CATHEDRAL LIBRARIES AND ARCHIVES ASSOCIATION NEWSLETTER… · 2016-12-20 · Cathedral Libraries and Archives Association Newsletter Summer 2016 1 WELCOME FROM THE CHAIRMAN I was

Cathedral Libraries and Archives Association Newsletter Summer 2016

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WELCOME FROM THE CHAIRMAN

I was delighted to welcome members of the Association to Worcester in September. Reading CharlotteBerry’s account of it below, we do seem to have packed a lot in. But it was worth it for such a veryappreciative and knowledgeable audience. I hope that it encouraged all cathedral librarians, archivists andcollections managers to feel that they occupy a central and important role in the life and work of thecathedrals of the British Isles.

The Very Rev Peter Atkinson, Dean of Worcester

CATHEDRAL LIBRARIES AND ARCHIVES ASSOCIATION

NEWSLETTER, WINTER 2016

CLAA NEWS

CLAA AGMThe 2017 Day Conference (to include the AGM) ofthe Association will take place at Canterbury onMonday 19th June 2017. Further details will beconfirmed in due course, but in the meantimeplease make a note in your diary. As well as theAGM, there will be a series of talks and papers, anda chance to visit the Archives and Library.Canterbury Cathedral Lodge is reservingaccommodation on the Sunday night for thoseattending; please get in touch direct, [email protected]

Cressida Williams,Canterbury Cathedral

Wild cats in Worcestershire: impressions of the CLAA ConferenceIt was Worcester Cathedral’s turn this time to hostthe triennial conference in 2016; it offered CLAAmembers the chance to become familiar with the

collections and the Cathedral, as well as meetingold friends and making new connections. Theconference was attended by collections staff from cathedrals and related organisations across the UKand Ireland.

The conference ran from 28th to 30th September.The first evening got off to a good start with a tourof the Cathedral Library, located on the first floorand accessed from the west end of the Nave. Thecollections have recently been removed andreturned, following extensive building works, sothis was an ideal opportunity to admire the resultsand to meet the Librarian and Archivist Dr DavidMorrison. Dinner followed, a welcome introductionto the catering arrangements throughout, takingplace in one of the former reception rooms of theGuesten, a former Deanery located in the Closenext to the Edgar Tower. The day concluded with awelcome and introductory session by our host, theVery Reverend Peter Atkinson, Dean of Worcester,on cathedral governance. This consisted of a rapid


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chronological overview of Old and NewFoundations, changes in mission andcongregations, and the emergence of new diocesesin the 1930s. The roles of the Chapter, bishops andcathedral staff, volunteers and Friends groups werealso considered.

Thursday’s programme was full, starting with newsfrom institutions which offered an astonishing arrayof activities and projects throughout themembership. Jennie Page, former CEO of EnglishHeritage, former Vice-Chair of the CathedralsFabric Commission for England (CFCE) and nowChair of the Worcester Fabric Advisory Committee(FAC), presented the second formal session,covering the history of heritage legislation, nationalbodies and significant reports, in order to put into awider context the introduction of the 1991 Care ofCathedrals Measure and the founding of the CFCEas a statutory body. We had the opportunity to hearfirst-hand about the work of the Commission, itscomplex arrangements for appointing itsCommissioners from a range of church and builtheritage representatives, and the rationale for theremit of the FAC as the in-house decision-makingbody for matters relating to fabric. It became clearthat the current system is probably in need ofreview, as the role of the cathedral itself haschanged over time since the introduction of theMeasure. Of particular interest to the conferencewas the discussion about the place of collectionsmanagement and inventories within the currentsystem, and whether this was fit for purpose.Delegates agreed that more librarian and archivistexpertise within the CFCE would be welcomed.Work has now started on updating the guidance oninventories on the Church Care website, so watchthis space for further details.

The conference delegates were bussed northwardstowards Hartlebury and its Bishop’s Palace, nolonger the residence of the Bishop but still home ofthe renowned Hurd Library. The Honorary LibrarianChris Penney took on the role of tour guide, takingthe opportunity to relate some of the historicalbackground before arrival at the castle. Apparentlycolleagues from Hereford Cathedral had spotted abig wild black cat in the grounds on a former visit,but sadly there was no glimpse on this particularoccasion. Tours of the ‘state’ rooms and the Libraryitself followed instead, offering the chance to hear

about the life of Bishop Hurd, to see some of thegems of the collection (printed and archival) and tolearn about plans for the future.

Back at the Cathedral, the AGM followed,confirming Canterbury as the venue for the 2017day conference and discussing a possible new namefor CLAA which incorporates object collections.Suggestions on a postcard please! Thursday’s finalsession, after dinner, featured the Rt Reverend JohnInge, Bishop of Worcester, who is a member of theQueen’s Household as Lord High Almoner. He isalso the Church of England’s lead bishop forcathedrals and church buildings, and veryflatteringly set the scene by introducing cathedrallibraries as the unknown gems within cathedrals intheir position as the jewel in the crown of thecountry’s built heritage. In particular, he recognisedthe importance of the role of the librarian/archivistboth individually within each cathedral andinstitutionally across the UK as a whole. Outreachand engagement remain key aspects of promotingcathedrals and their collections as living buildingsand a means of interpreting the Christian Gospel.The notions of ‘spiritual capital’ and the dangers ofthe ‘amnesiac society’ were also debated at theend.

The final day started with a visit to the Hive, thenew shared university/local authority library,archive and archaeology service, housed in aglowing gold building near to the river, viaduct andracecourse at the back of the old infirmary building,now a new site of the University of Worcester. Backat the Cathedral, the Very Reverend Adrian Dorber,Dean of Lichfield, presented a session focusing onthe work of the Association of English Cathedralswhich he currently chairs as well as on the role ofthe modern cathedral. The AEC was set up in orderto showcase the value of cathedrals to wider Englishsociety and to represent one voice to government.Representatives of residentiary canons,administrators and deans make up a pan-cathedralbody and Sarah King is the only employee of theorganisation which was incorporated in 1994. TheAEC’s main function is networking and sharing bestpractice. Again the modern and changing role ofthe cathedral is a primary concern: cathedrals forman important sacred space and a common groundwhere visitors can come face to face with the holy,and where the sacred and ordinary can meet. How


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do cathedrals become more accessible whilst alsonot losing sight of their love of God and place? Aninteresting concept was that of the cathedral as aborderland, one in which ‘faith tourism’ can help tosupport economic regeneration of cities and wherecathedrals as businesses can offer opportunities forretail, hospitality and reliable loos! In particular, itwas recognised how cathedral collections cansupport mission and worship through helpingindividual cathedrals to understand their past andtreasures, whilst also offering new perspectives andnarratives on old stories in sometimes surprising andrisky ways.

A tour of the Royal Worcester Porcelain Museum,situated adjacent to the Cathedral in former factorybuildings, came next before lunch. The collection ofporcelain on display was extremely impressive andcomprehensive, even before the Museum movesinto an HLF project to revamp the interpretationand facilities on offer. A porcelain painter was in situto demonstrate his techniques and skill, and audio-guides moved everybody around the galleries andpicked out the most significant and noteworthypieces.

The final session of the conference took place in theCathedral Library and we were joined by CanonTheologian Alvyn Pettersen. There were two shortpresentations, the first on museums and archivesaccreditation (Vicky Harrison of York and AnnBarwood of Exeter). Here the value of these twoschemes was evaluated in the context of helping toform priorities for collections management,governance and access. The impetus of writingdown existing best practice for the first time wasnot under-estimated, nor was the benefit ofaccredited status in accessing dedicated fundingstreams and making grant applications. DavidMorrison from Worcester gave the final session,focusing on the huge success of the recent HLFSkills for the Future project across Worcestershire.Although this is now finished, it provided theCathedral Library with trainee staff who were ableto put on exhibitions and small displays, run tours,and help in collection moves, in managingvolunteers and in invigilating the reading room.

