Kedermister Library
Encyclopedia
The Kedermister Library, at Langley
near Slough
in the English
county of Berkshire
(formerly Buckinghamshire
), is a rare surviving example of an early 17th century parish library
, preserved in situ in the decorated cupboards designed for it in 1620 in the parish church of St Mary the Virgin.
Founded around 1613 by Sir John Kedermister (d. 1631), it was established to provide for the education of the rector of St. Mary's, and presented to the church in perpetuity by Sir John. A catalogue of the Library listing 307 volumes survives from 1638.
A large portion of the library still exists and, with the contemporary catalogue, provides a fascinating insight into scholarship and book collecting
in the 17th century.
Two of the Library's treasures, the Kedermister Gospels (an 11th century illuminated manuscript) and the Pharmacopolium or a booke of Medicine (a manuscript herbal
of 1630) are on permanent deposit in the British Library
.
Langley, also known as Langley Marish, was formerly in the county of Buckinghamshire
, and the Kedermister Library is overseen by Buckinghamshire County Council and governed by a charitable trust.
The name Kedermister is the most commonly used, though some sources, including the charity governing the library, use the spelling Kederminster.
Langley, Slough
Langley is a large village in the unitary authority of Slough, Berkshire in South East England. It is situated 2 miles east of central Slough, and 20 miles west of London...
near Slough
Slough
Slough is a borough and unitary authority within the ceremonial county of Royal Berkshire, England. The town straddles the A4 Bath Road and the Great Western Main Line, west of central London...
in the English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
county of Berkshire
Berkshire
Berkshire is a historic county in the South of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1957, and...
(formerly Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan home county in South East England. The county town is Aylesbury, the largest town in the ceremonial county is Milton Keynes and largest town in the non-metropolitan county is High Wycombe....
), is a rare surviving example of an early 17th century parish library
Library
In a traditional sense, a library is a large collection of books, and can refer to the place in which the collection is housed. Today, the term can refer to any collection, including digital sources, resources, and services...
, preserved in situ in the decorated cupboards designed for it in 1620 in the parish church of St Mary the Virgin.
Founded around 1613 by Sir John Kedermister (d. 1631), it was established to provide for the education of the rector of St. Mary's, and presented to the church in perpetuity by Sir John. A catalogue of the Library listing 307 volumes survives from 1638.
A large portion of the library still exists and, with the contemporary catalogue, provides a fascinating insight into scholarship and book collecting
Book collecting
Book collecting is the collecting of books, including seeking, locating, acquiring, organizing, cataloging, displaying, storing, and maintaining whatever books are of interest to a given individual collector. The love of books is bibliophilia, and someone who loves to read, admire, and collect...
in the 17th century.
Two of the Library's treasures, the Kedermister Gospels (an 11th century illuminated manuscript) and the Pharmacopolium or a booke of Medicine (a manuscript herbal
Herbal
AThe use of a or an depends on whether or not herbal is pronounced with a silent h. herbal is "a collection of descriptions of plants put together for medicinal purposes." Expressed more elaborately — it is a book containing the names and descriptions of plants, usually with information on their...
of 1630) are on permanent deposit in the British Library
British Library
The British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom, and is the world's largest library in terms of total number of items. The library is a major research library, holding over 150 million items from every country in the world, in virtually all known languages and in many formats,...
.
Langley, also known as Langley Marish, was formerly in the county of Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan home county in South East England. The county town is Aylesbury, the largest town in the ceremonial county is Milton Keynes and largest town in the non-metropolitan county is High Wycombe....
, and the Kedermister Library is overseen by Buckinghamshire County Council and governed by a charitable trust.
The name Kedermister is the most commonly used, though some sources, including the charity governing the library, use the spelling Kederminster.
Further information
- Jane Francis: The Kedermister Library: an account of its origins and a reconstruction of its contents and arrangement; Records of Buckinghamshire Volume 36 1994 pp. 62-85; ISSN 0967-2885
External links
- Kedermister Library website at Centre for Buckinghamshire StudiesCentre for Buckinghamshire StudiesThe Centre for Buckinghamshire Studies is the county record office for Buckinghamshire, England. It houses the former Buckinghamshire Record Office and the former Buckinghamshire Local Studies Library. It is located in Aylesbury, in the base of County Hall....
(NB: using the spelling Kederminster) - Slough History Online: Kedermister Library