Library & Legacy: the story of Lichfield Cathedral Library and the Seymour Collection
Saturday 22 April - Sunday 3rd September
This exhibition in the Chapter House at Lichfield Cathedral tells the story of why the Cathedral’s Library is unusual - possibly unique - amongst cathedral libraries.
The mediaeval library at Lichfield was almost totally lost during the English Civil War. In the 1670s, a new library was established with the gift of more than 400 books from the collection of William Seymour, Duke of Somerset. His wife, Frances Devereux, had family links with Drayton Bassett and spent extended periods of time there. Having inherited her husband’s library on his death in 1660, she bequeathed the collection to Lichfield. She wrote in her will: “for the respect which I and my family have received from the City of Lichfield, I give the books which were my late deceased husband’s, to the Church of Lichfield to be put in the new library there.” Lichfield Cathedral’s Library thus contains a wide range of books which are associated with the library of a wealthy 17th century intellectual rather than with a cathedral.
This exhibition explores William Seymour’s library, illustrating the types of books which he (and his ancestors) chose to include in their libraries and how this reflected the culture of their time. Perhaps this will encourage us to consider what books we choose to have in our homes nowadays and, indeed whether books are still relevant in a digital age.
The exhibition also includes the only three books known to have survived at Lichfield from the mediaeval collection.
Free admission. Open during normal Cathedral opening hours