Supporting the Old Library
Since its foundation in 1350, Trinity Hall’s library has been supported by generous donors. Our founder, Bishop Bateman, gave the College his manuscripts on canon law, civil law, theology and chapel books. Among subsequent notable donors are the sixteenth-century antiquarian Robert Hare, and several former Masters including William Mowse (1552-53 and 1555-59), Thomas Eden (1626-45) and Sir Nathanael Lloyd (1710-35).
The Old Library’s collections continue to be supported by generous donors right up to the present day. With your help we can secure the future of this unique Library and the treasures it contains!
Support
You are invited to join the Supporters of the Old Library scheme by sponsoring one of the following projects:
Digitisation project
We have started to digitise selected medieval manuscripts in collaboration with Cambridge University Library’s Digital Content Unit. This will increase access to our collections, while helping to preserve our precious physical copies. You can help by sponsoring the photography of the manuscripts.
£800-1,000 will digitise a single medieval manuscript.
Conservation project
We care for our manuscripts and books with a rolling programme of conservation. However, funds are limited and there are many items in need of attention. You can help by sponsoring this vital conservation work.
Rare books conservation
£100 will repair one printed book by re-attaching the boards.
£500 will fund the conservation of one printed book needing more intensive work (including re-backing with paper and binding repair).
£1,000 will repair one manuscript (including dis-binding, resewing, repair to torn leaves, re-binding and box) or will repair several printed books (including repair to the binding, extensive paper and repair to torn pages).
Unless you prefer your support to remain anonymous, each volume conserved through your support will contain a bookplate recording your name as sponsor. Your support will also be recorded in the Roll of Supporters of the Old Library on our website and in the Roll of Benefactors published in the annual Trinity Hall Newsletter.
With the help of the Supporters of the Old Library we can preserve these precious collections for future generations and open up the riches of the Old Library to scholars of today.
Donation of books
We very rarely add to the collections housed in the Old Library because of constraints of space. We limit our acquisitions to outstanding books that will complement the strengths of our exisitng collections.
In the last few years we have been delighted to accept the following generous donations:
- An early edition of the Authorised Version of the King James Bible (London 1616) and volumes by William Cave, Chaplain in Ordinary to King Charles II, Apostolici (London, 1682), Ecclesiastici (London, 1683), Discourse of the Ancient Church Government (London, 1683), and Antiquitates apostolicæ (London, 1684) presented by Revd Bill Cave (TH 1973)
- Three volumes of Papal bulls Magnum Bullarium Romanum (Lyons, 1655; Luxemburg, 1727 and 1730) presented by Dr Philipp Mohr (TH 1990)
Benefits
- Invitation to Supporters events.
- You will be listed in the Roll of Supporters of the Old Library published below (unless you wish to remain anonymous).
To become a Supporter of the Old Library please contact the Development Director.
You can also follow our Supporters of the Old Library Facebook page or follow the Old Library on our blog or on Twitter.
We would like to thank the following Supporters of the Old Library who have generously contributed to our appeal since its launch in July 2010.
- Deirdre Benson
- Sir Jeffrey Bowman
- Charles Brewin (TH 1957)
- Anne Burrowes
- Richard M Butterworth (TH 1944)
- Michael V Carey (TH 1945)
- William Cave-Brown-Cave (TH 1973)
- Barrie Colman
- Judge Colin Colston (TH 1958)
- James Cook
- Tom Crawley
- Simon Erskin Crum
- Dr John E Dalby (TH 1944)
- Bruce Drew (TH 1956)
- Kathleen Eeles
- Derek Elliott (TH 1968)
- Richard Ferens (TH 1957)
- Revd Cortland Fransella (TH 1967)
- Mrs R E Gardiner
- Hon Richard Godber
- Trevor Grigg (TH 1955)
- Harry Guest (TH 1951)
- Professor A R Hale (TH 1963)
- Mrs Bridget Hankinson
- Peter Heneage
- J R Herklots (TH 1950)
- Peter Hill (TH 1958)
- Peter and Jenifer Holroyd-Smith
- Francis Horn
- Geordie Hutchison
- Professor Sydney Jackman
- Gerald Kaye
- Professor Michael Kelly
- Mrs Ralph W Kern
- Susie Lockhart-Smith
- Richard Matson
- Dr Philipp Mohr (TH 1990)
- Fergus Moynihan
- Mrs Jenny Nall
- Lady Jean Nevile
- Tim O’Connor-Fenton
- Dr Caroline Paul (TH 1994)
- Nicholas Payne
- Dr John Pollard
- Maria Puma (Renaissance Journeys)
- Mr Norman Reeves (TH 1946)
- Mr Colin Shrimpton (TH 1958)
- Mrs John Stevens
- Wynne Strawson
- Michael and Elaine Taylor
- Margaret Thornhill
- George Vere-Laurie
- Christopher Wakefield (TH 1962)
- Jeremy Ware
- Mrs Annabel Weldon
- Peter Whitworth
- Martin Williams (TH 1966)
- Professor Christopher Wiseman (TH 1956)
- David Woolley, QC (TH 1958)
- Alumni of Trinity Hall (via the 2010, 2011 and 2012 Telephone Campaigns)
We are very grateful that some of the funds raised from alumni as a result of recent telephone campaigns have been allocated to Old Library projects. We would also like to thank numerous anonymous donors, including those who have contributed to our donations box in the Old Library.