The conference culminated with dinner in theChapter House, a very satisfactory end to anexcellent conference which offered a full and variedprogramme of formal sessions in combination withfascinating day visits and ample opportunities to

chat over a cup of tea and cake. In all, a verywelcome programme, with very convivial hosts,was had in a beautiful riverside setting at Worcester,and thanks are extended to the Dean, CanonTheologian and Librarian for their hospitality.

Charlotte Berry,Archivist, Hereford Cathedral

CLAA GrantsAt the meeting of the CLAA Committee on 18th

March 2015, endorsed by the AGM of 23rd June2015, it was decided that the Association cancurrently afford to offer modest funding toenterprises that support the stated aims of theCLAA:

• To advance education by the promotion, preservation and protection of cathedral libraries and archives in the United Kingdomand Ireland

• The provision of appropriate access thereto

The CLAA therefore now invites applications fromfully paid up members of two years or morestanding for sterling grants in areas such as thefollowing:

• Help in defraying the costs of holding conferences and workshops

• Support for small projects such as the web-publication of unpublished catalogues

• Assistance to members in undertaking essential travel as part of work in line with the CLAA’s aims

• The provision of equipment, such as perhaps book supports, to facilitate access to collections

• Assistance with the necessary purchase of manuscripts and archives to benefit the CLAA community

• Carrying out conservation work on manuscripts and archives or providing equipment such as data loggers to help in monitoring environments

Funds will not be made available towards the costof commercial publication but will be allocatedwhere they can be expected to provide the greatestbenefit to the greatest number of people. Often this

will be achieved by making several small awards,rather than a few larger awards. Funding levels mayvary from year to year, but it is anticipated that theCommittee will make awards of not more than£250 each, and of not more than £500 in total eachyear.

Applications should comprise: a brief outline of theproject, conference or work; its overall cost; thegrant being sought; the names and addresses oftwo referees; details of the addressee for thecheque. Forms are available from the CLAA websiteor by application to Dr Michael Stansfield, CLAATreasurer (Durham University Library, Palace Green,

Durham DH1 3RN, or [email protected])to whom completed applications should besubmitted by the end of February for considerationat the Committee’s spring meeting, and the end ofSeptember for consideration at the autumnmeeting. Successful applicants will be informedshortly thereafter.

Successful applicants will be asked to submit forpublication in the CLAA newsletter a brief report(300-500 words) of the use to which the grant wasput.

Michael Stansfield, Treasurer


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NEWS FROM MEMBERS

Armagh CathedralBringing Collections to Light in ArmaghArmagh Public Library, also known as the RobinsonLibrary, was established by an Act of Parliament in1773. The Library’s building, including a house forthe Keeper, was designed by Thomas Cooley andwas paid for by its founder, Richard Robinson,Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of all Irelandfrom 1765 until 1794. The Library is the oldest‘public’ library in Northern Ireland and, with theLong Room of Trinity College and Marsh’s Library,both in Dublin, is one of the three most importantheritage libraries on the island of Ireland. What isremarkable is the survival of the collections, intact,in the building designed to house them.

The core of the Library is Robinson’s personalcollection of 8,000 books, together with gems,prints, coins, and medals. The collections wereadded to over the two succeeding centuries,notably by the collection of antiquities of MarcusGervais Beresford (Archbishop, 1862-1885), and bybooks and manuscripts acquired by William Reeves,who was Keeper from 1861 to 1886. One of theleading scholars and antiquarians of his day, Reeves’acquisitions included Swift’s personal copy ofGulliver’s Travels, and 18 continental manuscriptswhich had once belonged to his friend James Todd.Seven of these volumes contain inscriptionsshowing that they had originally been part of themedieval library in the Cistercian abbey of NotreDame at Pontigny, near Auxerre. One of these isthe oldest surviving copy of a Berengarius

commentary (Expositio super Apocalypsin),possibly identical with the Berengarius text listed inthe medieval catalogue of the Pontigny library. TheLibrary’s collections currently consist of 42,251printed works, books, pamphlets and periodicals,the earliest printed in 1484.

Over time, much knowledge surrounding thecollections has been lost. As part of a ‘Transition’project, funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, theLibrary has not only been updating aspects of itsgovernance, but also rediscovering the treasures ofits collections—an exciting process, whichcontinues.

The first discovery concerned the gems. These aresulphur casts, kept in a cabinet speciallycommissioned by Archbishop Robinson. ProfessorTim Wilks, of Southampton Solent University, hasidentified these as a rare complete collection ofgems produced by James Tassie (1735–1799). Thecollection consists of 3,246 gems made fromsulphur paste, each surrounded with thick gold-edged paper, numbered on the outside tocorrespond with a catalogue, and mounted withinshallow drawers. The Library also holds the firstedition of the catalogue that accompanied thiscollection, A Catalogue of Impressions in Sulphur ofAntique and Modern Gems From which Pastes areMade and Sold, by J. Tassie (1775), and the latercatalogue by R.E. Raspe, A Descriptive Catalogueof a General Collection of Ancient and ModernEngraved Gems, Cameos, as well as Intaglios ....

2 vols, in English and French, 1791. The height ofTassie's success came when a complete collection,in cabinets designed by the architect James Wyatt,was ordered by Catherine the Great of Russia in1781.

Professor Eddie MacParland, Pro-Chancellor ofTrinity College Dublin, uncovered among thefounder’s books the lost collection of theArchbishop’s brother, Sir Thomas Robinson, firstbaronet (1702–1777). Thomas, an architect andcollector, was a very different person from hisbrother. His books reflect his interests inarchitecture and include titles by Wren, Inigo Jones,the Halfpenny brothers, and an Italian first editionof I Quattro Libri dell' Architettura (1570) (TheFour Books of Architecture), by Andrea Palladio(1508–1580).

Another ‘collection within a collection’ are thebooks surviving from the library of the SecondViscount Conway (1594-1655) at Lisnagarvey, nowLisburn. This was thought have been lost when hishouse was burnt by rebels in 1641. Brenda Collins,a local researcher, believes that there may be asmany as 90 surviving books, many stamped with hisheraldic crest. Conway was a connoisseur who sentagents to Europe to buy books. Two of the booksbear the signatures of John Dunne and BenJohnson, both of whom were friends of Conway.

The coin collection consists of Roman Republic,Roman Imperial, British and European coins, aswould befit a fine gentleman’s collection. It was,however, the sulphur medals that had puzzled theLibrary staff for many years. Henry Flynn, from theBritish Museum, identified them as 70mm sulphurcasts of medals made for Louis XIV to celebrate hisreign. The quality of the copies suggests they werestruck from original medals attributed to MichelMolart and Jérôme Roussel, who belonged to the

so-called ‘Little Academy’. On the shelves is theaccompanying book, Medailles Sur Les PrincipauxEvenements Du Regne De Louis Le Grand (1702).

Elenor Ling, from the Fitzwilliam Museum, and NickStogdon have begun to work on the printcollection. This comprises over 4000 prints, fromthe 15th to the 19th centuries, including those byVouet, Mellan, Goltzius, Hogarth, Piranesi,Bartolozzi and the Sadeler family. While looking atHogarth’s Analysis of Beauty, Nick found a copy ofThe Principles of Mr Harrison’s Time-keeper. Thatthis title is not on the catalogue illustrates thetreasures that may remain to be found. The Librarywas last catalogued in the 1990s, much of the workbeing carried out by people on an employmentscheme. Although the catalogue is on computer,there are issues of accuracy, language, and entriesmissed where titles have been bound together. Asanother example of what still may remain to befound, another visitor this summer found a veryrare copy of The discoverie of the large rich andbeautiful empire of Guiana. Performed in the yeare1595 by Sir W Ralegh (1596).

