Library uncovers unique works

Cataloguing work on the printed collections at the Library of the Society of Friends has revealed many more books and pamphlets than previously thought to be unique to the Society’s Library.

The Library has been adding its early Quaker writings to an international database known as the English Short Title Catalogue. Quaker works are now listed with 470,000 other titles published between 1473 and 1800 from over 2000 libraries worldwide.

“As the Project progressed we knew we were finding many tracts not on the international database,” David Irwin, Project Cataloguer, says, “but we had no idea there would be over 1000!”

Once such example is A General Account of the Quarterly and Monthly Meetings of the People called Quakers in England and Wales for the year 1789, considered the first Book of Meetings. This little leather book with clasps measures just 11.5 x 7 cm. As well as listing the dates of quarterly and monthly meetings, it contains a list of taxes, weights and measures, a passage on weather forecasting and ‘correct’ list of London banks. In case the book ‘may fall into the hands of some persons concerned in the growth of turnips’, Henry Vagg recounts his discovery of the main cause of turnip crop failure, what is known in Somersetshire as a slug! A barley-roller and two horses is the remedy.

Catalogue records for all 7,400 of the Library’s early Quaker writings have now been added to the online catalogue at www.quaker.org.uk/cat

“By making this collection of early texts better known we hope to increase their use and generate a greater understanding of Quakerism” says Beverley Kemp, Librarian.

All this work has been made possible by generous grants from the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust, the Pilgrim Trust and the Sir James Reckitt Charity.

Please contact David if you would like to know more about recent, or future, cataloguing projects at the Library.

Contact:

David Irwin
davidi@quaker.org.uk
020 7663 1042