50 pounds. At the
time of the first annual report the total amount of donations received
for the purchase of books, etc., and interest thereon was 357 pounds : 7
: 1, nearly all of which had been expended in the purchase of books,
periodicals and newspapers.

On September 30th, 1854, the Council proceeded to the formation of a body
of management, on lines suggested by a Committee which had been appointed
to arrange preliminary proceedings for establishing a free library, and
the following accepted office: President and Treasurer, Sir Samuel
Bignold, Mayor of Norwich. Vice-Presidents: The Lord Bishop of Norwich,
Lord Wodehouse, Lord Stafford, Lord Suffield, Sir J. P. Boileau, Mr. S.
M. Peto, M.P., Mr. J. H. Gurney, M.P., Mr. H. J. Stracey, and the Rev.
Edwin Sidney. Committee: Aldermen E. Willett and C. Darkins; Councillors
Thomas Brightwell, J. G. Johnson, J. H. Tillett, J. Barwell, W. J. Utten
Browne, O. Springfield, and two co-opted members, Dr. Goodwin and Mr. J.
W. Dowson. Hon. Secretary, Mr. A. D. Bayne, the author of the
"Comprehensive History of Norwich," 1869. The Committee had power to add
to its number not exceeding five, and it was also resolved that the
Committee should include five members to be nominated by the subscribers
and five by the working classes. The Committee shortly afterwards added
to its number. Protests were received regarding the proposal that
admission to the Library should be by subscription, and apparently it was
not proceeded with. In accordance with the other resolution of the
Council, to the effect that the working classes should nominate five
persons to serve on the Committee, the Mayor convened a meeting of the
"working classes" at St. Andrew's Hall on the 1st October, 1856, when the
following were selected for nomination to the Council, and were duly
elected on the 16th October: Mr. C. J. Bunting, printer, Mr. Daniel
Weavers, weaver, Mr. Henry Roberts, herbalist, Mr. L. Hill, news-vendor,
and Mr. James Lofty, hairdresser.

The Library was opened on the 16th March, 1857, without any public
function, owing to the difficulty of getting an eminent person to perform
the ceremony, and the Committee resolved to celebrate the opening at a
later date, which, however, was not done, although Mr. Ewart had promised
to be present. According to the particulars in the appendices of J. J.
Ogle's "The Free Library," Norwich was the eleventh modern rate-supported
public library to open its