There is much to do; much more, no doubt, todiscover; and much work needed to find the fundsto save this wonderful library for futuregenerations.

The Very Rev Gregory Dunstan, Keeper of Armagh Public Library

and Dean of Armagh


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Canterbury CathedralThe successful outcome of the Second Roundapplication to the Heritage Lottery Fund for fundingthe £24.8 million The Canterbury Journey projectwas announced in October. This project will run forfive years. It will include conservation to the naveand western towers, new landscaping, a newWelcome Centre, revised interpretation for visitors,improved access to our historic collections, and aprogramme of events and activities.

The shield and jupon of Edward of Woodstock,known as ‘the Black Prince’ (died 1376), have beenlent to the V & A for its exhibition ‘OpusAnglicanum: Masterpieces of English MedievalEmbroidery’, together with some of the vestmentsof Archbishop Hubert Walter (died 1205). Theseitems will return to the Cathedral in February;throughout 2017, there will be a number ofactivities on the theme of the Black Prince, includinga conference on 16th and 17th November.

The Cathedral has been a partner in an HLF-fundedproject to open up heritage to the blind andpartially sighted. This project, called ‘SensingCulture’, is led by the RNIB, and has brought theCathedral together with other heritage institutionsin the South East. The Archives and Library hostedcreative workshops led by local artists, which useditems from the collections and also included tactiletours of the buildings. These were greatly enjoyedby all who participated.

Cathedral collections were also used for projectswhich featured in the ‘Festival of Ideas: Questionsof Space’ in June. This was a collaboration betweenthe Cathedral and the University of Kent, duringwhich university staff and students showcased theirprojects within the precincts. One project featured acopy of a 17th-century map from the collections,which was enlarged to a size to fit half of theChapter House. Also featured was the 18th-centuryCanterbury map-maker Christopher Packe.

Cressida Williams,Archives and Library

Durham Cathedral We are delighted to announce that the Sharp andChapter Library collections have returned to theirbase in the Cathedral’s cloisters, based in the

Monks’ Dormitory, and the Library has re-openedto visitors. It is open Monday to Friday, 10.00am –4.30pm (last entrance 4.00pm). Library visitors willneed to sign in at the Welcome Desk in the Monks’Dormitory.

Access to Durham Cathedral’s special collections,including the Refectory Library’s early printed book,music, and antiquarian collections, is available byappointment. Access to Durham Cathedral’smedieval manuscript collection continues to beadministered by staff at Palace Green Library, untillater in 2017. Materials will be available byappointment only, Monday to Friday, 9.00am –4.45pm. Please contact the library at 0191-3862489, or [email protected] tomake an appointment.

The Cathedral’s new Open Treasure exhibition isalso open. The claustral spaces now host aninteractive display showcasing the history of theCathedral, the life of St Cuthbert and the manyfacets of life in a monastic community. We havealso developed new exhibition galleries which willallow us to display many of the Cathedral’streasured artefacts and manuscripts inenvironmentally controlled conditions.

You can follow the Cathedral Library onTwitter: @BedesBooks

Sharp Library, Monks’ Dormitory, Durham Cathedral©Chapter of Durham Cathedral

Lisa di Tommaso, Head of Collections


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Guildford CathedralOn Wednesday 2nd November the Cathedral heldour first Archive Study Day in our ‘CanvasCathedral’. Our marquee was filled with over 60individuals passionate about history, heritage andarchives who were eager to listen to and learn fromour fantastic speakers.

First up we had a talk from Julian Pooley, PublicServices and Engagement Manager at SurreyHistory Centre. He gave us a talk on ‘MakingArchives Matter’. It was a captivating talk about thewonderful work that Julian and the team up atSurrey History Centre do, and the varied collectionsthat they have in the purpose-built building inWoking. Julian talked about the work that theyhave done using the extensive collection of archivematerials from the many mental hospitals that werein Surrey, using them as a focus for very successfuloutreach work within the community. It was alsointeresting to hear of the challenges that SurreyHistory Centre is now facing and the ways in whichpeople are now engaging with archives andcollections with the rise of Ancestry andFindmypast.

Next we were treated to a talk from David Rymillfrom Winchester Cathedral and Hampshire RecordOffice. David’s talk was entitled ‘Glimpses of 900years of a Cathedral’s history from its archive’. Thetalk was a fascinating insight into the relationshipbetween Hampshire Record Office and WinchesterCathedral and the work that is now being carriedout.

The focus of the talk was the interesting insightsthat we can get from the archive and what that cantell us about the history of the Cathedral, and thosewho worked with the archive collections.

David presented images of items from the collectionthat demonstrated how the archive has beenlooked after in its history and also some of thehighlights—for example a fake Anglo-Saxoncharter and the incorrect recording of the death ofJane Austen.

David also brought copies of items that Winchesterhas within its collection relating to GuildfordCathedral, as Guildford Diocese was created out ofWinchester’s Diocese. He brought correspondencebetween the architect Sir Edward Maufe andWinchester regarding stone that was to lie underthe Foundation Stone at Guildford Cathedral.

Last up was Cressida Williams, Head of Archivesand Library at Canterbury Cathedral. The focus ofthe talk was ‘Church Records over the Centuries:the collections of Canterbury Cathedral Archives’.The talk was a captivating look at the wonderfuland varied collections at Canterbury CathedralArchives, which has the unusual perspective ofbeing a Diocesan Record Office and the CathedralArchives as well as the archives for Canterbury City.

Cressida highlighted some of the key items from thecollection, including another forged Anglo-Saxoncharter alongside many other very interesting itemswithin the collection, such as an example of adocument signed by William I and his QueenMatilda. We also learnt of an interesting marriagerecord which contained less than complimentarydescriptions of the happy couple!

During the breaks our audience was treated to anexhibition of items from Guildford CathedralArchives including the Royal ConsecrationCushions, early fundraising papers and plans, anddesigns from the architect of Guildford Cathedral,Sir Edward Maufe.


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The morning was a resounding success and ouraudience went away happy and filled withknowledge about the fascinating work of archivesand the Cathedral Archivist.

Rebecca Grafton,The People’s Cathedral Archivist

Lambeth Palace Library New Lambeth Palace Library ProjectThe plans for a new library building to house theNational Church library and archive collectionscurrently housed at Lambeth Palace Library and theChurch of England Record Centre are progressing,and in September the Library undertook initialpublic consultation on its plans. The reaction fromthe public and stakeholders has beenoverwhelmingly positive to date. Work continues tofinalise the design and details of the building—bothinternal and external—with the aim of presenting afully costed scheme to the Church Commissioners’Board of Governors in November for their finalapproval.

At present (October 2016) the archaeologists areback onsite and hard at work exploring areas thatwould be under the footprint of the proposed newbuilding. On their previous excavation in 2011 theyunearthed some Saxon remains including leadweights that may have been related to either fishingor weaving. There is also work taking place toidentify the exact range of the tree roots of some ofthe largest trees near the site so that they can befully protected during the construction of the newbuilding.

Should approval be granted, then a planningapplication will be submitted in December 2016.Construction is likely to begin in 2018 and finish inearly 2020, with the new library and archiveopening in late 2020.

