For the benefit of members who may have missed a meeting and others who would like to judge the value of membership of the Wymondham Heritage Society, the report given to the local press will be repeated here.
The REv William Hawys of Wymondham and his books: a late 17th century cleric's library by Clive Wilkins-Jones
27 May 2010
At the Heritage Society's meeting in the Fairland Hall members heard a well researched talk by Clive Wilkins-Jones on the Reverend William Hawys, a late 17th century cleric of Wymondham, and his books. Mr Wilkins-Jones, a community librarian attached to the Norfolk Heritage Centre, was introduced by Irene Woodward, the chairman.
With presses producing books in unprecedented numbers in the 17th century, learning was one of the passports to success, particularly in the church where clergy borrowed books from patrons and libraries. Tithe books, of which not too many survive in Norfolk and Suffolk, are a potential source of evidence of a clergyman's own holding of books; and luckily for Wymondham the Abbey's tithe books still exist for the period 1640-1836. The entries for 1691-92 tell us something about the Reverend Hawys's books, as well as the usual baptisms, marriages, hearth taxes, personal accounts and the like. At the time Hawys, who was educated at Norwich Grammar School and Corpus Christie College, Cambridge, was the Vicar. He was quite well connected and seemed reasonably affluent. In May 1689 he had been admitted to the Norwich City Library, the site of which is by the south porch of St Andrew's Hall. The library was a kind of club with members almost exclusively benefice clergy and a few physicians. It contained various bibles, theological works and books on science, philosophy, the history of the church and travel. But, as the Wymondham tithe book shows, Hawys owned over 60 books himself and had spent £30 on their purchase. Among his books were ones on theology, cookery, sermons, law, medicine, political theory, as well as translations of French romances which could have been for his wife. At the time there seems there were no booksellers in Wymondham, but several in Norwich, where book auctions were also held.
Hawys died in October 1701 aged only 35 years old and there is an elaborate memorial to him in the chancel of Wymondham Abbey.
John Wilson gave the vote of thanks.
Philip Yaxley