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HISTORICAL SKETCH OF THE LIVERPOOL LIBRARY.

By P. Macintyre, Esq., M.D.

(READ 14TH MAY, 1857.)

In the present year, 1857, when we look at Liverpool as the first mercantile port in the world, with her docks and her ships, her 400,000 inhabitants, her railways, her electric telegraphs, her penny newspapers, and her free libraries, it is with no small difficulty that we can go back a hundred years, and picture to ourselves the public and private condition of our great-grandfathers in "the good old town" in 1757. Even then, however, Liverpool was a thriving little seaport. Her population was only 24,000, but the number of her vessels of all sizes (and the largest of them was but small) had increased from 15, a century before, to 437. She possessed two wonderful docks-the Old dock, and the Salthouse dockthe safety and convenience of which were the admiration of all who saw them, and she participated largely in the profits of the slave trade.

In 1757 England was at war with France. Privateers were fitted out, in Liverpool and other ports, amidst great excitement. Travelling from place to place was very slow, and not very safe. Newspapers and periodical publications were few, and their intelligence scanty and long after date; consequently, the events of the war, and the important domestic events of the country, must have been only imperfectly known. We cannot but suppose that the enterprising inhabitants of Liverpool must have felt a deep interest in the victories and defeats of their countrymen by sea and land, as well as in such passing events as the court-martial and execution of Admiral Byng, and in the romantic and long delayed apprehension and condemnation of Eugene Aram, for the murder of Clark. This "pursuit of knowledge under difficulties" resulted in the establishment, in September, 1756, of "Williamson's Liverpool Advertiser," a weekly newspaper which-after an honourable career of one hundred years-died but the other day as "The Liverpool Times."

The foundation of one of our public institutions, the "Liverpool Library," took place also at this time. A few gentlemen had for a year or two, prior to 1757, been in the habit of meeting together for the purpose

of discussing literary subjects, and of reading a portion of the periodical publications of the day. They met from time to time at the house of Mr. William Everard, an eminent mathematician and a schoolmaster, who lived in St. Paul's square. The small collection of books brought out on these occasions was kept in a corner cupboard in Mr. Everard's parlour. It was in the year 1757, however, when-the books becoming more numerous, and requiring to be transferred from the cupboard to a large chest that the idea of circulating them among the members of the club came to be entertained and acted upon.

"The success of this little society," says the preface to the last edition of the catalogue, "and the benefit derived from the circulation of the books, suggested the desirableness of extending the plan; and in the beginning of the year 1758, several of the principal merchants, professional men, and tradesmen of the town, including probably all the members of St. Paul's Square Club, with the view,' as their prospectus states, ‘of furnishing an ample fund of amusement and improvement at the easiest expense,' formed themselves into a society for establishing a circulating library. The scheme was warmly taken up, and on the 1st of May, 1758, the LIVERPOOL LIBRARY was founded. The contribution of each member, on joining the society, was one guinea, after which an annual subscription of five shillings was to be paid so long as he should choose to continue a member. The gentlemen of the Coffee-house Club (probably a club connected with the St. George's Coffee-house, in Castle street, at which the committee and general meetings of the Library assembled for many years), presented a collection of books, which was considered as their first subscription of a guinea each."

In this way, then, and from these beginnings, arose the Liverpool Library, which enjoys the proud distinction of being the first circulating library, not only in England, but in Europe. Some of its most important laws, notwithstanding that a century has elapsed since they were framed, remain, in principle, the same to this day; and this code of laws has frequently been made use of as a model for other institutions of a similar kind.

Shortly afterwards, but still during the year 1758, the first catalogue was published, and contained 450 volumes. It also contained a list of the proprietors, 109 in number, in which may be recognised many family

names still holding a high position in Liverpool. This list of the original proprietors of the Library is not given here, as it was reprinted and introduced into the last catalogue, a copy of which, complete up to the present time, has just been presented to the Historic Society by the Library Committee.