Declan Kelly, Lambeth Palace Library

Representative Church Body Library, DublinThe fact that around 90 people turned up on a wetSaturday morning for a special event to honour thecareer of Dr Raymond (Ray) Refaussé (who retiredfrom the RCB Library earlier this year) spokevolumes about the high esteem in which he is heldnot only within Church of Ireland circles but thewider archival profession in Ireland.

Having served as Assistant Librarian in theDepartment of Manuscripts, Trinity College Dublin,between 1976 and 1981, Ray was appointed as thefirst Church of Ireland Archivist at the RCB Libraryin 1981, and, following the retirement of theLibrarian three years later, became the first Librarianand Archivist in 1984, a position he held until hisretirement in June 2016.


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The Library and Archives Committee of theRepresentative Church Body, chaired by Dr MichaelWebb, honoured his long and dedicatedcontribution by hosting the seminar ‘Keeping theRecords Safe: a career in retrospect’, at which astellar line-up of speakers treated the audience toappropriate, thoughtful and often very amusingreflections about Ray’s role as Librarian andArchivist, setting his work in the wider context ofthe Church of Ireland’s nuanced and complexevolution, for which the gathering and safe-keeping of records into the custody of the RCBLibrary (founded in 1932) remains central.

In his warm opening tribute, the Most Rev RichardClarke, Archbishop of Armagh, expressed his ownpersonal debt of gratitude for Ray’s ‘utterdedication’ to his work at the RCB and for the widerChurch, noting that he had actually served for two-thirds of the library’s existence, overseeing itsmodernisation with the introduction of a printedonline catalogue and the digitisation of many keysources.

Two keynote talks followed. In the first, the Rt RevJohn McDowell, Bishop of Clogher and former chairof the Historical Centenaries Working Group, drewthe humorous analogy between Ray andAssociation Footballer Paul Madeley, payingparticular tribute to the elegance and grace withwhich the former could produce sources orinformation, and ‘no matter how complex thechallenge… made it look so easy’. He went on tomake a strong case in favour of studying the past,in particular the Church of Ireland’s past, regardingit ‘as part of our vocation’ to take care of it becauseit connects us to ‘both the strange and the familiarin where we have come [from], enabling us tobetter understand who we are’.

In the second, Professor Raymond Gillespie(University of Maynooth), in putting Ray into somehistorical context, examined the role of diocesanregistrars and their deputies, who, in the daysbefore there was an RCB Library or anycentralisation of records, were the Church’s mainrecord-keepers. With the exception of the dioceseof Armagh, these—the ‘Rays before Ray’—- keptthe records in their own homes because there wasno purpose-built accommodation for storing churchrecords. He noted how attitudes to record-keepingand accessibility have improved enormously not

only within the Church, but nationally in Irelandtoo—the profile of the archival profession had beenraised in more recent times ‘thanks to people likeRay’.

Dr Kenneth Milne (Church of IrelandHistoriographer), Steven ffeary-Smyrl (IrishGenealogical Research Society), and Canon AdrianEmpey (former Principal of the Church of IrelandTheological College) each focused on particularaspects of Ray’s work in three further presentations.

Dr Milne specifically commended Ray’s output inthe ambitious programme of publishing thecontents of parish registers undertaken by the RCBLibrary collections (in 12 volumes), and latterly incollaboration with Four Courts Press and a range ofkey academics—the Texts and Calendars Series(comprising to date some six volumes) which aimedto bring little-known sources about the Church ofIreland to a wider audience. As a member of theLiterature Committee, Ray has also contributed tothe publishing output of more contemporaryaspects of church life, notably through Church ofIreland publishing and such volumes as the BraemorSeries.

Mr Smyrl, a regular visitor to the RCB Library as aprofessional genealogist, said that Ray’s particularefforts to professionalise the archives of the Churchof Ireland in Ireland, including securing anagreement with the Public Records Office of Ireland(now the National Archives) that the RCB Librarywas the appropriate place of custody for Church ofIreland parish registers, had already benefitedgenerations of family historians and would do so formany more in the future.

Canon Adrian Empey concluded that Ray had quitesimply ‘transformed the RCB Library beyondmeasure’, making Church of Ireland recordsrelevant and available not just for the church ‘butnationally and internationally’.

Concluding the morning, Dr Elizabeth Mullins(School of History, UCD), who had nominated Rayfor the Distinguished Service Award from theArchives and Records Association of Great Britainand Ireland (ARA), commended Ray’s contributionto the development of professional archiving inIreland: ‘We have heard much this morning aboutRay’s work in establishing and developing the


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archives of the Church of Ireland demonstrating thekey professional qualities of pragmatism,intellectual rigour, and perhaps most importantlyhumour’, she said. ‘These traits were evident to mewhen I first met Ray in the context of bringing myclass of trainee archivists to visit the RCB Library toget a chance to practise their palaeographical skillson early modern parish registers and vestry books.In a sense facilitating this visit for us each year nowfor over 10 years is symptomatic of Ray’s belief thatthe role of the archivist is not to provide a blandheritage experience, but to preserve what he oncecalled “the real stuff of history for successivegenerations”. Ray’s success in this endeavour inrelation to the records of the Church of Ireland is alasting professional legacy’.

Dr Alexandrina Buchanan, President of theAssociation, who had travelled from Liverpool forthe occasion, together with Ross Higgins, chair ofthe Irish Region of ARA, then presented Ray withthe Distinguished Service Award, making him thefirst (and worthy) Irish recipient.

Dr Susan Hood, Librarian and Archivist of the Church of Ireland

Left to Right: Dr Elizabeth Mullins (UCD), Dr Ray Refaussé, Dr Alex Buchanan (President of ARA), Ross Higgins, Chair of ARA Irish Region

Left to Right: Dr Ray Refaussé, Dr Alex Buchanan (ARA),Steven Smyrl (IGRS), Dr Elizabeth Mullins (UCD), Dr Michael Webb (Chair of the RCB Library & ArchivesCommittee), the Most Revd Richard Clarke (Archbishop ofArmagh), the Rt Revd John McDowell (Bishop of Clogher), Dr Kenneth Milne (Church of Ireland Historiographer), Canon Adrian Empey (former Principal CITI), and Prof Ray Gillespie (University of Maynooth).

Rochester CathedralRochester Cathedral is now entering the final phaseof its HLF-funded ‘Hidden Treasures, FreshExpressions’ project, which sees over 2,400 rarebooks and manuscripts returning home from the

University of Kent to a fully refurbished library atthe Cathedral, ready to be re-shelved by theirdedicated team of volunteers.

Left to right: Illuminated letter from Textus Roffensis (c1120s); Soliloquium de quatuor mentalibus exercitiis (c14th century); De consensu Evangelistarum (c1150); Book of Hours, beginning of the Office of the Dead (c15th century); illuminated leaf from 15th-century fragments of Psalter and Kalendar.

The cataloguing of the collection has been carriedout by rare book cataloguers at the University ofKent and has taken approximately 17 months tocomplete. Rochester Cathedral invited theUniversity to undertake this phase of the projectbecause of a strong relationship between the twoinstitutions that was formed some three decadesago.

Staff at the University were innovative indeveloping a way to catalogue the collection thatwould not only fully describe each book ormanuscript using the rare book cataloguingstandard DCRM(b) (Descriptive Cataloguing ofRare Materials (Books)), but that would also offerclear descriptions to non-academic users. Themotive for this was the desire to make this culturallysignificant and truly beautiful collection accessibleto all. A hybrid standard of RDA (ResourceDescription & Access) and DCRM(b) was developedto accommodate these requirements. The collectionis now fully discoverable to a global audiencethrough the University of Kent’s online catalogue.

