Historic Library Catalogues
The Derry and Raphoe Diocesan Library at Magee includes three manuscript library catalogues: one of the Derry Diocesan Library from the early 19th Century, and two of the Raphoe Diocesan library, from 1745 and 1810.
The libraries were amalgamated some years after the two diocese were conjoined. The catalogues give us a picture of the contents of the two libraries in the 18th and 19th centuries and the Raphoe catalogues in particular give an insight into library transactions and management.
All three catalogues are fragile and severely mould-damaged, but are available here in digitised format.
- The Derry Diocesan Library Catalogue (c.1820?)
- The Raphoe Library Catalogue 1810
- The Raphoe Library Catalogue 1745
The Derry Diocesan Library Catalogue (Undated, c.1820?)
The catalogue entries are listed alphabetically by author with title, or in some cases just by title, with no information on editions, places of publication or publishers. A shelf-mark is included. Some pencilled notes in a 20th-century hand can also be seen.
Screen pages 24-28 show two loose leaves containing lists of books, one list dated 12th April 1850, in a 19th-century hand (Screen Page 26).
The Raphoe Library Catalogue 1810
The books are listed alphabetically by author with title and there are frequent marginal notes in pen and pencil in different hands. Places and dates of publication are listed, along with shelf-marks.
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Screen Page 2
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A pasted note, ‘An order to the librarian’, dated, ‘Jan. 1. 1821’ which deals with the return of books and also lists unreturned books with offending borrowers’ names against dates from: 1791; 1809; 1801; and 1766.
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Screen Page 6
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‘Bibliotheca Rapotensis’, with drawing in blue pen-and-ink of two cherubs in an idealised library setting and the name, ‘Mich Canny, Raphoe, Nov. 1810’.
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Screen Page 9
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‘Canny Michael Ennishowen’, at the head of the page.
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Screen Page 31
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An inserted leaf with notes on a theological text, similar to a leaf in the 1745 catalogue .
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Screen Pages 33-34
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A list of Irish statutes listed with their English counterparts.
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Screen Page 48
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A drawing of a merman signed, ‘M Canny’ under, ‘FINIS’
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Screen Pages 56-70
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Lists of library borrowings from 1805 to 1856.
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Screen Pages 71-85
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Lists of books by subject.
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Screen Pages 90-91
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Fragmented leaves including library transactions from the 1750s and 1760s.
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The Raphoe Catalogue 1745
This volume is an alphabetical listing by author with title, including some places of publication, some sizes and also shelf-marks.
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Screen Page 10
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Books are noted in the margins in a later hand as ‘decayed’, or, ‘M’ (missing?).
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Screen Page 14
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Names are listed against books, especially, ‘Dr Hall’ and ‘Bp Forster’.
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Screen Page 55
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An inserted leaf on a theological text similar to that in the 1810 catalogue.
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