Mr. Everard, who was now appointed librarian, removed from St. Paul's Square to Prince's Street, where he was to find a proper room for the books, and have a reasonable sum "for that and his trouble." They did not long remain here, however, for in 1759 they were again removed to a building in John street, belonging to Mr. Everard. The site of this building, on the west side of the street, about midway between Cook street and Dale street, is marked on the map of Liverpool, published by Perry, in 1769. The Library occupied the first floor, and was approached by a flight of steps, at the end of a lobby passing through the centre of the building. For this room "and his trouble," Mr. Everard received ten pounds a year.

The announcement in their original address, that " the collection of valuable books will be constantly enlarging, in proportion to the increase of the fund," continued to be fulfilled, so that in the year 1786 it had enlarged so much beyond the accommodation afforded to it by the room in John street, that a more spacious one, in a new building in Lord street, erected on the principle of a Tontine, was obtained, at a reut of eighteen pounds per annum.

By the numerous catalogues published during the one hundred years of the Library's existence-and copies of which are on the table for inspection-the progress of the Library can be seen. The 450 volumes in 1758 had increased in 1801 to 8,150; in 1830, to 21,400; in 1850, to 36,760; and in the present year the Library possesses 46,000 volumes. As the collection of books thus increased in value, so did the fund which provided them improve. The original payment of one guinea for a share in 1758, was raised in 1770 to a guinea and a half; in 1772, to two guineas; in 1777, to three guineas; and in 1784, to five guineas. The present price of a share is nine pounds ten shillings. The annual subscription, in like manner, increased by degrees. It began at five shillings,

The first name on this list is that of William Goodwin; and out of the whole of them he is the only one styled " esquire," probably because he was the Mayor for that year.

and continued so for fourteen years; it was then raised to six shillings, at which it remained for twenty-two years; then it rose to ten shillings and sixpence, and continued at that for twenty-four years; then to fifteen shillings, lasting six years; and the last change in the annual subscription raised it to a guinea, at which it has remained now for thirty-three years.

A good deal of labour has been bestowed at different times, by proprietors of the Library, on the compilation and classification of the Catalogue. In July, 1801, the thanks of the Committee and a present of books, were given to Mr. Wilcocke, for his services in these respects; and in December, 1814, a copy of the Catalogue itself accompanied a similar vote of thanks to Mr. Wilckens. In 1830, and again in 1850, the reconstruction of the Catalogue was entrusted to a Sub-committee, each member of which was presented with a copy, beautifully bound, in grateful acknowledgement of his services.*

The printing of the Catalogue has always had a great deal of care bestowed upon it. That of 1801 was printed by Mr. John M'Creery, a gentleman well known in Liverpool as a printer, and as the friend of Roscoe. His beautiful editions of Roscoe's Works obtained great fame both for himself and for Liverpool, proving to the world that London itself could not surpass this town in some kinds of elegant typography. The catalogue of 1830, which is also a very fine specimen of printing, issued from the press of Mr. David Marples, whose name has long ranked high as a printer. The last catalogue, that of 1850, was printed by a member of this Society, Mr. Thomas Brakell; and gave such satisfaction to the sub-committee, that the proprietors, at a general meeting, unanimously passed a complimentary resolution to this effect, and directed that a bound copy be presented to him, with a copy of the resolution.

Mr. William Everard, the first librarian, continued so for twelve years. A gentleman of the name of Broderick succeeded him, and remained for two years, at the increased salary of fifteen pounds. Mr. George Barker was then appointed librarian, at twenty guineas per annum, and held the office for the long period of forty-six years. A handsome silver cup was presented to him, as a compliment after his faithful services for so many years. His portrait, painted by Williamson, and presented to the Library, still hangs

* As a member of these Sub-committees, the writer alone has the pleasure of possessing copies of the Catalogue, so presented, on both those occasions, with an interval of twenty years between them.

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