Signing Off - The Final Blog

As the saying goes, all good things must come to an end. Studying and exploring the collection that belonged to Bishop John J. Grimes has been an eye opener for me and a journey in itself. Before I was given the collection to look at, I didn’t know who Bishop Grimes was, or if his collection would be important. Neither did I know that the collection would contain more than just religious orientated texts. But his texts have certainly taught me never to judge a collection based on its owner’s background.

There are still so many questions that I have that will have to be left unanswered. Why was Grimes so interested in the Antiquities, that he had copies of the Iliad (1816), Plutarch’s Lives (1813) and a book that discussed the Geographical Systems of Herodotus (1800)? Why did he have a German text in his collection if he received education in France and possibly did not learn German? And why was there a text about the uses of the mineral water from Glastonbury in a Catholic Bishop’s collection? Why was there a book about the General Conchology...[of Shells] (1815) in his collection? It’s difficult to answer such specific questions without being able to sit down with the Bishop himself and ask him why he was motivated to collect such a diverse range of subjects and themes.

General Conchology, Plate 22.

Perhaps in the future when there has been a more in-depth analysis of his entire collection (more than just the 82 titles that I looked at), there will be a clearer picture. After all, according to the University of Canterbury’s Chronicle, there were 195 books that could be considered Rare Books accounted for in 1980 when the collection was initially donated. In the last 35 years, this number has dwindled down to the 82 that I entered in my database. What has happened to those missing 113 titles? Have they been downgraded to books that can be entered into general circulation? Or like a number of the texts I came across, have they been moved to a different storage facility? A number of texts in the catalogue had been requisitioned by a Professor for what I can only assume was their own personal interests or studies. And a more important question to consider, have more books been classed as ‘Rare Books’ since 1980? There were almost 5,000 books in Grimes’ collection when it was donated to the University by Bishop Ashby, and a lot more of those texts could be considered Rare Books today and be more valuable than we know.

I was lucky to be supervised by a patient historian who encouraged me to explore deeper into the life of the authors and the books they wrote. He has also provided me with the translations to some of the French and Latin inscriptions that were used in my blogs. I am thankful for the help that I have received from Dr Chris Jones in completing my blogs and the database. I was also lucky to have the advice and experience of the Special Collections Librarian Damian Cairns to call on while I was working through the books. Without his help and time, my project would have been a lot more challenging to complete. Finally, I would like to thank Stephen Hardman, the University of Canterbury’s Internship Director for helping set up my project and for overseeing its completion. Without the help of these three gentleman, I would not have been able to gain the invaluable experience of working with a Rare Books collection and to have learnt more about myself as a person.

References

University of Canterbury, Chronicle Vol 15. No. 22 (22 November 1980). Article.

General Conchology, Or A Description of Shells, 1815. University of Canterbury Rare Books Collection – 118845 – ConchologyOfShells – Interior – Plate22

Lost in the Pages of a Good Book, Pt. 2

The last blog in which I wrote about things that I had found in the books was only a glimpse at the hidden treasures betwixt the pages. In this blog, I want to explore some more items that I have found that can offer some insights about the owners or the books.

Newspaper clipping in Concilia Magnae

In the Concilia Magnae Britanniae et Hiberniae (1737) I found a small newspaper clipping from a book catalogue. David Wilkins was the editor of the Concilia and was also a professor of Arabic at Cambridge University. His Concilia Magnae outlines the councils between Britain and Ireland and is one of six copies in the Southern Hemisphere. The clipping that I found in the book is an advertisement for a 4-volume set of Concilia Magnae. It was published in London in 1737 and the clipping is dated at least from the mid-nineteenth century, when it sold for £25. In a previous blog (Case Study of Provenance) I used a Converter Calculator to estimate the equivalent price. In 1850, this book was worth the equivalent of £2,825 (2015).

