was made therein on April 1st, 1690: “That this day we present cast up ye forfeitures of ye two last years, viz. 1688, 1689 And the several persons are indebted in all two pounds, ten shillings & four pence as appears by ye particulars in ye Book of forfeitures.”

For the first 108 years of the Library’s existence it remained a reference library, and books were not lent, but surreptitious borrowing probably took place occasionally. At any rate on December 2nd, 1684, the following memorandum was made: “That Bp J. Ushers treatise de Macedonum et Assyriorum [Asianorum] anno solari was missing this meeting yt was, by ye under-library-keepers attestation here the last meeting and has bin missing this three weeks, ’tis desired that he that has it would be pleased to restore it, and not to do any such thing as is contrary to wt he hath subscribed.” By 1716 the members had considered it desirable to allow the borrowing of books for home reading, and on May 7th, 1716, occurs the following record of the petition of the members to the City Court:

“This Society having requested ye Court to give leave yt an order might be made to render ye Library more usefull it was accordingly ordered by ye Court

“Norwich. At an Assembly held the third day of May Anno Dnj 1716

“The Petition of ye Clergy about ye Books in ye Library is now agreed to, so as such care be taken by ye Library-keeper yt there be no loss of ye Books.

P Cur: Chappell.

“The Articles or Conditions of borrowing any book out of ye Library are order’d to be written in ye first leave of a Register to be provided for ye use of ye Society.”

“These Articles or Conditions are fortunately written at the end of the Minute Book, and are as follows:

“First, That every Person taking out any Book, shall enter ye same into a Book to be provided for yt purpose.

“2dly: That He shall be obliged to return ye same Book or Books wthin one month from ye time of borrowing, & enter ye return of ye sd Book in a Column of ye Register opposite to that wherein ye borrowing of ye sd Book is mention’d.

“3dly: That No Person shall have above ye Number of three Books (from this Library) at one time, unless ye leave of ye Society be first Ask’d & obtain’d.

“4thly: That if any damage be done to any Book, He in whose hands it is shall make it good, & to prevent disputes, if ye Book be damag’d before taken out of ye Library it shall be shown to ye Under=library=Keeper.

“5thly: That there be some Persons appointed to assist ye Upper Library Keeper in calling over ye sd Books ye first Monday of January next, & so yearly & every year, & yt ye Library Keeper shall have power to send for & call in such Books as are ytt abroad, & every person in whose hands any Books have been above ye limited time of one Month at such days of calling over ye sd Books shall forfeit two shillings & six pence to be applied to such use as ye Society shall adjudge proper.

“6thly: That No Person shall be admitted to ye use of this Library, (Those of this Court excepted) Nor have ye liberty of borrowing any Book from ye sd Library who are not already, or shall not hereafter be admitted to ye use of ye sd Library according to ye usages & Customs of the Society Now in great measure entrusted wth ye Care & Charge of ye Books of ye sd Library, except such Person shall first give unto ye sd Library ye sum of fourty shillings or Books to yt value.

“7thly: Tis agreed yt there be two fair Catalouges made, One to be & remain wth ye Court of this City, & ye other to be kept in ye Library, yt ye Library Keeper do get ye sd Catalouges made wth all convenient speed, yt ye Books be rang’d into some method & order, yt ye Library Keeper shall take in such assistance as is wanting, & his charge & trouble be allow’d according to ye discretion of ye Society.”

These rules show that borrowers were permitted to record the books they borrowed, that they were allowed to retain them for a month, that damaged books should be reported to the Under Library Keeper before being taken away, and that a stocktaking fine of 2s. 6d. was provided for in the event of books not being returned in the January of each year.

The Minutes between 1716 and 1731 chiefly record formal matters, and little of note regarding the administration of the Library. On February 7th, 1731, “It was then unanimously agreed that the Members meet for the future on the first Tuesday

in every Month at two o’Clock in ye afternoon.” On the 7th of the following month two delinquent borrowers were dealt with: “Whereas the Revd Mr. Francis Johnson took some time since the Works of Bishop Bull in 4 volumes 8vo out of this Library, & has return’d only ye 1st, 3rd & 4th Vols & instead of ye 2d Sherlock on providence, it Was then Order’d, that that shd be return’d him again, & that he be requir’d either to send back ye sd 2d vol. or take the remaining three, & send an entire Sett. Order’d likewise that Mr Morrant be requir’d to return B-p. Stillingfleets Origines Sacrae, being ye 2d vol. of his works, Long since taken out by Him.”

