentary, and notes ... To which is added a History of the life of the apostle Paul.
Edinburgh: 1795.

The subscription list includes 'Dean and Chapter of Canterbury'.

[1798]

Cathedral Library subscription copy

Shelfmark W/B-5-9

Vetus Testamentum Graecum cum variis lectionibus. Edidit Robertus Holmes, ...
Oxford: 1798.

The subscription list (Nomina fautorum) has an entry for: Canterbury, Rev. The Dean and Chapter of Canterbury.

1804

Cathedral Library subscription copy

Shelfmark W/F-1-20

Henry Dimock. Critical and explanatory notes on Genesis, Exodus, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, and the Minor Prophets together with some dissertations on several difficult passages of scripture, and observations on the worship of the serpent, and remarks on the thirty-nine articles.
London: 1804.

List of Subscribers includes (p.iv) 'Canterbury-Cathedral Library'.

1823: Coombe Collection of Bibles; Inscription on front pastedowns: This collection of anc. English Bibles, &c. was made by the late Rev. Thomas Coombe, D.D. and presented to this library by his sons, Rev. John Riché Coombe, and Rev. Thomas Coombe A.D. M.D.CCC.XXIII. Thomas Coombe senior (d. 1822) was canon of Stall VII.

Holie. Bible. conteynyng the olde Testament and the newe. 1568.
[W/A-5-18/19]

New Testament ... translated out of the Latin Vulgat by John Wiclif, ... praefixt A history of the ... translations of the H. Bible ... into English. 1731.
[W/A-5-20]

1833–1850: Edward Scudamore, M.D.

1841: Rev. Joshua Stratton, Sub-Librarian

1842: Benjamin Harrison, Six Preacher

1843 and 1879: Revd Frederick Rouch

1853: Thomas Evance Jones

1871: Dean Henry Alford

entries below this point are still to be converted to separate pages

1873. Canon John Charles Buchanan Riddell: The Rev. J. C. Buchanan Riddell (1814–1879) was the Rector of Harrietsham, 1842–1879. He was appointed honorary canon of Canterbury in 1864.

1877: R. C. Hussey

1878: Canon J. C. Robertson; James Craigie Robertson (18131882) was a church historian who became Canon of Canterbury in 1859. He was Canon Librarian 18591882.

Sir Francis Bacon. Sylva sylvarum: or, a naturall historie. In ten centuries. VVritten by ... Francis Lo. Verulam ... Published ... by William Rawley. 1639.
[W2/X-5-23]
Inscription on verso of front free endpaper: The Library of the Dean & Chapter of Canterbury. From J.C. Robertson, Librarian, July 23. 1878.

1882: Bibliotheca Robertsoniana; Following the death of Canon Robertson, a group of friends and colleagues gave a collection of books to the Cathedral Library, each with a presentation label.

The presentation label on the front pastedown of the books reads: Bibliotheca Robertsoniana. In Memoriam Viri Doctissimi Colendissimiq: Jacobi Craigie Robertson Hujus Ecclesiae Canonici [ ] Amicus Hunc Librum Dedicat MDCCCLXXXII with a space for the name of the individual donors.

Inscriptions recording contributors to the Bibliotheca Robertsoniana include:

Edm. Bishop Londoniensis

Georgius Furley Cantuariensis

Alicia Louisa Graham

Robertus Hare M.A. Hujus Ecclesiæ Præcentor

R. C. Hussey Cantianus

Carolus J. Plumptre Fridwellensis

Alfred B. Strettell M.A.

Alexander Wetherelt

1884: Alexander Wetherelt; In addition to his contribution to the Bibliotheca Robertsoniana (above), Wetherelt also left a collection including natural specimens, seal impressions and various artefacts to the Dean and Chapter by deed of gift dated 7 Jun 1883. The Cathedral Archives has a printed Catalogue of the Wetherelt Collection (CCA-DCc-LA/2/20; PAMPH. 54/10)with a note pasted inside the back cover explaining that the collection was passed on to the Beaney Institute, Canterbury, by Francis Bennett-Goldney M.P. (1865–1918), Mayor of Canterbury and Honorary Curator of the Beaney Institute. There is also a manuscript catalogue (CCA-DCc-LA/2/20A)

William Hogarth. Works of William Hogarth ... a series ... of engravings ... descriptions ... by ... John Trusler. 1845.
[W2/A-5-4/5]
Book plate on front pastedown: A. Wetherelt, Canterbury.; altered to read: Presented by ... to ... Cathedral Library, 1884.

1885: Dean Robert Payne Smith; Payne Smith (18191895) was Regius Professor of Divinity at the University of Oxford and Canon of Christ Church from 1865 until 1870. He was appointed Dean of Canterbury in 1871. He was a Hebrew and Syriac scholar.

New Testament ... revised A.D. 1881.
[W/A-3-21]
Presentation inscription on front free endpaper: The Cathedral Library Canterbury from R. Payne Smith Dec. 1 1885.

1886: Rev. W. N. Griffin; Canon William Nathaniel Griffin (1815–1892) was Vicar of Ospringe (1848–1892) and an Honorary Canon of Canterbury (1872–1892). The work he presented to the Library was a textbook on calculus; he wrote books on optics, trigonometry and algebra.

1895: Canon Francis James Holland; Francis Holland (1828–1907) was appointed to Stall VIII in 1882. He had previously been a curate in Plaxtol (1851–1853), vicar of St Dunstan's, Canterbury (1853–1861) and a Six Preacher (1859–1882).

Henry More. Discourses on several texts of Scripture. 1692.
[W/C-2-42]
Presentation label on front free endpaper: ... by Revd. Canon Holland this 1st day of Jany. 1895.

Post-1900: Twentieth-century provenances

Canterbury Cathedral Library donors

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