Sometimes books hold more than one secret, and the Concilia Magnae is a good example. In the

Revered James Anthony Walsh's Card

pages of the book I also found a business card or identification card belonging to a Reverend James Walsh from Boston, Massachusetts. James Anthony Walsh (1867-1936) was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts and was ordained as a Reverend in 1892 by the Cathedral of the Holy Cross in Boston. He held a position at St. Patrick’s Church in Roxbury, Massachusetts. In 1903 he was appointed the Diocesan Director of the Society for the Propagation of the Faith. Most importantly, he was the founder of the Catholic Foreign Mission Society of America (1911), which endeavoured to minister overseas communities, in conjunction with the Maryknoll Sisters of St. Dominic. His work took him to Rome and other places in the world. In these travels, he may have come in contact with Grimes. This card could have been given with the book as a gift, or simply a greeting card from the Reverend to Bishop Grimes, but it certainly suggests that they met in person. The book itself bears the bookseller stamp of John Leslie who was operating at 58 Great Queen Street.

Prayer card in
Praelectiones

The last item that I will share is a small prayer card that I found in Honoré Tournély’s Praelectiones Theologicae de Ecclesia Christi (1739), part of the collection discussed in the previous blog. On the front is the illustration of a woman and a pope. A handwritten note on the back refers to the woman as Sister Chériese – ‘Sister Chériese before the Pope that she venerates’ – who is considered a ‘sweet virgin, my tender mother’. Based on the inscription on the back, we can assume that she took a vow of chastity. Considering that this card has been manufactured and possibly mass produced, it is possible that she was a minor local or regional figure in an area of France.

The items that I found in these books are not necessarily as useful as other finds. They may not be able to tell us anything significant or useful about previous owners. For that they could be considered useless. But all items found in books are rare and special, and tell stories about where the books have been, and who they have come in contact with. Some items are easier to decipher than others and some lead us on journeys of discovery. One thing is for sure: you shouldn’t judge a book by its worn and faded cover.

References

Historical UK Inflation Rates and Calulator

http://inflation.stephenmorley.org/

"James Anthony Walsh." Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers. 2015.http://maryknollsociety.org/index.php/articles/2-articles/164-james-anthony-walsh

Concilia Magnae Britanniae et Hiberniae, 1737. University of Canterbury Rare Books Collection - 129354 - ConciliaMagnae - Vol1 - Insert

Concilia Magnae Britanniae et Hiberniae, 1737. University of Canterbury Rare Books Collection - 129354 - ConciliaMagnae - Vol4 - Insert1

Praelectiones Theologicae  de Ecclesia Christi, 1739. University of Canterbury Rare Books Collection - 118030 - Vol2 - Insert1 - pg362

Religious Tracts

Bishop Grimes was a prominent figure in the Canterbury region, especially in the main city, Christchurch. One of his particular areas of focus was on the education of Catholics. He founded and organised a number of schools in the province, including St Bede’s College. His passion for educating his flock stemmed as far back as his teaching positions in 1867. While any book can be a way of learning for scholars, there are two particular sets of texts in his collection that were written for the direct purpose of educating others.

The Tractatus collection was written by Pierre (Peter) Dens (1690-1775), who was born in Antwerp, Belgium. In his lifetime he held a number of positions at universities and seminaries like

Tractatus Deo Marginella

the University of Louvain and the Mechlin Seminary. In these institutes he taught theology. Together with the professors at Mechlin, a series of tracts were compiled, edited and published in 1777 under Dens’ name. These tracts discuss a number of aspects concerning the Catholic faith: the Trinity, Justice, Virtue, Grace, Indulgences and the Sacraments. Designed and written for the purpose of educating others, they were key texts used in seminaries and for teaching theology at the universities.

The set that Grimes had in his collection was published in 1786 in Antwerp, Belgium. All are written

Tractatus Theologici Verbi Provenance

in the vernacular of the churchmen (Latin). The texts bear Grimes’ personal bookplate and the signs of at least two previous owners. The earliest sign of provenance is dated at 1796, from the library of a J. van Maasacker. The second sign of provenance dates from 1829, October 28, from the library of [G.] A. L. Thael. A number of the texts have been heavily annotated by their previous owner, to an extent that there are no more page margins.

