[ [25] 8th S., i. 364.
There is still a great want for indexes of history and biography, and it is probable that if the objects of the Index Society had been confined to these it might have been more successful. In November, 1878, Mr. Edward Solly wrote a letter to me in which he sketched out a very important scheme for a biographical index which would be of the greatest value. He wrote:
"I do not think the Index Society can take up any subject of greater utility, or one more likely to be of service to the general public as well as students, than an Index of Biographies. An entire index of all known lives would obviously be much too large an undertaking; we can only attempt a part of the subject. Probably in the first instance we should do well to try and form an index of British lives; such a work would I think, if tolerably complete, certainly fill at least ten large octavo volumes.
"The work might be considerably diminished in bulk if we were to determine to leave out all names now to be found in certain standard works such as Chalmers' Biographical Dictionary. It is evident, however, that to do this would greatly diminish the value of our index, and would cause us to put aside hundreds of memoranda which it is most important to index, I mean references to more recent notes, memoirs, letters and anecdotes, which are to be met with in journals and lives, and which often throw new and important light on older published Biographies.
"It is on account of these difficulties that I would propose that we endeavour to undertake an index of Biographical references of persons who have died in a certain given period—say 1800-1825, or 1800-1850, or perhaps 1750-1800.
"With a view to this I should like to see lists made of all Biographical matters in such books as the Gentleman's Magazine, European Magazine, Monthly Magazine, Anti-Jacobin Magazine, etc. Also such books as the Annual Necrology, Public Characters, Living Authors, etc., and thirdly of references to Biographical Memoranda dispersed throughout Lives and Memoirs such as 'Kilvert's Memoirs,' I mean books in which no one from the title would expect to find such information."
It will be seen that such an index as is here sketched would be an inestimable help to the student. It would form a useful supplement to the Dictionary of National Biography, for it must be remembered that such an index would contain a majority of references to men and women whose claims to distinction or notoriety do not attain to the standard set up by the promoters of that grand work. Possibly, if such an index was undertaken by co-operation as an object in itself, and not as one among other subjects, it might be compiled in one alphabet instead of in periods, which would make it much more valuable for reference. Naturally the great advantage of periods is that, if left incomplete, what is published (if it covers a period) will always be of value, while a portion of the alphabet would be almost worthless.
The Rev. John E. B. Mayor has collected a great mass of biographical references which are of much value. In an interesting communication on his indexes he suggests the formation of a British Biographical Society which might be called the Antony Wood Society. [26]
[ [26] Notes and Queries, 5th S., xii. 511.
There is one project of the Index Society which has never been undertaken, but which is still wanted as much as ever—viz. a general or universal index. Some think this to be an impossibility, and that to attempt its preparation is a waste of time. Those who hold this opinion have not sufficient faith in the simplicity and usefulness of the alphabet. Every one has notes and references of some kind, which are useless if kept unarranged, but, if sorted into alphabetical order, become valuable.
The object of the general index is just this, that anything, however disconnected, can be placed there, and much that would otherwise be lost will there find a resting-place. Always growing and never pretending to be complete, the index will be useful to all, and its consulters will be sure to find something worth their trouble, if not all they may require.
Some attempts have been made at compiling a general index, for what are Poole's Index, Index of Essays, Q.P. Indexes, Hetherington's Index to the Periodicals of the World, and Indexes to "The Times," but contributions towards a universal index? Such a work as is here proposed can scarcely be carried out unless Government aid is extended to it; but surely the small amount of money that need be expended upon a sort of general inquiry office would be well laid out!
A sort of skeleton index of universal information might be drawn up, and this could be added to gradually, partly by specialised effort and partly by the reception of any stray references of interest sent by those who recognise that their notes would find a home. This could be kept in a clearing-house and reference-room.