Dr Williams's Library

Dr Williams's Library is a small research library located in Gordon Square in Bloomsbury, London.

History

It was founded using the estate of Dr Daniel Williams (1643–1716) as a theological library, intended for the use of ministers of religion, students and others studying theology, religion and ecclesiastical history. Several of its first directors were ministers associated with Newington Green Unitarian Church^[1]. The library opened in 1729 at Red Cross Street with its original benefaction of around 7600 books from Williams.^[2] Its site moved frequently, until the acquisition of its present home, University Hall in Gordon Square, in 1890. It has always had close ties with the Unitarians, and when a Doodlebug destroyed Essex Hall, the headquarters of the General Assembly of Unitarian and Free Christian Churches, the Library offered a few spare rooms to displaced workers. They stayed for 14 years, until 1958.^[3].

Holdings

In addition to its theological holdings, the library contains collections of philosophy, history, literature, and related subjects. There is also a large collection of works on Byzantine history and culture bequeathed by Professor Norman H. Baynes (1877–1961). In 1976, it acquired the library of New College London.

The library is known to researchers of history and genealogy for its holdings of pre-19th century material relating to Protestant nonconformity in England, including papers by Dissenting minister Joshua Toulmin, D.D. It holds the manuscript of a 17th century diary, Roger Morrice's Entring Book, written by Roger Morrice, which covers the years 1677 to 1691 and is being prepared for publication. It also has many manuscripts of Philip Doddridge, including letters between Doddridge and his wife, his wife's diary and some of his artifacts.

On 13 July 2006 the library offered for sale at Sotheby's its copy of Shakespeare's First Folio. The book sold for a hammer price of £2.8 million.^[4] The library's director, Dr David Wykes, commented:

The library has been proud to own this remarkable copy of Shakespeare's First Folio, but its sale will secure the finances of the library and safeguard our important historic collections of manuscripts and printed books for future generations.

Amongst its aims was that, for a small fee, it kept a 'central registry' of births mainly (but not solely) within non-conformist families to avoid the necessity of having to have a child baptised in the Anglican church. It had variable success, up to 49,000 births were registered there until after a few months of the national Births, Marriages and Deaths Registration starting up in 1837. These registers are now at the National Archives under class RG5 and indexed in RG4^{[citation needed]}.

See also

• St Deiniol's Library, Hawarden
• The Evangelical Library, London
• Dr Williams' School, Dolgellau, Wales, named after the same benefactor^[5] (closed 1975, now Coleg Meirion-Dwyfor)

References

1. ^ Appendix. Thorncroft, Michael (1958). Trust in Freedom: The Story of Newington Green Unitarian Church 1708 - 1958. London: Private publication for the trustees of the church. Available online here.
2. ^ The London Encyclopaedia, Ben Weinreb & Christopher Hibbert, Macmillan, 1995, ISBN 0-333-57688-8
3. ^ The History of Essex Hall by Mortimer Rowe B.A., D.D. Lindsey Press, 1959
4. ^ Antiques Trade Gazette, 22 July 2006.
5. ^ Meirionnedd Archives

External links

• Dr Williams's Library
• Dr Williams's Centre for Dissenting Studies
• The Roger Morrice Entring Book Project
• BBC News: " Bard's first folio fetches £2.8m"

Coordinates: 51°31′26″N 0°07′53″W / 51.5240°N 0.1315°W / 51.5240; -0.1315