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Hereford Cathedral Library

April 11, 2024

Hereford Cathedral Library is a working theological lending and reference library located in Hereford Cathedral, Hereford, England; it also holds books and manuscripts of major importance to the history of the county of Herefordshire. Hereford Cathedral Library is also well known for its chained books as it is the only library of this type to survive with all of the chains, rods and locks still intact.[1]

Hereford Cathedral Library
The Chained Library at Hereford Cathedral
52°03′15″N 2°42′57″W / 52.054219°N 2.715898°W / 52.054219; -2.715898
LocationHereford, United Kingdom
TypeChristian library
ScopeHistorical books
Established1611 (1611)
Other information
Websiteherefordcathedral.org

History edit

16th and 17th centuries edit

During the reign of Elizabeth I, in 1582, a commission investigating the cathedral found that the collection, gathered since the 12th century, was poorly organised and poorly kept.[2] In 1590 the whole library was moved to the Lady Chapel, and in 1611 the Chained Library (with books in manuscript chained to their places) was established by Thomas Thornton. Thornton, who was canon of Hereford from 1583 onwards and vice-chancellor of Oxford University in 1583 and 1599, was the first to chain books in the library.[3] William Brewster bequeathed the collection to St John's College, Oxford.[4] Many books were added in the 17th century and in 1678 the collection from the Jesuit College at Cwm, Llanrothal, Wales, joined the library when the college was shut down following the invasion by John Arnold of Monmouthshire.

19th and 20th centuries edit

In the 1840s, the cathedral underwent considerable restoration work and the books and shelves had to be removed from the Lady Chapel.[3] It was split between the North Transept and the Victorian Dean Leigh Library.[3] In 1854, Francis Tebbs Havergal was appointed deputy librarian and he greatly improved the library and paid attention to details such as the room temperature and cleanliness.[5] B. F. Streeter was responsible for a major change in the organisation of the library as were librarians such as Langton E. Brown and Maude Bull from 1897 onwards;[6] Bull worked in the library for over fifty years until her death in 1951.[6] For years, the notable scholar, Canon William Wolfe Capes (1834–1914), sorted records within the library; he printed a volume containing early records, presenting it to the members of the Cantilupe Society.[7] Also important in the library's history were Frederick Charles Morgan (died 1978, aged 100) and his daughter Penelope (1976–90).[8] F. C. Morgan supervised the cataloguing project of 1927 onwards, following a donation by the Dean Leigh Fund.[6] His nephew Paul was succeeded as honorary librarian by Penelope Morgan who remained in the post until 1989.[8][9] During the Second World War, the Mappa Mundi (the largest medieval map known to still exist) and other valuable manuscripts from the medieval period were kept elsewhere in safety and returned to the collection in 1946.[3]

Mappa Mundi Library edit

In 1988 the Dean and Chapter proposed the sale of the Mappa Mundi and aroused considerable national opposition.[10] Following the setting up of a dedicated trust, a donation from Sir Paul Getty, and an endowment from the National Heritage Memorial Fund, the Mappa and chained library were transferred to the Mappa Mundi Charitable Trust and a new building designed by Sir William Whitfield was opened on 3 May 1996 by the Queen to house the historic collections and the historic chained library, which is open to the public.[3]

Both chained library and historic collections in store are now held in temperature-controlled, fire-resistant rooms and the Mappa and historic collection are much easier to access than they were in the cathedral. However, the chained library is still chained to the bookshelves.[11]

Collection edit

 
The Hereford Gospels, circa 780, illustrating the Gospel of John
 
Book shelves of Hereford Cathedral Library

Most of the books in the collection date to about 1100. The oldest volume in the library, the Hereford Gospels in Anglo-Saxon characters, dates to around the year 780 and was the only book to survive the 1055 fire.[12] Many of the books and manuscripts were collected from Herefordshire, with many of those from the 14th century onwards related to county law.[3] For several centuries books were stored in cupboards or wooden chests until the first library room was established, in the south-west cloister of the cathedral, in the 15th century.[3]

