The Old Church and School Libraries of Lancashire

Printed for the Chetham Society, [Manchester], first edition, 1885. Cloth, blindstamped arms in elaborate decorative borders,small 4to, 23 cm,. xiii, 215 pp, frontispiece. From the Introduction: "The volume now offered to the members of the Chetham Society contains all the information which I have been able to collect respecting the Old Church and School Libraries of Lancashire, which were in existence before the year 1750. Only one part, how- ever, can claim to be exhaustive or complete - that which deals with the Church Libraries founded by Humphrey Chetham at Manchester, Bolton, Turton, Walmsley, and Gorton. As to these, I believe that I have been able to put together all that is known or likely to be known of their foundation and history. Of the other libraries, although much is set down that has never before appeared, and although the accounts are, I hope, more accurate than any that have hitherto been given, yet of several much more might be added by anyone resident on the spot, and prepared to give the necessary time to an examination of the libraries themselves, and the documents and records belonging to the several parishes or schools. Elegant bookplate on front pastedown endpaper, spine a little faded and spine-ends slightly bumped and rubbed, title-page and last leaf age-toned, otherwise a Very Good unusually well-preserved copy.