To measure the success of our aims, and to promoteand raise awareness of the collection of theCathedral’s Library, we talked to our audiences. Anumber of successful outreach and engagmentevents took place at the University of Kent and DrillHall Hall Library in Medway that have raisedawareness of the collection, inspired research,formed further collaborations and made thecollection accessible to varied audiences.

Our first significant event was a public exhibition atthe Drill Hall Library at the Medway campus. Wewelcomed 101 visitors over four sessions inlcuding

individuals and families with a general interest, localhistory groups, staff and students from theuniversity campus, and other library and museumprofessionals. A number of our early maps were ofparticular interest to attendees from ChathamHistoric Dockyard, and we were able to supplydigital copies of these for them to research how thelandscapes around the dockyard have changed overthe last 400 years.

Following on from the success of this exhibition, weworked collaboratively with the Centre forMedieval and Early Modern Studies (MEMS) at theUniversity of Kent to host its annual SummerFestival. This included a workshop led by the leadcataloguer on the project who talked aboutworking with the collection and the challengesoften presented by rare books. Additionally, keypieces from the collection were viewed by over 80delegates at an open exhibition, one of whom wasable to reveal the identity of a manuscript to us thatis also held by the National Library of the CzechRepublic.

We have also arranged talks for outside agenciessuch as the Kent Refugee Action Nework where wewere able to introduce 40 young refugees to theour collection. Our efforts to promote our physicalcollection have seen us engage with in excess of300 attendees, whilst our promotion via varioussocial media outlets has engaged globalcommunities.

A number of research outputs have been producedincluding a paper by a postgraduate student from


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MEMS who has researched the work De consensuEvangelistarum by Saint Augustine. Professor JamesCarley (Professor of the History of the Book) hasalso written an article which discusses ‘TheMedieval Library of Rochester Cathedral Priory:survivors and their significance.’ (CILIP Rare Booksand Special Collections Newsletter: issue 103; July2016).

The future promises to be an exciting one and wehave a lot to look forward to. The strongrelationship between the University and theCathedral will continue to grow and evolve. Thefully refurbished Cathedral Library will alsowelcome the return of the collection and will opento visitors in 2017. For more information please visitour website https://www.rochestercathedral.org/

Josie Caplehorne,University of Kent

Salisbury CathedralThe big change for the archive in 2016 has been therefurbishment of the main archive facilities.Completed in March, the reading room and storewere completely redecorated, old wooden shelvingremoved and new mobile shelving installed. At thesame time the collection was completely re-boxed,although much work still needs to be done onpackaging of individual documents within boxes.The refurbishment, together with the use of adehumidifier, now means that the environmentalconditions for the collection are vastly improved.We are now working on a number of actions forfurther improvements in conservation andpreservation having recently undertaken abenchmark analysis.

Progress on re-cataloguing the archive collectioncontinues and we are fortunate to have HelenSumping, an archivist with particular expertise inLatin, working on a short term contract specificallyon cataloguing. Pending an online contentmanagement system, you can find on the cathedralwebsite summary catalogues of sections of thecollection as they become available. Please do havea look.

Last year we ran a successful oral history projectaimed at engaging current cathedral volunteerswith the archive and recording their own personalexperiences at the Cathedral. Following on fromthis we are now interviewing people in connectionwith two specific topics: the spire in the 20th centuryand World War II. This fits in neatly with theCathedral’s overarching theme for next year:‘Memory & Identity’. Alongside this we are pilotingtwo small research groups of volunteers to see whatcan be discovered from various archive records onthese two themes. We are treating this as a trial tosee what can be discovered by active researchwithin the Cathedral community rather than by justrelying on outside academics (who are of course stillvery welcome!).

Together with colleagues in IT and Development weare also embarking on a project to work towards astructured and consistent approach to storingelectronic documents on the shared drives—obviously this is crucial to ensure that key electronicdocuments are in due course transferred to the‘electronic archive’.

Progress continues to be made in assessing andsorting the current library collection. We now havea growing reference collection on the history of theCathedral and related topics such as Magna Cartaand Sarum Liturgy, which is being Deweycatalogued and covered with archival book covers.This has already made finding particular booksmuch easier. I am particularly grateful to volunteerPeter Hoare whom many of you may know andwho, fortunately for me, has recently moved toSalisbury. With Peter’s help we have a much greaterunderstanding of the importance of the collectionas a whole, and specifically of the challenges ahead.

In the medium to long term the Cathedral isbeginning to plan for a new archive store andreading room area, possibly occupying part of thecurrent Works Yard off the Cloisters. This isobviously a major project. Not only is the newdevelopment likely to include archive facilities, butalso possibly educational and exhibition space, aswell as areas for visitors to view the mason andglazier workshops. In the short term we are lookingto secure funds for a collections managementsystem for both the library and archive collections.Much of what has been achieved to date has beenmade possible by the HLF and Sackler Trust grantreceived in 2014.


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If you ever find yourself in the Salisbury area do letme know as I’m always pleased to meet with fellowcathedral archivists and librarians.

Emily Naish,Cathedral Archivist

Oral history project workers

The archives store

Winchester CathedralSince 2008 the Winchester Cathedral Archive (asdistinct from the library and manuscript collections)has been managed under a partnershiparrangement between the Dean and Chapter andHampshire County Council, with a number of staffat Hampshire Record Office, including archivistsand conservators, contributing to its care andadministration. Gill Rushton, Cathedral Archivistfrom 2010 to 2014, continued her work with theCathedral Archive until March 2016 as CathedralArchival Catalogue Manager; I took on the role ofCathedral Archivist in 2014.

In 2009 the estate records of the Cathedral, and itspredecessor St Swithun’s Priory, were transferred toHampshire Record Office, about 15 minutes’ walkfrom the Cathedral, and very close to Winchesterrailway station; in May 2014, prompted by theneed to clear the South Transept of the Cathedralfor the Heritage Lottery-funded building project,the rest of the archive, primarily relating to therunning of the Cathedral, was transferred to HRO.This means that catalogued material can generallybe consulted without prior notice throughout theusual opening hours of the HRO search room.

There are now some 6,500 entries for the CathedralArchive on the HRO online catalogue athttp://calm.hants.gov.uk. These include most ofthe core series of records such as charters, themedieval accounts of the obedientiaries (office-holding monks), and the Chapter Books andaccounts of the Cathedral as re-established at theReformation. Other series listed on the onlinecatalogue include numerous documents relating tothe fabric of the Cathedral, notably to the amazingfeat of underpinning the structure by ‘Diver Bill’(William Walker) and others between 1905 and1912. A substantial series of the correspondence ofThomas Dinham Atkinson, Cathedral Architect1919-44, gives important insights into themaintenance of the fabric of the Cathedral and theother buildings in the Close over the course of aquarter of a century.

Many records relating to worship and music havebeen catalogued, including sermons and orders ofservice, and documents relating to the choir; papersrelating to the management of events; and papersof Deans including those of William Clarke (Dean1666-79), John Bramston (1872-83), George


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William Kitchin (1883-94), and a particularlyextensive series of papers of (Edward) GordonSelwyn (1931-58) including his sermon and lecturenotes, theological works and correspondence.Other clergy whose papers have been listed includeGeorge Frederick Nott (notably the detailed traveljournals of his uncle John Nott (1751-1825), whotravelled both within Europe and as a surgeon forthe East India Company on a vessel to China, viaSouth Africa and India, 1775-93), and JohnVaughan, a Canon of the Cathedral from 1903 to1922 and a writer of religious and botanical books.Estate records so far catalogued include medievaland subsequent manor court records and accounts,surveys, rentals and custumals, and 18th- and 19th-century maps.

