Although the Public Library Act of 1855 amended the first act, and made
provision for the purchase of books, a power denied under the first act,
the Library was so deeply involved in debt at its commencement that
appeals had to be made for donations of books and money for the purchase
of books, newspapers, and periodicals. As previously stated, the
Committee's first annual report presented to the Council on 31st August,
1858, showed that donations in cash, with interest, had amounted to 357
pounds : 7 : 1. The same report gave a list of the donors of 2,468
volumes--about two-thirds of the entire stock--of which 833 were from the
People's College, and 1,000 were transferred from the Penny Library.
The donations to the Library during its history have been many and
varied--good, bad, and indifferent--such as are usually offered to public
libraries. Notice may be made of some of the outstanding gifts. The
British Association in 1868, the year of its visit to Norwich, made a
grant of 50 pounds to the Library for the purchase of books, perhaps at
the suggestion of the Rev. (afterwards Canon) Hinds Howell, who was the
Organising Secretary for the visit. At any rate, at the meeting of the
Library Committee on 4th November, 1868, he attended to explain "that the
grant would be expended in the purchase of books, which embraced
thirty-five different scientific subjects, or such of them as the
Committee might think best adapted to the wants of, and most beneficial
to, the classes using the Library," and he received the thanks of the
Committee for representing the wants of the Library to the Association.
The Committee complied with the request that a bookcase should be
provided for the books, bearing a suitable inscription.
A large number of patent specifications were presented by H.M. Patent
Office about the year 1865, and in 1889 the Office acceded to the
Committee's request for Abridgments of Specifications, since which time
they have been presented as issued.
Having regard to the slender financial resources of the Library the Mayor
(Mr. H. Bullard) in 1879 suggested a public subscription, and headed the
list with 10 pounds. This was followed by donations of 10 pounds from
Mr. J. J. Colman, (who also gave 25 pounds in 1887), and Mr. Henry
Birkbeck, and by smaller sums from other people, amounting altogether to
91 pounds : 2 : 0.
A successful application was made to H.M. Treasury in 1886, for a
donation of official publications, and some 260 volumes of Calendars of
State Papers, Chronicles, Records, etc. were received, followed in 1901
by a further donation of 193 volumes. In 1900 the Library received from
the same source twenty-five Memoirs of the Geological Survey relating to
the Eastern Counties.
In 1890 the late Alderman James Freeman, who was Chairman of the Public
Library Committee for several years, bequeathed 20 pounds for some
special purpose in connection with the Library, which enabled the
Committee to commence a Shakespeare Collection, now comprising over 600
books and pamphlets.
Mr. Russell J. Colman, J.P., D.L., made a handsome donation to the
Reference Library in 1900, when he presented a set of Parliamentary
Debates in 511 volumes, in half calf, comprising Cobbett's "Parliamentary
History," continued by Hansard, 1066-1803, Hansard's "Parliamentary
Debates," 1803-1890, and the "Official Parliamentary Debates" to 1897.
Since that date the following members of Parliament for Norwich have
partly kept the set up to date: Mr. Louis J. Tillett, Sir George White,
Sir Frederick Low and Lieut. E. Hilton Young.
The firm of Messrs. J. and J. Colman, Ltd., of Norwich, presented 3,500
Parliamentary Papers, Blue Books, etc. in 1900 which Mr. J. J. Colman had
accumulated.
Mr. T. R. Kemp, K.C., Recorder of Norwich, 1892-1905, who had made a
study of the Letters of Junius, bequeathed his collection of various
editions of the Letters and works relating to them, numbering altogether
128 volumes.
Mr. Henry F. Euren, a member of the Library Committee since 1880, gave
160 volumes on agriculture and other subjects in 1907, before and after
which date he made other donations.
The Reference Library was largely increased in 1914 by a bequest of Mr.
Bosworth W. Harcourt, an esteemed co-opted member of the Committee who
had taken an active interest in the Library for over 27 years. The
bequest, comprising about 2,250 books and pamphlets, was made on
condition that such books and pamphlets should be known as the "Bosworth
Harcourt Bequest" and that the same should not be placed in circulation,
but only read or consulted in the Library. Miss C. M. Nichols, R.E.,
S.M., N.B.A., designed a suitable book-plate for the books, and a
book-case, surmounted by the testator's name was provided. Mr.
Harcourt's library naturally reflected his tastes: works of and about the
chief poets and dramatists, well-illustrated volumes, and books on the
graphic arts preponderate, and there are many volumes dealing with the
history and antiquities of Norfolk and Norwich.
The munificent bequest of Mrs. Elizabeth Russell Hillen, by which the
Library will receive 500 pounds for the advancement of local archaeology,
is mentioned in more detail on page 79.
The chief benefactor to the Library is Mr. Walter Rye, who has been a
member of the Committee since 1904. In addition to his many and valuable
gifts to the Local Collection, which are described on pages 78-79, he has
given a large number of reference books, chiefly relating to heraldry and
history, but also including a collection of books and tracts on the Civil
War, and a number of calendars of patent rolls, and other official
publications.