City
1731 Mackerell, Benjamin, 13
the present Library
Keeper
1733 Whaley, John 1
Bennet, Gilbert 2
1733 Jermy, John 40
1732 Ellis, Ben-Jos[eph], 2
Minister of St.
Andrew's in Norwich
1737 Jermy, John, Esq. 14
1737 Nash, Robert, Esq., 4
Chancellor of this
Diocese

PART II. THE PUBLIC LIBRARY.

FOUNDATION AND HISTORY.

Warrington and Salford claim to have established the earliest examples of
municipally-controlled and rate-supported free popular libraries in the
United Kingdom, they having added books to the attractions of their
museums which were established in 1848 and 1849 respectively under the
Act of 1845 "for encouraging the establishment of museums in large
towns." Norwich, however, has the distinction of being the first
municipality to adopt the first public library act, which was due to the
labours of Mr. William Ewart. Ewart's act received the royal assent on
the 14th August, 1850, and within seven weeks Norwich had decided to
adopt it!

[Picture: Norwich Public Library. Foundation Stone Laid 13th September,
1854. Library Opened 16th March, 1857]

The initiator of the library movement in Norwich apparently was Mr.
Thomas Brightwell, a man of scientific tastes, who was Mayor of the City
in 1837. At the Council meeting held on September 13th, 1850, he drew
attention to the new act, and, according to the first annual report of
the Library, he "presented a strongly worded memorial signed by 600
persons." He succeeded in carrying his motion that the Mayor be directed
to ascertain the feeling of the citizens as to whether the provisions of
the new act should be adopted, and a poll of the burgesses was taken on
September 27th, when 150 voted in favour of the adoption of the act while
only 7 voted against it. The act provided that a rate of one halfpenny
in the pound might be levied for library purposes, but no provision was
made for buying books. In 1855 this act was repealed by another, which
remained the principal library act for England and Wales until 1892; it
allowed one penny in the pound to be levied, and provided for the
purchase of