| Admin History | Thomas Foley (1780-1833), 3rd Baron Foley of Kidderminster, was the eldest son of Thomas Foley, 2nd Baron Foley, and his wife, Henrietta. The 3rd Baron married Cecilia Olivia (died 1863), daughter of the 2nd Duke of Leinster. Their family home was Witley Court, in Great Witley, Worcestershire, three and a half miles south-east of Gloucester. His son Thomas Henry Foley, the 4th Baron, died in 1869.
The catalogue of the library at Witley Court was published in 1813. The dates of publication of books added to this catalogue in manuscript (up to 1868) suggest that the present volume catalogues the library of the 3rd Baron and additions made by the 4th Baron. |
| Custodial History | The volume was given to the Library of University College, Nottingham in January 1948. It was transferred to the Department of Manuscripts and Special Collections in 2004. |
| Description | This volume comprises a record of the contents of the library of the 3rd Baron Foley of Witley Court, Worcestershire.
Most of the volume is made up of pages from the published catalogue, printed in 1813 by Edward Kirby of London. Entries are arranged alphabetically by author, with columns supplying details of numbers of volumes, size, where printed, year of publication, and case and shelf references in the Witley Court library. The volumes catalogued date chiefly from the 17th century, with some earlier imprints and entries up to the point of printing.
The volume has been interleaved with pages for additions, with pre-printed column titles matching those in the published volume. Additions have been entered in manuscript, in a variety of hands. The additional material includes older volumes dating back to the 16th century, as well as titles published up to and including 1868.
The volume is also annotated in pencil with a 'W' or an 'L' next to the majority of entries, perhaps recording a division of the library between rooms or houses. |