Cathedral staff continue to transfer material to thearchive. Recently this has included filing from theMusic Department and additional papers of theCathedral Architect, mainly dating from the early1970s. On the retirement of the Very Rev JamesAtwell as Dean this year, a large series of his sermonand lecture texts was received, mainly in electronicformat, and a large series of photographs from histime as Dean has also been transferred. Othermaterial has been donated to the archive bymembers of the public, including a set of glass platephotographic negatives of repairs to east end ofCathedral in the 1910s—a timely arrival, given therecent work on this part of the Cathedral

Items recently made available followingconservation work include four 14th-century courtrolls, and the Treasurer’s account book for 1661-2,which is likely to be a useful source for anyoneresearching the repairs and new building projectsundertaken in the Close in the years after theRestoration of the monarchy and of the Cathedralfoundation. Digitisation provides another way ofmaking fragile items available without risk ofdamage to the originals, and digital copies of manyof the key records such as Chapter Books,Treasurers’ accounts and the obedientiary accountrolls are now available on open access in the searchroom. Recently-digitised items include the diary ofDean John Young, 1616-45, a journal recordingeveryday matters of concern to the Dean, relatingto the Cathedral and his own activities.

David Rymill,Winchester Cathedral Archivist

Worcester CathedralIt was good to meet so many cathedral library andarchive representatives, from near and far, and tohear everybody’s news. I would like to thank theDean, Peter Atkinson, who kindly organized theprogramme for the three days as well as all thespeakers, Susie Arnold, who undertook all thedetailed arrangements including visits, and SuzanneByrne and her team, for cooking so manywonderful meals for us all.

Since the conference I have been busy with librarytours and visits by academics. The University ofWorcester’s art and design students as well as theresearch post-graduates from their English andHistory departments have also made use of thecollections. In the end, our local heritage groupdecided not to apply for the latest round of thetraineeship scheme. Hopefully in the future theywill reapply. In the meantime, I am following up onsome of the ideas raised by fellow librarians,archivists, and collections managers at theconference.

In the last few weeks, I have managed to purchase24 made-to-measure book boxes for 18th- and 19th-century Bibles and Books of Common Prayer thathave particularly vulnerable bindings. This wasfunded by the Library’s adopt-a-book scheme.I have also managed to replace the last two cardbook cradles with proper foam blocks for librarytours. The moth infestation that started in thesummer seems to be coming under control, but weare continuing to monitor the numbers caught intraps.

David Morrison,Cathedral Librarian

York MinsterCollections DevelopmentWe were delighted in July to be awarded an ArtsCouncil England Museum Resilience Fund grant.‘Cathedral Collections, Unlocking Spiritual Capital’seeks to develop insight into our collections,promote new means of access and participation andshare our learning with others.

The project will improve our understanding ofcollections significance which will enable us to makeinformed decisions around collections development.


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It will also result in a network of experts exchangingideas and contributing to a clear research agenda inan active way. Collections access will help us takethis new understanding of our collection to engageinnovatively with visitors. This will includeinvigorating our schools and core visitor offer, andoffering remote access to many of our collectionsfor the first time. Sharing learning will open upconversations around how we use our resource butalso how we build this for English cathedrals morewidely. We will continue to work with nationalbodies including the CFCE, the AEC and the CLAAto promote the value of cathedral collections andinfluence policy reform. Three members of projectstaff are in the process of being recruited and weare looking forward to a very exciting 18 months.

Collections InformationWork inputting all Inventory data into CALMcontinues for both the collections and the archives.The Minster has lent one of our 13th-century copechests to the V & A for its exhibition ‘OpusAnglicanum: Masterpieces of English MedievalEmbroidery’. Vicky made the trip down to Londonto see it safely installed and will return in Februaryto bring it safely home. The exhibition showcasesseveral cathedral items and is well worth a visit.

Collections AccessWe continue to support Professor Brian Cummings’Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC)funded project ‘Remembering the Reformation’. DrCeri Law, AHRC Postdoctoral Research Associate(Cambridge), has highlighted items in the Minster

Library collection as part of her project blog.Alongside two articles—her own ‘Marking Memoryin John Favour’s “Antiquitie triumphing overNoveltie”‘ and ‘(Un)binding the Cantiones Sacrae:the York Minster part-books’ by Dr BronwynWallace, AHRC Postdoctoral Research Associate(York)—Dr Law also includes a report of the‘Remembering the Reformation’ collaborativeworkshop (with the Cathedral Libraries andArchives Network) held in the Old Palace in June2016. A link to the articles can be found athttp://rememberingthereformation.org.uk/research.

Two exhibitions were installed in the Minster overthe summer. A temporary exhibition at the EastEnd, ‘The Mystery Plays: Under the Spotlight’, usesprops, from the performances held in the Minsterover the summer, to explore the stories in the plays.Individuals such as Lucifer ‘the Proud One’, Eve ‘theTempted One’ and Abraham ‘the Faithful One’ areplaced under the spotlight, as we ask what therelevance of these stories is to our own lives today.

Chamber 4 in the Undercroft was refreshed and anew exhibition on the Living Church was installed.‘Rites of Passage’ explores ways of confronting andprocessing the challenges of life and death. Thestories found in our objects are of legacy, memory,conflict and personal growth, prompting us all toconsider and reflect upon how we remember, howwe celebrate and how we live.

Sarah Griffin,Cathedral Librarian


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BOOK AND PAPER CONSERVATIONThese two articles on conservation should be ofgreat interest to readers; similar submissions forfuture newsletters would be welcome.

Editor

Conservation at Worcester Cathedral Library It is several weeks since the participants of theCLAA conference visited Worcester CathedralLibrary and had an opportunity to see many of theLibrary’s treasured manuscripts, documents andother objects; also some of the most recentconservation projects which are currently beingcarried out. The Library has a long established

conservation programme of repair and stabilisationof its collections which was interrupted by majorbuilding work last year. We are now able to returnto projects begun prior to this.

One of the volumes presented during the librarytour was a register WCM A17 (305x220mm), theobedientiaries’ account book for years 1520-4 usedby the monks such as the cellarer, precentor andalmoner to record details of daily expenditures. Theaccounts shed light on life in a late medievalmonastery shortly before the Dissolution. Part of it,the entries for the year 1521-2, was transcribed byCanon James M. Wilson and published by theWorcestershire Historical Society in 1907.

The text is written on paper folded to formsubstantial quires tacketted through a cover madefrom re-used parchment and the simple binding islikely to have been made in house. Although verytactile and easy to make and use with such a lightcover, these volumes usually suffer from distortedspines, splaying covers, curling pages and manytears. In such a state the cover cannot protect thepages from dust and dirt entering the text-blockand they are usually quite dirty. The pages andcover in this register were surface-cleaned sometime ago and the volume had been waiting forattention in its box until this autumn. Many pagesin the second half of the book suffered waterdamage in the past, resulting in staining andsoftening of the paper with mould damage and lossof paper support in the last three or four pages.These pages were too weak to be turned safely, and

to make them stronger they were locally re-sized bybrushing on a solution of methylcellulose in alcohol(0.5% solution of Methocel A4C in 80ml IMS :20ml H2O ), which prevents staining of the paper.

The text-block is now ready for paper repair whichwill be carried out this winter. Distorted pages willbe humidified and pressed between sheets ofblotting paper, and any major tears and losses ofpaper will be repai-ed or filled in with Japanesepaper where necessary. Once the text-block isrepaired it will be time to turn attention to theparchment cover which will be locally humidifiedand pressed in a similar way to the paper.Straightening the parchment will make a lot ofdifference to the cover and hopefully it will bepossible to keep its repair to a minimum. Thevolume is now housed in a box which provides itwith protection in storage and, with carefulhandling, it will hopefully be ready for use foranother 500 years.