The library contains mainly old books in manuscript chained to their places, some of them fine specimens of ancient handwriting, containing beautiful illustrations in gold and colour. The library has an ancient and well-preserved Hereford antiphonary of the 13th century. Another treasure is an ancient reliquary of oak, bequeathed to the cathedral by Canon Russell, said to have been obtained it from a Roman Catholic family in whose possession it had long been. It is covered with copper plates overlaid with Limoges enamel representing the murder and entombment of St. Thomas of Canterbury. The library is in possession of some 229 manuscripts, mainly theological, dated from the 8th to the 16th centuries.[13] Aside from the Hereford Gospels, is the Wycliffite Bible and the 13th century Hereford Breviary – the only surviving copy.[13]

The Chained Library has about 1500 older books in its collection, dating mainly from the late 15th to the early 19th centuries, although it has some 56 books published before 1500.[13] The bulk of the collection is of books on theology, biblical and church studies and law. Aside from the 150 volumes, dated to the 16th and 17th centuries, from the Jesuit Library at Llanrothal, it received, in 1925, 242 volumes on theology from Paul Foley of Stoke Edith House and, in 1978, 260 volumes printed between 1494–1782 from the Library of Lady Hawkins School at Kington.[13] The library has also received many other small donations over the years, revealing an important insight into the history of the county and ecclesiastical practices within it. The collection also contains music manuscripts used in Hereford Cathedral between the late 17th and 19th centuries and some 9,000 items printed after 1850, as well as a local history section.[13]

Bibliography edit

Notes
  1. ^ . Archived from the original on 14 February 2013. Retrieved 1 April 2013. "The Chained Library", Herefordcathedral.org, 2009
  2. ^ Aylmer & Tiller 2000, p. 515
  3. ^ a b c d e f g . Herefordcathedral.org. Archived from the original on 11 September 2011. Retrieved 15 March 2012.
  4. ^ Ker, Neil Ripley; Perkin, Michael (2004). A Directory of the Parochial Libraries of the Church of England and the Church in Wales. Oxford University Press. p. 239. ISBN 978-0-948170-13-3. Retrieved 15 March 2012.
  5. ^ Aylmer & Tiller 2000, p. 525
  6. ^ a b c Aylmer & Tiller 2000, p. 529
  7. ^ Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons (1919). Papers by command (Public domain ed.). HMSO. pp. 1 ff. Retrieved 15 March 2012.
  8. ^ a b Barker, Nicolas (24 March 2006). . The Independent. Archived from the original on 25 September 2015. Retrieved 16 March 2012.
  9. ^ Clifford, Mary F. (4 October 1990). "Protector of a great treasure: obituary, Penelope Morgan". The Guardian.
  10. ^ Driver, Christopher (19 November 1988). "World time forgot: the 13th-century world map up for sale is not the only neglected treasure of Hereford Cathedral". The Guardian.
  11. ^ Blake, Monica (April 2004). "Art Index Retrospective: 1929-1984 now available via EBSCOhost®". The Electronic Library. 22 (2). doi:10.1108/el.2004.26322bab.013. ISSN 0264-0473.
  12. ^ Aylmer & Tiller 2000, p. 511
  13. ^ a b c d e . Herefordcathedral.org. Archived from the original on 19 December 2011. Retrieved 15 March 2012.
References

Further reading edit

  • Morgan, Frederick C. (1963). Hereford Cathedral Library: (including the 'Chained Library'); its history and contents with appendix of early printed books; illustrated. Hereford Times.
  • Morgan, Frederick C.; Morgan, Penelope E. (1975). Hereford Cathedral Libraries (including the Chained Library and the Vicars Choral Library) and muniments (2nd ed.). Hereford Cathedral Library. ISBN 0-9501011-8-4.
  • Morgan, Frederick Charles, interviewed by Philip Whiteman (October 1977). "Eighty-one years a librarian". Library Association Record. Library Association: 536–39.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  • Tallon, Maura (1963). Hereford Cathedral Library: with notes on an Irish medieval ms. there and on All Saints' Church chained library, Hereford. Athlone Printing Works.

External links edit

  • The ancient library where the books are under lock and key. BBC News.

