the rearrangement of the books, and that Mr. Langton [the Librarian] be employed for that purpose.” [15b]  In the discussion that ensued Mr. Ling said some of the books “were lying on the floor, damaged by dust and cobwebs, and an extremely valuable manuscript of Wickliffe’s Bible was in a bad state.” [15c]  Mr. Brightwell suggested that the City Library would be a capital foundation for the Free Library, and the matter was referred back for the consideration of the City Library Committee.  Those interested in the “Public Library” strove hard to retain the City Library, and on November 20th, 1856, the following memorial signed by the President was presented to the Council and discussed:—

To the Mayor, Aldermen, and Citizens of Norwich, in Council assembled. [15d]  The Memorial of the Committee of the Norwich Public Library

Sheweth,—That at a quarterly assembly of the Corporation, held June 19th, 1815, a certain Report of the Library Committee was agreed to, and consent given for the city books to be taken to the Public Library under the direction of the same Committee.

That your memorialists have learned with deep regret that it is contemplated to apply to the Council for power to remove the city books to the Free Library.

That upon the faith of their tenure of these books, as long as the conditions imposed were satisfactorily complied with, various sums of money, to a considerable amount, have from time to time been expended by

your memorialists from the funds of the Public Library in their preservation.

That the books of the City Library have been embodied in the catalogues of 1825 and 1847, under the same scientific arrangement as the books which are the property of the Public Library, distinguishing those which are the property of the Corporation by a prominent and appropriate designation; and that therefore by the removal of the City Library, the catalogue, to which your memorialists have recently published the first appendix, will be rendered quite useless and an expense, otherwise unnecessary, will be incurred.

That although the books of the City Library were recently found in a very dusty condition; yet that during the 40 years they have been in the custody of your memorialists, they have suffered no deterioration from damp, loss, or otherwise.

That the contiguity of the Public Library to the Guildhall affords the greatest convenience of application to the Town Clerk for permission to take out books from the City Library, and of the access of the Library Committee of the Corporation to inspect their property.

That it is in contemplation to place a fire in the room appropriated to the City Library, and further to improve it by the insertion of a large bay-window, which will make it a light and cheerful place for all who need reference to these ancient and valuable books.

That your memorialists venture to point out the entire unsuitableness, in their judgment, of works in learned languages, on abstruse subjects or in black letter, to the objects of the Free Library.

And your memorialists therefore pray that the books of the City Library be allowed to remain, as heretofore, in their keeping.

Signed on behalf of the Public Library Committee.

Norwich, Nov. 10th, 1856.

G. W. W. FIRTH, President.

Edward Edwards, in his monumental “Memoirs of Libraries,” 1859, (vol. 1, p. 739) printed the above memorial which he said carried “its refutation on its face.”  “On so puerile a production,” he continued, “it were idle to waste words.  One remark, however, may be appropriate in anticipation of the history and objects of the Act of Parliament in pursuance of which the Free City Library of Norwich has been created.  No Institution established under that Act can with justice address itself to any “class” of the population in particular.  Rate-supported Libraries are ipso facto “Town Libraries.”  Their cost is defrayed by ratepayers of 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