Katerina Powell, ACR


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1. WCM A17 upper cover

2. WCM A17 inside the upper cover

1. WCM A17 upper cover

2. WCM A17 inside the upper cover

WCM A17 upper cover

WCM A17 inside the upper cover

3. WCM A17 mould damaged paper at the end of the book

4. WCM A17 local re sizing of soft and mould damaged paper

WCM A17 mould damaged paper at the end of the book3. WCM A17 mould damaged paper at the end of the book

4. WCM A17 local re sizing of soft and mould damaged paperWCM A17 local re-sizing of soft and mould damaged paper

Fashioning the book: restoring access and function through book conservationLibrary and archive conservation has acharacteristically mechanical quality, and bookconservation especially so. Unlike other areas ofconservation, where treatments extend andfacilitate safe handling, storage and display,bindings have to continue their function as workingprotectors and carriers of information. Most of thedamage that is seen in book collections is connectedto their ongoing use and value as objects, whetheras well-loved personal possessions, importantcomponents of special collections or unique archiveitems. One of the fundamental skills of the bookconservator is to maintain this functionality whilstworking wherever possible with an object’sstructure to preserve evidence of how and withwhat it was originally made. Two recent Bibleconservation projects have demonstrated thespectrum of this basic principle, and demonstratevery well the wide variety of approaches availableto me as a library and archive conservator to solvethe same problem—access to the object—but ondifferent budgets and using varying levels ofintervention. I will show that one size of treatmentdoes not fit all objects and budgets, and a tailoredapproach to the conservation and care ofcollections based on condition and intended useresults in a better fit.

The first example concerns a book that falls firmlyinto the well-loved category of object, given itsprovenance and original condition. Belonging to theGray family, this 1866 copy of The Holy andDevotional Bible was previously owned by GeorgeCharles Gray, Organist and Master of the Choristersat Leicester Cathedral between 1931 and 1969. Hismemorial tablet can be found in august company atthe east end of the Cathedral, near the tomb ofRichard III. The condition of the book demonstratedthat it had been both well used and enjoyed, notonly as a Bible but also as an important repositoryfor recording significant family events for the last150 years.

Upper board and spine, showing broken sewing structure andleather and adhesive residues

This extensive use, combined with low-qualityoriginal materials and its large format and heavytext-block and boards, had caused the sewing tobreak down completely and the spine in particularto deteriorate to a point where there were onlysmall fragments remaining. The covering leatherwas chemically degraded and very friable, withextensive surface abrasions to both boards. As theimages show, there was evidence of an attempt tokeep the book together using self-adhesive tape;this is most visible on the endpapers where widestrips of black plastic-coated bookcloth had beenapplied to the inner joints. Although this DIYtreatment is not recommended, it may have been ablessing in disguise as at least it held the boardsonto the text-block, and without this they mayhave been lost or more significantly damaged.

An additional issue was the degradation to thebacks of the sections, causing the paper along thespine folds to become extensively browned andvulnerable to cracking and loss, which wasconsistent throughout the text-block.

Outer and inner bifolia of section, showing degraded andfragile spine


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It is likely that this was a result of contact with theacidic components in original leather used on thespine, particularly as the skin started to degradeover time. This theory is borne out by the significantbrowning to the endpapers where they have beenin contact with the turn-ins of the boards.

After taking down of the remains of the sewingstructure and light surface cleaning, the main aspectof the treatment was to reconstruct the spine foldsusing strips of a very thin but strong Japanese tissueadhered with wheat starch paste. This was appliedto every bifolium of this 900+ leaf text-block, witheach repaired spine fold being weighted and driedbefore gathering it into sections ready for pressingand sewing.

Before and after spine fold repair

The text-block was resewn and relined, and thespine was rebacked in black leather to match theboards. Goatskin was used to match the grain ofthe covering leather, and for strength, rather thanthe comparatively weaker sheepskin leather usedfor the original binding. A title label was made but,given the clean simplicity of the new spine chimingwell with the overall look and purpose of the book,the family rightly made the decision not to use it.

Resewn text-block on the sewing frame, showing the linentapes and sewing thread

New linen linings, reinforcing board attachment

It is unusual as a book conservator to get theopportunity to work on such an extensivelydamaged privately owned Bible such as this, as thework required to return it to functionality wasconsiderable with the treatment takingapproximately a week. In this case, it was valued asan heirloom for the present and future generationsof the Gray family, as well as being an importantlink with the family’s past. Many branches of thefamily came together to support the work, andsocial media was used very effectively to keepeveryone involved up to date with the progress ofthe work. A Bible Facebook group was set up, andthrough this I was able to give as near to a real-timereport as possible to everyone who had an interestin this important family object, posting images andinformation on the treatment actually as ithappened.


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After treatment images of the upper board, spine and head edge

Through the conservation treatment, the Bible hasbeen fully returned to being a functioning book andit can now be accessed and used by the Gray familyin the way it was intended to be when it waspurchased by their forebears a century and a halfago.

In contrast, the second Bible I have conserved thisyear required a very different approach, but still theprimary aim remained the same: to improve accessto an object that was completely unuseable in itsbefore-treatment condition.

The Bible belongs to Harris Manchester College,Oxford. Originally founded in the 18th century byEnglish Presbyterians in Manchester as a dissentingacademy, the college moved to Oxford as a

permanent private hall of the University in 1893and became a full constituent college in 1996. Withstrong Unitarian links, its early years in Oxford areassociated with reformist causes and it was the firstacademic institution in Britain to accept femalecandidates for the Nonconformist ministry. TheLibrarian, Susan Killoran, approached me to look ata 1542 copy of Biblia Sacra ex Santis Pagnini whichhad extensive handling damage and as a resultcould not be catalogued. A bookseller’s note tells usthat this edition of Pagninus's Latin version of theBible contained revisions that caused him to bedenounced by Calvin as an impious man, leading tohis subsequent persecution, trial andcondemnation. All the copies that could be foundwere used to make a fire, and he was burned alivewith them as a heretic. This copy is one of the veryfew that escaped the conflagration—an impressiveprovenance.

Lower board and spine before treatment

The binding—a later, likely mid-18th-century,addition to the text-block—was a full mid-tan calftightback with extensive gold tooling to the spine.The upper board attachment had broken down,with the board almost detached and the leatherjoint totally split. The headcap area of the spine waslost and, whilst the lower board was attached, thejoint was weak and split at the extreme head andtail. Although the spine was abraded and partial, itstill maintained good evidence of the highlydecorative original tooling and label, and wasfunctioning well to support the sections. The upperendpaper, however, had clung on to the shoulder ofthe joint with damaging tenacity, causingconsiderable tearing back across the width of thefinely engraved title page. The board could not be


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opened therefore without a high risk of furtherdamage to the already vulnerable page.

Title page recto and verso, before treatment

Two key areas for decision making surrounding thetreatment of this book were its future use balancedwith the available budget. The main objective forthe college librarian was that the book should beable to be catalogued and to withstand carefuloccasional use and handling. As the book would notbe heavily in demand by readers, the budget for therepair was limited. From a conservation point ofview this approach was very welcome, as thisintended use could be achieved whilst maintainingthe integrity and character of the original binding,given its completeness and overall largely stablecondition. A replacement spine was neitherdesirable nor necessary, and a minimallyinterventive approach was the best option toachieve the objectives of the conservationtreatment.