April 11, 2024
hereford, cathedral, library, working, theological, lending, reference, library, located, hereford, cathedral, hereford, england, also, holds, books, manuscripts, major, importance, history, county, herefordshire, also, well, known, chained, books, only, libra. Hereford Cathedral Library is a working theological lending and reference library located in Hereford Cathedral Hereford England it also holds books and manuscripts of major importance to the history of the county of Herefordshire Hereford Cathedral Library is also well known for its chained books as it is the only library of this type to survive with all of the chains rods and locks still intact 1 Hereford Cathedral LibraryThe Chained Library at Hereford Cathedral52 03 15 N 2 42 57 W 52 054219 N 2 715898 W 52 054219 2 715898LocationHereford United KingdomTypeChristian libraryScopeHistorical booksEstablished1611 1611 Other informationWebsiteherefordcathedral org Contents 1 History 1 1 16th and 17th centuries 1 2 19th and 20th centuries 1 3 Mappa Mundi Library 2 Collection 3 Bibliography 4 Further reading 5 External linksHistory edit16th and 17th centuries edit During the reign of Elizabeth I in 1582 a commission investigating the cathedral found that the collection gathered since the 12th century was poorly organised and poorly kept 2 In 1590 the whole library was moved to the Lady Chapel and in 1611 the Chained Library with books in manuscript chained to their places was established by Thomas Thornton Thornton who was canon of Hereford from 1583 onwards and vice chancellor of Oxford University in 1583 and 1599 was the first to chain books in the library 3 William Brewster bequeathed the collection to St John s College Oxford 4 Many books were added in the 17th century and in 1678 the collection from the Jesuit College at Cwm Llanrothal Wales joined the library when the college was shut down following the invasion by John Arnold of Monmouthshire 19th and 20th centuries edit In the 1840s the cathedral underwent considerable restoration work and the books and shelves had to be removed from the Lady Chapel 3 It was split between the North Transept and the Victorian Dean Leigh Library 3 In 1854 Francis Tebbs Havergal was appointed deputy librarian and he greatly improved the library and paid attention to details such as the room temperature and cleanliness 5 B F Streeter was responsible for a major change in the organisation of the library as were librarians such as Langton E Brown and Maude Bull from 1897 onwards 6 Bull worked in the library for over fifty years until her death in 1951 6 For years the notable scholar Canon William Wolfe Capes 1834 1914 sorted records within the library he printed a volume containing early records presenting it to the members of the Cantilupe Society 7 Also important in the library s history were Frederick Charles Morgan died 1978 aged 100 and his daughter Penelope 1976 90 8 F C Morgan supervised the cataloguing project of 1927 onwards following a donation by the Dean Leigh Fund 6 His nephew Paul was succeeded as honorary librarian by Penelope Morgan who remained in the post until 1989 8 9 During the Second World War the Mappa Mundi the largest medieval map known to still exist and other valuable manuscripts from the medieval period were kept elsewhere in safety and returned to the collection in 1946 3 Mappa Mundi Library edit In 1988 the Dean and Chapter proposed the sale of the Mappa Mundi and aroused considerable national opposition 10 Following the setting up of a dedicated trust a donation from Sir Paul Getty and an endowment from the National Heritage Memorial Fund the Mappa and chained library were transferred to the Mappa Mundi Charitable Trust and a new building designed by Sir William Whitfield was opened on 3 May 1996 by the Queen to house the historic collections and the historic chained library which is open to the public 3 Both chained library and historic collections in store are now held in temperature controlled fire resistant rooms and the Mappa and historic collection are much easier to access than they were in the cathedral However the chained library is still chained to the bookshelves 11 Collection edit nbsp The Hereford Gospels circa 780 illustrating the Gospel of John nbsp Book shelves of Hereford Cathedral LibraryMost of the books in the collection date to about 1100 The oldest volume in the library the Hereford Gospels in Anglo Saxon characters dates to around the year 780 and was the only book to survive the 1055 fire 12 Many of the books and manuscripts were collected from Herefordshire with many of those from the 14th century onwards related to county