Library Collection

An illuminated initial at the beginning of the Gospel of John in the eighth-century Hereford Gospels (MS P.I.2 f.102)
A section from the Hereford Gospels

Medieval Manuscripts

The Library's 229 medieval manuscript books include not only the cathedral's own medieval library, but also books from the libraries of monastic houses, mostly in south-west England and Wales, which were dispersed at the Reformation in the early 16th century. They are almost all chained to the 17th-century bookcases in the Chained Library .

The manuscripts date from the 8th to the 15th centuries; about half of them were made in the 12th century. About 180 - a remarkably high proportion - are in medieval bindings. Many have illuminated initials, although the level of decoration on the whole is modest.

Their subjects are chiefly works of theology and biblical commentaries from the earlier period, and law books from the later period. Most of the contents are standard works, but there are unique items by Cadogan of Bangor and Gervase of Tilbury. In addition to the Hereford Gospels, the two most celebrated manuscripts in the collection are the Wycliffite Bible, an early 15th-century copy of the later version of the first translation of the whole Bible into English, and the Hereford Breviary, the only surviving copy of this medieval liturgy with musical notation.

A catalogue of the manuscripts is available in published form: Catalogue of the Manuscripts of Hereford Cathedral Library by R.A.B. Mynors and R.M. Thomson, Cambridge, D.S. Brewer, 1993, ISBN 0859913902.

Early Printed books

Chained Books

Apart from the manuscripts, the rest of the approximately 1500 books in the Chained Library are printed books dating from the late 15th to the early 19th centuries. 56 of them are incunabula, i.e. books printed 1500 or earlier. They represent the whole history of the Library up to 1841, when the Chained Library was moved out of the Lady chapel: no books were chained after this date. Theology, biblical studies, law and church history again make up the bulk of their subjects.

Unchained books

About 1500 of the books acquired since 1841 were printed before 1801. These include: the library of the College of the Vicars Choral at Hereford Cathedral, comprising 582 volumes chiefly of the 16th and 17th centuries, added to the Cathedral Library after the College was dissolved in 1937; c.150 16th and 17th century volumes from the library of the Jesuit College at Cwm, acquired in 1678 when the college was dissolved; 242 16th and 17th century volumes from the theological portion of the library of Stoke Edith House, Herefordshire, the gift of Paul Henry Foley in 1925.

Special Collections

Music part-books, manuscript and printed, used by the Organist and Choir of Hereford Cathedral from the late 17th to the 19th centuries: about 250 volumes.

The Chained Library of All Saints Church Hereford, bequeathed to the church by Dr William Brewster in 1715; sold by the church in 1995 and purchased for the Mappa Mundi Trust: 326 volumes. These include the theological part of Brewster's personal library, but also some works of literature, travel and science.

The Library of Lady Hawkins School Kington, deposited by the Governors of the School in 1978: c.260 volumes printed 1494-1782: chiefly theology, but with some science, classics, grammar, geography, etc.

Prints, drawings, photographs: a collection of visual materials from various sources, some loose and some in books or albums, forming a valuable source of illustration of the history of the cathedral, city and county of Hereford.

Modern Collection

About 12000 volumes printed since 1800 have been acquired since 1841, by both gift and purchase. The Library now adds about 300 items per year to its stock, and has the largest working ecclesiastical library in the diocese. In the lending library theology, biblical commentaries, church history, church arts and architecture, comparative religion and biography predominate; the reference library includes many works of more general historical reference, to assist both general enquirers and students working on the historical collections. The reference library includes a local history section, covering the cathedral, city and diocese of Hereford.

The Chained library

Part of the All Saints Chained library on display