The Praelectiones set was written by Honoré Tournély, a French theologian (1658-1729). He taught theology at the University of Douai and then at the Sorbonne. After his retirement he began to revise his lectures on theology and prepare them for publication. The original eight texts were published between 1725 and 1730, covering similar topics to those written by Pierre Dens – God and his Attributes, Grace, Trinity, Church, Sacraments of Penance and Unction, Eucharist, Holy Orders and Marriage. Like Dens’ work, these texts were used in seminaries

Praelectiones Theologicae Matrimonii
Interior, pg. 338

for the education of the clergy and are still considered useful today. Because of his work, Tournély is considered one of the greatest theologians of his time.

The set in the Grimes collection was published in Paris 1739-1746 as a revised edition of the original texts. Similar to Dens’ texts, they contain Grimes’ personal bookplate with the location as Christchurch, New Zealand, indicating he obtained them or placed these bookplates inside the texts after his arrival in New Zealand in 1887. The set show barely any signs of provenance that could suggest who previously owned it, other than some leaflets for prayer that were found inside one of the volumes. The main pamphlet found in the Ecclesia Christi was printed in Rome in 1870. It is a letter from Archbishop Peter Richard Kenrick (1806-1893) of St Louis, Missouri to his brother, Archbishop Francis Patrick Kenrick (1797-1863) of Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America.

Considering Grimes’ influence and passion for education in his see, these texts hold a specific place in his collection as modes for aiding in the education of his own clergy and priests. It is even possible that before he came to New Zealand, he learnt from texts like this in Europe and found them so vital to his own education that he brought a set out to the growing Pacific colony.

Reference

Dégert, Antoine. “Honoré Tournély.” The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 14. New York: Robert Appleton Company,1912. 13 Nov. 2015
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/14800a.htm

Van Hove, Alphonse. “Peter Dens.” The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 4. New York: Robert Appleton Company,1908. 13 Nov. 2015
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/04733a.htm

O'Shea, John J. “Francis Patrick and Peter Richard Kenrick.” The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 8. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1910. 13 Nov. 2015

http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/08618a.htm

Tractatus de Deo Trino et Uno..., 1786. University of Canterbury Rare Books Collection - 128520 - TractatusDeo - Marginella6

Tractatus theologici de Verbi Divini Incarnatione..., 1786. University of Canterbury Rare Books Collection - TractatusTheologiciVerbi - 129884 - Provenance1

Praelectiones Theologicae de Sacramento Matrimonii, 1743. University of Canterbury Rare Books Collection - Praelectiones Matrimonii - 118643 - Interior - pg338

An Abundance of Bibles

Dedication to
Ferdinand VII, Biblia Sacra

A Bishop’s book collection would be incomplete without at least one bible. Grimes has a few of them, ranging in language, place of publication and age from the seventeenth century to the nineteenth century. Four distinct bibles appear as part of Grimes’ Collection in the University of Canterbury’s Rare Books.

There is one bible in his collection that has no publication details other than its editor. The Biblia Sacra is an Old Testament Vulgate bible edited by Johannes Zamboni. It is a two volume set that was dedicated to Ferdinand VII of Spain (1784-1833). The University has estimated that it was published in the nineteenth century based on its binding. It only shows the provenance of the Canterbury Catholic Literary Society, founded in 1882 which grew out of the Catholic Young Men’s Society and in 1885 had between 800 and 900 volumes in its circulation.

Interior of Novum Testamentum

The next bible is the Novum Testamentum = He Kaine Diatheke (1741), written in both Greek and Latin by Johanne Leusden and published in Amsterdam. It bears the ink stamp of Bishop Grimes and has side by side versions of the bible in Greek and Latin. It has a number of pencilled annotations in the pages and a dedication in the back. You may remember the mention of this dedication from a previous blog (Lost in a Good Book, Pt 1) to a man’s sister, as a text that would hopefully aid her in her life. Because this book was published in Amsterdam in the eighteenth century, this book may have some Protestant influence behind it. The official religion of Amsterdam, like other countries on the continent, was predominantly Lutheran and Calvinist.

