Three Centuries of a City Library | Page 9

all degrees. It is the imperative duty of every Town-Council so to manage them as to make them conduce, in the utmost possible measure, to the researches, the pursuits, and the profit of every class of the townspeople. For some readers it may also be desirable to add that the so-called "Public" Library by whose managers this Memorial is drawn up, is Public in name only."
Notwithstanding the persistent attempts of the "Public Library" on futile pretexts to retain the City Library, the Council on February 17th, 1857, decided by a large majority in favour of the removal of the City Library to the new library building under its own control. Even then the Free Library Committee had difficulty in securing the books, and it was only after their repeated applications that the City Library was installed in the Library in 1862. Mr. John Quinton, the Librarian of the Norfolk and Norwich Literary Institution, superintended the removal of the books, and arranged them in their new quarters. The book-plate in the volumes was printed from a wood-block engraved by his daughter, Miss Jane Quinton, a student of the Norwich School of Art, which at that time occupied the top floor of the Library. The books were shelved in cases on the ground floor until 1879 when they were removed to their present glass cases in the News Room.
The Council on the 17th March, 1868, agreed to the recommendation of the City Committee "that the Wyckliffe Bible and other books be committed as a loan into the custody of the trustees of the [Norfolk and Norwich] Museum, proper provision to be made for the exhibition and preservation thereof." {17} Several manuscripts and printed books were sent to the Museum, and Mr. J. J. Colman, the Mayor in that year, presented to the city a glass case for the exhibition of the books.
In 1872 the Norfolk and Norwich Law Library, which had just been established, applied for the loan of between 30 and 40 legal works in the City Library, and the Council acceded to its request on condition that any person not a member of the Law Library should have access to the books, and that the books should be returned to the City Library on request. A list of the books lent was printed in the Catalogue of the Law Library published in 1874. The books were returned during the year ending March, 1900.
The Catalogue of 1883 stated that the following was the rule for the use of the City books: "A loan of these books may be obtained at the Free Library, from 11 to 4 on any day of the week excepting Thursday, by application to the Town Clerk, who will supply a Form to be filled up by the applicant and forwarded to the Chairman of the Libraries Committee." Now the books are issued by and at the discretion of the City Librarian, for use in the Reference Library, in accordance with the rules of the Public Library.
The City Committee, which is responsible for the City Library, provided in 1912 a large exhibition case in the Reading Room for the display of some of the more rare and interesting books.

DONORS.
The Library was formed almost entirely by donations, principally from local residents, including bishops, deans, and other clergy, magistrates, merchants and tradesmen. The donations from the inception of the Library in 1608 to 1737 are enumerated in the Vellum Book provided for the purpose in 1659, to which reference is made on page 46. The first donation was a gift of fifteen volumes from Sir John Pettus who was Mayor during the year of the foundation of the Library, viz., Severinus Binius' "Concilia generalia et provincialia," 4 vols. in 5, (Cologne, 1606), "Centuriones Magdeburgh," 7 vols., (Basel), and Bellarmine's "Disputationes de controversiis Christianae Fidei," 3 vols., (Paris, 1608). His gift was followed by one in the same year from Susannah Downing, wife of Alderman George Downing, who had been Mayor in the previous year. She gave Hieronymus Zanchius' "Opera theologica," 8 vols. in 3, 1605 (Excudebat Stephanus Gamonetus). In the following year Thomas Corye, merchant, gave Luther's Works in 7 vols. and three volumes of Ludwig Lavater's Commentaries, (Zurich); Sir Thomas Hirne, the Mayor, gave ten volumes of Calvin's works, and a polyglot Bible--Biblia Sacra, Hebraice, Graece, et Latine (1599), 2 vols.; Thomas Corbett gave St. Augustine's Works (Basel, 1569); and Henry Doyly gave St. Bernard's Works (Paris, 1586).
The three chief benefactors to the Library were Richard Ireland, who at the time of his death was rector of Beeston, Norfolk; Thomas Nelson, rector of Morston, Norfolk; and John Kirkpatrick, a linen merchant, of Norwich, the eminent antiquary.
Ireland's bequest was made in 1692, and the entry in the Vellum Book is as follows:
"Mr Richard Ireland, Formerly Rector of Beeston and