The regulations for the administration of the Library were again revised in 1732/3 by the City Council: [11]

“At an ASSEMBLY held on Feb. the 24th, 1732/3. the Right Worshipful the MAYOR, Sheriffs, Aldermen, and Common-Council this Day assembled, for the better Regulation of the Publick Library, have unanimously appointed the following ORDERS to be observed, upon Pain of Exclusion from the said Library.

“ORDERED, That the Catalogues already printed be Six Hundred; and that one Half of them be kept in the Town-Clerk’s Office, to be delivered out to the Members of the Corporation; and the other Half be left in the Library, to be delivered out to the Subscribers.

“ORDERED, That the Books in the said Library be Annually called over, in the first Week of June, in the Presence of the Chamberlain; and that such books as are found to be Duplicates, be sold by the Chamberlain and Library-Keeper; and that the Money arising by Sale thereof, be laid out in the Purchasing of such Books as shall be thought proper by the said Subscribers.

“ORDERED, That after the said Annual Call is finished, the Subscribers to the said Library, upon their next Monthly Meeting, have Liberty to choose a Library-Keeper for the Year ensuing.

“ORDERED, That on the Reception of any Book or Books given to the said Library, the Donor’s Name shall be written on the inside Cover of the Book, and that the Library-Keeper shall Register the same in the Vellum Book.

“ORDERED, That no Person shall have more than Three Books out of the said Library at one Time, nor keep them longer than one Month, without the Consent of the Majority of the Subscribers present at their Monthly Meeting: And that an Account of every Book Lent, and the Return thereof, be duly made and enter’d in a Book for that Purpose.

“ORDERED, That every Person who shall be admitted to the Use of the said Library, shall declare his full and free Consent to comply with the said Orders, as far as to him may appertain, according to the true Intent and Meaning of the same; and particularly with the following Orders or Articles, by subscribing his Name in the said Library-Book upon his Admission: And also that all the said Orders, and the following Articles, shall be entred in the said Library-Book, viz:

“First, That every Subscriber upon Admission shall pay to the Under Library-Keeper one Shilling, and also one Shilling Quarterly, for his Care of, and Attendance at the said Library: And every Subscriber shall also pay his Proportion of all Charges that may be thought necessary by the Subscribers, for the better preserving of the Books in the said Library; or shall be excluded the Use thereof.

“Secondly, That if any Book be lent out, and lost or damaged, the Borrower shall be obliged to make good such Loss or Damage.

“Thirdly, The Subscribers have Leave to meet the first Tuesday in every Month, to inspect the said Library, and take out such Books as they may have Occasion for, then or at any other Time; and see that the said Orders and Articles be duly observed.

“Per Curiam,

“LODGE.” [i.e., Nehemiah Lodge, Town Clerk].

The Minute Book which finishes on April 3rd, 1733, is silent regarding these new regulations, but Benjamin Mackerell (Librarian of the City Library from 1724 to 1731) writing in 1737 shewed that they did not result in improving the management of the Library:

“For some few years it has been a Lending Library and some persons have had books two or three years together contrary to an order to the contrary. Here is no salary given by the city for anyone to take care and the charge of the books upon him only the keys thereof are left at the house of the Clark of St. Andrews Parish, and any man may be admitted that will but give him twelve-pence a quarter, but unless the Corporation would be at the expence of a salary for any sober discreet person to take the charge of the said books upon himself and have the sole custody of them, and pecuniary mulcts inflicted upon such as break the orders already made, there is little hopes of keeping the books there, or in any good order long together, besides this is also made use of upon the account of the trustees for the Charity Schools who frequently meet here, notwithstanding there are so many more convenient rooms in the said hall. Especially that in which the Grand Jury meet in at every Assizes. Persons may borrow two books out of this Library at a time but ought not to keep them above one month without giving notice to the Library keeper.” [13a]