John Wells, Esq Bookplate
La Sainte Bible, Vol 5

The La Sainte Bible, edited by a number of authors, was published in 1748 by Gabriel Martin in Paris. This bible is 14 volumes in French and Latin. Not only does it contain the religious text of the church, but it also contains images like the Tabernacle in the traditional tent set up. The spines on almost all of the texts are worn, and some are split halfway through the book. Their worn appearance makes me think that they have been well used or may not have been looked after as well as they could have been. Most of the volumes contain the bookplate of a John Wells, Esq and the personal bookplate of ‘J.J. Grimes, Christchurch, N.Z.’

An Bíobla Naoṁṫha Cover

One of the more interesting bibles in Grimes’ collection is An Bíobla Naoṁṫha, an Irish bible published in 1830 by Goodwin, Son & Nethercott in Dublin. Because of Ireland's religious background, this is most certainly a bible based on the dominant faith; Catholicism. The editor of the text is unknown and because of its severely deteriorated spine, there was not an opportunity to take pictures of the interior. It does not contain either Grimes’s bookplate or inkstamp and has no signs of annotations. It may have entered Grimes' collection in this state or it was well used by the Bishop.

I was not expecting Grimes to have such a range of bibles in his collection when I began creating the database. It is curious to see an Irish bible in his collection. I wonder if he knew Gaelic or if he had bought it as a simply an interesting bible to have in his collection or to help with the Irish Catholics in his congregation. He would have certainly learnt Latin and French at his schools in England and France for the other bibles to be relevant. I find it interesting how many rare bibles he had in his collection, not to mention the more recent bibles that may be in his larger collection.


References

Mosley, M. Illustrated Guide to Christchurch and Neighbourhood: Canterbury Catholic Literary  Society. 1885.Victoria, University of Wellington. 
http://nzetc.victoria.ac.nz/tm/scholarly/tei-MosIllu-t1-body1-d6-d14.html

Biblia Sacra. University of Canterbury Rare Books Collection - 493356 - BibliaSacra - Vol1 - Provenance1

Novum Testamentum, 1741. University of Canterbury Rare Books Collection - 493360 - NovumTestamentum - Interior1

La Sainte Bible, 1748. University of Canterbury Rare Books Collection - 493224 - LaSainte - Vol5 - Bookplate - Grimes&Wells

An Bíobla Naoṁṫha, 1830. University of Canterbury Rare Books Collection - 493446 - BioblaNaomhtha - Cover2

History Books, Pt. 3 - European History

Frontis Piece of Holy Roman Emperor Charles V
opposite the title page.

Another period of history that seemed to interest Grimes is that between the fifteenth and sixteenth century.  This time period was known for the Reformation, a period where a new group of theologians split from the Catholic Church and formed the various Protestant Churches.

The first of these texts in Grimes' collection is The history of the reign of Emperor Charles V: with a view of the progress of society in Europe, from the subversion of the Roman Empire, to the beginning of the sixteenth century (1812) by William Robertson (1721-93). Originally published in 1769, History of the Reign of Charles V was one of three histories written by Robertson that gained popularity. His books reflect his interest in the origins of political structures and European exploration and conquest (as seen in his 1777 History of America). His 1769 publication focusses on the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V (1500-1588) who was key in instigating the Catholic Counter-Reformation in response to the growing Protestant movement. The University’s copy is a thirteenth edition, indicating it was an important text across the years, because it continued to be republished and sold. Two of the books in the set of four are marked by a small bookseller ticker on the board cover of ‘Angus & Robertson’. 

Angus and Robertson
Book Seller Ticket

The bookstore was operating at this general address during the period of 1884-1895, until the two brothers moved their shop to another location in Sydney. The seller ticket in this book tells us that it managed to make its way to New Zealand via our neighbour, Australia. Grimes visited Australia frequently and often had the opportunity to purchase items from stores.

