Melanie Brown says…
We are lucky here at St Wulfram’s to have the Trigge Library. The Trigge Library was the first public reference library in Britain and it was open to anyone who could make use of its books. It was founded in 1598 by Francis Trigge the Rector of Welbourn, who was Alderman of Grantham at the time.
There are some amazing books in the library – we have a copy of the Imago Mundi which was written in 1410 and this book was of particular interest to Navigators, so much so that Christopher Columbus purchased a copy and used this on his voyages of discovery.
Another important work is Conrad Gessner’s Historia Animalium, printed in Zurich between 1551-1558. These 5 volumes formed the basis of todays encyclopedias. These books inlcude all the known quadrupeds, amphibia, birds, fish, snakes and scorpians and all the works were richly illustrated by woodcuts.
It’s incredible to have this within the church, its like having our own museum here above the South porch of St Wulfram’s Church.
This event is a fantastic opportunity to learn more about the Trigge Library and the works within it.
Trigge Library Symposium
Saturday, 29th June 2024
Programme
10.00am: Welcome – Fr. Stuart Cradduck, Rector of Grantham
10.05am: Introduction and Housekeeping – Dr. John Manterfield
10.15am: Trigge’s Library: Foundation, Collection and Readership – Dr. Jessica Purdy, University of St Andrews
11.00am: Coffee
11.15am: The Priest, the Printer and All Other Creatures – Dr. Brian Stagg, Custos, The Trigge Library
12.00noon: Zürich and the European Book Market – Prof. Andrew Pettegree, University of St Andrews
1.00pm: Lunch
2.00pm: Gessner’s Influence on Zoology – Ms. Emma Milnes, Deputy Librarian. The Royal Zoological Society of London
3.00pm: Taking the Bull by the Horns: Conserving the Historia Animalium – Ms. Bridget Warrington, Library and Archives Conservator
4.00pm: Closing Remarks – Dr. John Manterfield, followed by Tea.
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