law 3 For several centuries books were stored in cupboards or wooden chests until the first library room was established in the south west cloister of the cathedral in the 15th century 3 The library contains mainly old books in manuscript chained to their places some of them fine specimens of ancient handwriting containing beautiful illustrations in gold and colour The library has an ancient and well preserved Hereford antiphonary of the 13th century Another treasure is an ancient reliquary of oak bequeathed to the cathedral by Canon Russell said to have been obtained it from a Roman Catholic family in whose possession it had long been It is covered with copper plates overlaid with Limoges enamel representing the murder and entombment of St Thomas of Canterbury The library is in possession of some 229 manuscripts mainly theological dated from the 8th to the 16th centuries 13 Aside from the Hereford Gospels is the Wycliffite Bible and the 13th century Hereford Breviary the only surviving copy 13 The Chained Library has about 1500 older books in its collection dating mainly from the late 15th to the early 19th centuries although it has some 56 books published before 1500 13 The bulk of the collection is of books on theology biblical and church studies and law Aside from the 150 volumes dated to the 16th and 17th centuries from the Jesuit Library at Llanrothal it received in 1925 242 volumes on theology from Paul Foley of Stoke Edith House and in 1978 260 volumes printed between 1494 1782 from the Library of Lady Hawkins School at Kington 13 The library has also received many other small donations over the years revealing an important insight into the history of the county and ecclesiastical practices within it The collection also contains music manuscripts used in Hereford Cathedral between the late 17th and 19th centuries and some 9 000 items printed after 1850 as well as a local history section 13 Bibliography editNotes The Chained Library Hereford Cathedral Archived from the original on 14 February 2013 Retrieved 1 April 2013 The Chained Library Herefordcathedral org 2009 Aylmer amp Tiller 2000 p 515 a b c d e f g History of the Chained Library Herefordcathedral org Archived from the original on 11 September 2011 Retrieved 15 March 2012 Ker Neil Ripley Perkin Michael 2004 A Directory of the Parochial Libraries of the Church of England and the Church in Wales Oxford University Press p 239 ISBN 978 0 948170 13 3 Retrieved 15 March 2012 Aylmer amp Tiller 2000 p 525 a b c Aylmer amp Tiller 2000 p 529 Great Britain Parliament House of Commons 1919 Papers by command Public domain ed HMSO pp 1 ff Retrieved 15 March 2012 a b Barker Nicolas 24 March 2006 Paul Morgan librarian and local historian The Independent Archived from the original on 25 September 2015 Retrieved 16 March 2012 Clifford Mary F 4 October 1990 Protector of a great treasure obituary Penelope Morgan The Guardian Driver Christopher 19 November 1988 World time forgot the 13th century world map up for sale is not the only neglected treasure of Hereford Cathedral The Guardian Blake Monica April 2004 Art Index Retrospective 1929 1984 now available via EBSCOhost The Electronic Library 22 2 doi 10 1108 el 2004 26322bab 013 ISSN 0264 0473 Aylmer amp Tiller 2000 p 511 a b c d e Library Collections Herefordcathedral org Archived from the original on 19 December 2011 Retrieved 15 March 2012 ReferencesAylmer G E Tiller John Eric 2000 Hereford Cathedral a history 2000 ed Continuum International Publishing Group ISBN 9781852851941 Total pages 672Further reading editMorgan Frederick C 1963 Hereford Cathedral Library including the Chained Library its history and contents with appendix of early printed books illustrated Hereford Times Morgan Frederick C Morgan Penelope E 1975 Hereford Cathedral Libraries including the Chained Library and the Vicars Choral Library and muniments 2nd ed Hereford Cathedral Library ISBN 0 9501011 8 4 Morgan Frederick Charles interviewed by Philip Whiteman October 1977 Eighty one years a librarian Library Association Record Library Association 536 39 a href Template Cite journal html title Template Cite journal cite journal a CS1 maint multiple names authors list link Tallon Maura 1963 Hereford Cathedral Library with notes on an Irish medieval ms there and on All Saints Church chained library Hereford Athlone Printing Works External links editThe ancient library where the books are under lock and key BBC News Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Hereford Cathedral Library amp oldid 1209192016, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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