Sir Henry George Ward
Signature

The last history text is a 1707 copy of The History of the Rebellion and Civil Wars in England, begun in the year 1641 by Edward Clarendon (1609-74). Edward Hyde, the First Earl of Clarendon was a politician and historian who held the prestigious position of chief advisor to King Charles I at age 31. However, after the Restoration of the English crown, he fell out of favour and fled to France where he completed his book on the history of the English rebellion and civil wars. In 1660 he found himself the father-in-law of the future James II of England and Scotland, before passing away in Roeun in 1674. The Grimes copy is one of three sets at the University and is marked by the previous ownership of Sir Henry George Ward, a politician active during the nineteenth-century. He was associated with political affairs to do with the New Zealand Company before he was appointed Governor of modern day Sri Lanka. The Civil Wars of England resulted in the execution of Charles I and the exile of his son Charles II. While there were a number of aspects that lead to the civil wars, religion played a significant role. One of the main issues was the introduction of a Catholic styled Common Prayer Book into predominantly Protestant areas (Scotland and Ireland). 

With all the time that I have spent looking at the collection and its numerous religious texts, it has been slow progress for me to understand Bishop Grimes and what his books say about him. I can only assume that the secular history books were purchased out of interest, and interest that Grimes and I both share. Although a number of aspects of the collection has fascinated me, this is one of the first groups of books that has satisfied my appetite as a scholar, rather than an intern.

References

"Robertson, William." An Oxford Companion to the Romantic Age. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1999.

Angus and Robertson Bookworld. 2015. http://www.angusrobertson.com.au/company-information#arStory

Birch, Dinah. "Clarendon, Edward Hyde, Earl of." The Oxford Companion to English Literature. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2009

Seymour, A.A.D. "Ward, Sir Henry George." The Oxford National Dictionary of Biography. . Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2004.

The History of the Reign of Charles V..., 1812. University of Canterbury Rare Books Collection - 130033 - HistoryCharlesV - Vol2 - FrontisPiece

The History of the Reign of Charles V..., 1812. University of Canterbury Rare Books Collection - 130033 - HistoryCharlesV - Vol3 - Booksellerticket - AngusRobertson

The History of the Rebellion and Civil Wars, begun in the year 1641 (Set 3), 1707. University of Canterbury Rare Books Collection - 131181 History - Vol2 - Provenance1 

History Books, Pt. 2 - Religious History

Ecclesiastical History 
Vol. 1 Title Page

 Within Bishop Grimes' collection, I have found two religious history books: one about An Ecclesiastical History, Ancient and Modern (1819 ) and Antiquitates Christianae… (1694). 

An Ecclesiastical History, Ancient and Modern outlines the history of the Catholic Church . Like the first History book I talked about (Ancient History) the Ecclesiastical History was also sold by Thomas Baker of Soho Square. It bears Grimes' personal book plate, and the name of Thomas Thomson. The Ecclesiastical History was written by a German Lutheran in the eighteenth century. Johann Mosheim was influential in the internal organization of the University of Göttingen. His most prominent piece of work, Ecclesiastical History was written as an educational textbook, and was revised often by the professor of theology. It begins from the birth of Christ up until the beginning of the eighteenth century, with the inclusion of a discussion of the emergence of other dominations. Despite being written by a Protestant author, this book would have been useful for understanding the Catholic Church and the other denominations present in Canterbury, New Zealand.

 Written by Jeremy Taylor and William Cave, the Antiquitates Christianae  follows the life of Jesus Christ and his close apostles. The University of Canterbury copy is an 8^th edition, bearing the ink stamp of Father Le Menant, a French priest in New Zealand who wasvisiting Rangiora in 1881 and Temuka in 1895. During these visits he may have gifted this copy to the Catholic Church, or during his later visit, to Bishop Grimes himself. This is only one of the two

Antiquitates Christianae
Grimes Ink stamp over  Menant's Ink stamp

books bearing Father Menant’s ink stamp. The other was a copy of William Cave’s Apostolici, a book about the lives and martyrdoms of people contemporary to the apostles and a 3000 year history of the Catholic Church. Apostolici  was published in 1716 in London and like the other book gifted to Grimes, shows us that Father Menant and Grimes saw the value in having a book that outlined the history of the church at such an early age, despite the number of changes through reformations that have happened over the centuries.


Grimes had a number of religious texts in his collection, ranging from bibles to lectures and examinations of the Catholic and Protestant faith. Finding  religious history books in his collection was no surprise to me. It is only another facet to the side of a Bishop who was a well-educated and informed man with a great enthusiasm for his occupation and life. 

