thousand and one pitfalls which beset the path of the cataloguer are to be avoided. The catalogue [50a] was on much more ambitious lines than its predecessors, and the compiler claimed to “have carefully copied the title pages, retaining their abbreviations, antique spelling, inaccuracies, or other peculiarities.” An examination of it, however, shows that it abounds in inaccuracies, and exhibits most of the errors that can be made in an author catalogue. A catalogue of the City Library compiled in accordance with modern bibliographical practice is still a desideratum.
THE QUARTERS OF THE LIBRARY.
The first home of the Library, as stated on page 4, was parcel of the dwelling house of Jerrom Goodwyne, the sword-bearer of the City. This house was built over the south porch of the Church of the Black Friars, now known as St. Andrew’s Hall, which had been acquired by the City at the Dissolution. It is clearly shewn in the frontispiece, which is a reproduction of Daniel King’s engraving of Black Friars’ Hall, probably executed about 1650. The Local Collection contains two copies of the engraving which have different plate numbers: one, numbered 78, is from the edition of Dugdale’s “Monasticon” published in 1718, but the book from which the other one, numbered 50, was taken, has not been traced.
Writing in 1857 Henry Harrod remarked that “If the view engraved by King correctly represents this house, it was by no means an ornamental feature; still it was as good as the far more pretentious structure which has replaced it.” [50b]
In regard to the building of this house Kirkpatrick gives an extract from a record of 34th Henry VIII, showing that the city granted to John Kempe, the chaplain, “in consideration that he, of his benevolence hath bestowed about the buylding of a lodgyng with three chambers, over the porch of the house, late the black friars, now the common hall of the city, and on either side of the same porch, above sixty pounds;—that, therefore, the said J. Kempe shall have the same lodgyng, with the office called the
Chapleyn of the Chappell, belonging to the said hall called, St. John’s Chapel, with all the oblacions; also, liberty of the garden and yard called the prechyng-yard.” [51]
The first of the few entries in the Minute Book regarding the library rooms shows that the books were not too well protected from the elements, for on 10th August, 1657, “Mr. Collinges gaue an acct of 1s. laid out for coale and wood for the drying of ye bookes harmed by ye raine.”
From the instructions, in Latin, to the Librarian which are set out in the classified and alphabetical catalogue of 1658 we learn that the library was arranged in two parts, East and West, and that the books were classified. “On the East part the treasury of the books is double, major and minor. The larger part is divided into ten classes folio. The smaller has only four classes of books in 4to and 8vo. The numbering of all classes must always be begun from the bottom. On the West part the treasury of books is single, arranged in five larger classes. Here the number must always be reckoned from the top.”
In 1664 the development of the Library necessitated the enlargement of the accommodation, and on 11th July “All the minrs. present agreed in a petition to ye Mayr Sherriffs Aldn. &c in Court of Comon Councell for ye addition of a roome to ye library, and ye better shelving of it. They further desired Mr. George Cock and Mr. Beresford to present ye petition to ye Comon Councell at their next assembly. Mr. Chamberlain hauing first viewed ye roome & computed ye charge.” On the 12th January 1673 the members decided to petition the Court for removing some wainscot doors, and on March 9th it was recorded that by order of the Court of Assembly “we haue also leaue to take downe ye waynscott Doores wch now conceale the Bookes.”
The Library was removed about 1801, when it was lent to the “Public Library” (see p. 13), to a building formerly a Roman Catholic Chapel, in what is now St. Andrew’s Street, which afterwards became a portion of the old Museum Building, now the offices of the Norwich Guardians. In 1835 the City Library, still on loan to the “Public Library,” went with it to its new