Before working on the binding, the first priority wasthe repair of the title page. This was achieved byadhering thin, shaped strips of Japanese paper tothe verso of the page to bridge the tears and realignthe engraving on the recto. This instantly improvedthe handling and access to the text-block, and, aftertreatment, it is difficult to see that the page hadever been damaged.

Title page recto and verso, after treatment

Once the text-block was stable the second prioritywas to reattach the upper board. As there is adouble thickness of leather at the head and tail ofthe spine of a tightback binding, it is often possibleto lift this area to insert new material to bridge splitor broken joints, and reinforce, or in this casereinstate, board attachment. A strip of aerolinen—astrong, 100% linen cloth, faced with toned thickJapanese paper to match the original spine—waspasted across the backs of the sections below thelifted area of the spine, turned in at the head andtail, and extended onto the boards below thecovering leather. Even with the damaged andpartial tail spine panel, it was still possible to do thisin sections without detracting from the originalappearance of the spine. In this way, the upperboard was reattached and the lower boardattachment reinforced preventing furtherbreakdown during use. The book can now bestored, handled and used with care, in accordancewith good library and searchroom practices.Moreover, the treatment was achieved in under aday, making the conservation of this impressivevolume very cost effective.

Spine after treatment


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The upper board, reattached

By approaching the conservation of library andarchive collections on an individual item basis, andthrough careful assessment of the intended use ofan object with the maintenance of its character andoriginal structure, the best outcomes can beachieved for both the object and access to theinformation it holds. In library and archiveconservation this tailored approach does notnecessarily mean a couture budget.

Victoria Stevens ACR, [email protected]


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NOTICES OF RESEARCH

In the following article, Dr David Shaw summarisesthe findings of some research into 17th-centuryaccounts at Canterbury Cathedral, which shed lighton the management of finances and also on thehistory of an object in the Cathedral’s collections.Similar submissions for future newsletters would bewelcome.

Editor

Unlocking the Chest: financial record-keeping atCanterbury Cathedral in the late 17th centuryAt the St Catherine’s Audit each November, theDean and Chapter drew up an account of its wealthin a single sheet document headed ‘The State of theChurch’. The Cathedral Archives has a continuousseries of these from 1679 to 1712 (DCc/SC1-32;1680 is missing). Each of the annual statements hasa similar structure. First of all, the amounts availablefrom the year’s income are listed; the account for1679 starts:

The Church Stock in 2 Baggs 200 – 00 – 0

Item The late Ld of Canterb. 100 – 00 – 0Legacy in one Bagg

High way money in 3 Baggs 300 – 00 – 0

More in another Bagg 018 – 12 – 0

More, the high-way money 040 – 00 – 0of this year

---------------------Sum 658 – 12 – 0

The figure of £200 for the Church Stock occursevery year; it appears to be a fixed sum designatedto be put into the reserves. The bequest of £100from Archbishop Gilbert Sheldon, who died in1677, is a one-off entry for this year; there areoccasional similar one-off sums for gifts in some ofthe later years. The highway money is also recordedevery year and presumably represents revenue fromtolls owned by the Dean and Chapter. Expenditureon road repairs at Harbledown is also recorded, forexample on 19th April 1687: ‘Taken out of ye Chesta bagg of Seuenty Seuen pounds eight shillingstowards ye repair of Harbledowne highwayaccording to order by me’, signed by the Treasurer,Jean Maximilien de L’Angle (DCc/SC6). Othertransactions regularly recorded are for the stipendsof the prebendaries and for the salaries of the‘Quire’.

All of these sums relate to monies paid into or takenout of the central reserves. The 1679 figures record:

Borrowed out of the Chest & deliuered to theTreasurer,

Imp[rimi]s to pay the Midsum[m]er Stipends to yeDeane & Prebends: 195 – 01 – 8

The Treasurer was then responsible for making theindividual payments which would be recorded inthe Treasurers’ Books and signed for by each of thecanons (DCc/TB series). All of these transactionswere for large or relatively large amounts of moneyfor payments which could not be made out ofcurrent cash-in-hand, or for surplus amounts ofcash-in-hand which needed to be put into thereserves. It is clear from the many references inthese documents to ‘the Chest’ that there was acentral secure repository for the Dean and Chapter’s

reserve funds. Many of the transactions are backedup by three signatures, usually of the Dean, theVice-Dean and the Treasurer, sometimesmentioning that one of the signatories wasrepresenting an absent key holder and was armedwith his key; for example, in 1688, we find thesignature of ‘Geo Thorp cum clave vicede[cani]’(George Thorpe with the Vice-Dean’s key); DrThorpe is signing on behalf of that year’s Vice-Deanwhose key he has been given.

This suggests that there must have been a securitysystem involving a chest with three locks whichrequired all three key holders to be present to paymoney in or take money out of the reserves. Allthree then signed a record on the sheet for thatyear’s ‘State of the Church’ reconciliation for the StCatherine’s Audit. The Chest was already in use in1662. Dr William Belke, the Treasurer for1662/1663, records in rough notes at the front ofthat year’s Treasurer’s Book (DCc/TB 3):

Aug. 25: layd more into ye chest in ye treasury ofmy money 180£ viz. one bag 100£ and another80£ in all 480£

Chests of this sort with multiple locks had been acommon system for securing institutional valuablessince the Middle Ages. An enquiry to theCathedral’s Vesturer (head virger) ChristopherCrooks quickly established that the Cathedral doeshave such a chest and that it is to be found in thevirgers’ office in the Wax Chamber. Mr Crooksinforms me that it is thought to be an iron chest of17th-century German manufacture of a sort(erroneously) known as an ‘Armada’ chest. It seemshighly probably that this is the chest referred to inthese ‘State of the Church’ documents.

David Shaw, Volunteer, Canterbury Cathedral Archives and Library


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Canterbury Cathedral’s ‘Armada Chest’. © Canterbury Cathedral.


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COMMITTEE CONTACTS

Chairman: The Very Rev Peter Atkinson, Dean of Worcester

Vice-ChairmanCanon Ann Barwood, Lay Canon and Canon Librarian of Exeter Cathedral

Honorary Treasurer: Dr Michael Stansfield, Durham University Library.Email [email protected]

Honorary SecretaryMs Judith Curthoys, The Archives, Christ Church Oxford. Email [email protected]

Assistant SecretaryMrs Katie Flanagan, Brunel University.Email [email protected]

Committee Members:

Dr Claire Breay, British Library.

Ms Vicky Harrison, York Minster.

Dr Norman James, formerly The National Archives.

Ms Kate McQuillian, St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle.

Mrs Gudrun Warren, Norwich Cathedral

Mrs Cressida Williams, Canterbury Cathedral.

We aim to produce two issues of this letter each year, in summer and winter. Any contributions shouldbe sent to the Editor, Mrs Cressida Williams, either by email to [email protected] or by post to her at Canterbury Cathedral Archives and Library, The Precincts, CanterburyCT1 2EH, to reach her by 31st October for the winter issue, or 30th April for the summer issue. She wouldalso welcome comments or suggestions for content.

THE CATHEDRAL LIBRARIES AND ARCHIVES ASSOCIATION

The aims of the Cathedral Libraries and Archives Association are:

• To advance education by the promotion, preservation and protection of cathedral libraries and archives in the United Kingdomand Ireland

• The provision of appropriate access thereto

For our webpages, see http://cathedrallibrariesandarchives.wordpress.com/

Enquiries about membership should be directed tothe Honorary Secretary or Treasurer.

Documents

CATHEDRAL LIBRARIES AND ARCHIVES ASSOCIATION NEWSLETTER… · 2016-12-20 · Cathedral Libraries and Archives Association Newsletter Summer 2016 1 WELCOME FROM THE CHAIRMAN I was