References

"Mosheim, Johann Lorenz Von." New Catholic Encyclopedia. Washington D.C.: Catholic University of America, 1967.

"The Rev. Father Le Menant. Des Chesnais At Rangiora". New Zealand Tablet. IX.436, (19 August 1881). Article. http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&d=NZT18810819.2.26

"Rev. Theophilus Le Menant Des Chesnais, S.M." New Zealand Tablet. XXII.22. (27 September 1895). Article. http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&d=NZT18950927.2.36

An Ecclesiastical History, Ancient and Modern,  1819. University of Canterbury Rare Books Collection - 130323 - EcclesiasticalHistory - Vol1 - Title

Antiquitates Christianae, or the Life and Death of  the Holy Jesus..., 1694. University of Canterbury Rare Books Collection - 123777 - AntiquitatesChristianae - Inkstamp - Grimes&Menant

History Books, Pt.1 - Early Mediterranean History

One of the genres in Grimes collection that has interested me the most out of all of the subjects is History. It is one of my majors for my degree and a reason why I chose to take part in a Rare Books internship. When I was creating the database of titles in the collection, I was glad to come across not one, but four history texts that belonged to Bishop Grimes. These books cover a range of topics, from the ancient history of the inhabitants around the Mediterranean to the history of the Europeans countries. But despite their innocent appearance as a history book, these texts in his collection all seem to return to the topic of the Catholic faith, or another form of religion.

Map of Assyria in The Ancient History (1820)

The earliest time period that is present in Grimes' collection is a copy of Charles Rollins’ The Ancient History of the Egyptians, Carthaginians, Assyrians, Babylonians, Medes & Persians, Macedonians, and Grecians (1820). Charles Rollins (1661-1741) was a French academic whose other works included Roman History and a book called Traité des Etudes. Translated from French, the UC copy is in 6 volumes and contains maps and the seller ticket of Thomas Baker, 1 Soho Square, London 1*. Although Grimes’ copy has nothing particularly special about it (because it is a late edition and there are no signs of earlier provenance) it is still an interesting book for him to have in his collection, considering that this time period was characterised by its monotheistic and pagan religions, before the emergence of the Christianity.

Another history text in Grimes’ collection focusses on a group of inhabitants who emerged in the thirteenth century and were geographically close to those discussed in Ancient History. The generall Historie of the Turkes, from the first beginning of that nation to the rising of the Othoman familie: with all the notable expeditions of the Christian princes against them. Together with the lives and conqvests of the Othoman kings

An illustration from The Generall Historie of the Turkes (1820)

and emperours (1631) is a book written by Richard Knolles (c.1545-1610), a great English historian of the sixteenth-century.  His book about the history of the Turks received the attention of an eighteenth-century writer, Samuel Jackson. Although it is only a 4^th edition of the 1603 text, the Grimes copy is the only text from this edition outside of North America and Europe. While the material remains the same, the 4^th edition differs by the fact that it contains a continuation by Sir Thomas Roe, an English diplomat and Ambassador in Constantinople. As suggested in the title, this book would have contained some of the history behind the Catholic Crusades taken against the Muslim Ottoman empire, either in a religious war, or to regain the sacred city, Jerusalem.

These early history books hold an interesting place in Grimes' collection as texts referring to events before and after the first millennium of the Catholic faith. It also exhibits Grimes' interest for a range of religions, such as Islam and the early Roman pagan gods,

* The 'Thomas Baker' book seller ticket was found in Benjamin Calamy’s Sermons Preached Upon Several Occasions (1700). Thomas Baker was operating between 1884 and 1903 in London's Soho Square. (See Provenance Blog for more information)

References

New Advent. "Rollin, Charles." Catholic Encyclopedia. 2012. http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/13119b.htm 

Birch, Dinah. "Knolles, Richard." The Oxford Companion to English Literature. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2009.

The Ancient History of  the Egyptians..., 1820. University of Canterbury Rare Books Collection - 115798 - AnicentHistory - Vol1 - Interior - Map - Book 3

The Generall Historie of the Turkes..., 1631, 4th ed. University of Canterbury Rare Books Collection - 2108577 - HistorieTurkes - Interior - pg245