A PROVISIONAL CHECKLIST OF THE LIBRARY OF THOMAS BEWICK

ADDENDA AND ALTERATIONS

In April 2004, alterations were made to items 115a, 119, 120, 132, 144, 157, 172a, 174, 196, 207a, 379a and 382.

In September 2004, further alterations were made to items 1, 29a, 44, 83, 111, 115a, 159, 160, 172a, 207a, 238, 294, 326, 341, 342, 343, 379a and 382, 425, 426, 455, 479, 480.

In August 2005, further alterations were made to items 29a, 117, 215, 262, 318, 329, 337, 337a, 403, 429, 436, 445, 452, 459, 460, and 482.

In December 2005, further alterations were made to the contents, codes and markings, acknowledgements and references, and to items 32, 33, 55, 65, 74, 170, 270, 323, 367a, and 473. Very minor changes have been made to items 46, 117, 120, 124, 133, 136, 137, 143, 144, 148, 197, 318, 337, 342, 360, 366, 370, 371, 379, and 402.

Bewick, Thomas. Untitled notebook, [1781], with TB's handwritten records from Wycliffe.             (U)

Tyne & Wear Archives 1269/54.

Cop[e]land, H. A New Book of Ornaments, London: Cop[e]land and Bucksher, 1746; and

Lock, M. and Cop[e]land, H. A New Book of Ornaments 1752.            (M392)

A total of 20 loose plates from these two editions were sold at the 1884 auction (purchased by E. Pearson for 10s.).  

“For sometime after I entered to the business, I was employed in drawing Copelands Ornaments, and this was the only kind of drawing upon which I ever had a lesson given to me from anyone” (Memoir (1975) p.39).

Savage, William. Practical Hints on Decorative Printing, with Illustrations Engraved on Wood, and Printed in Colours at the Type Press, London: Published for the Proprietor by Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown; T. Cadell; J. Booth; J. Major; R. Triphook; and R. Jennings, 1822. 4to.]   (U,W)

Bewick seems to have arranged to receive this book as payment in kind for two that he sent to Savage in 1817, in effect using them as his subscription to the book:

“M^r  Savage, Printer Lucas Street Brunswick Square London.
1817 Jan 2       D^t 1 Sett Demy Birds    £1.6.0.             C^r   By his Book on Decorative printing. 
                             1 Imp^l  Copy Fables of Major?               [Pencilled note] Failed” (U). (T&WA 1269/83, page 21).

Thomas Bewick appears on the List of Subscribers.

(Major may have been John Major the London bookseller, one of the publishers of Decorative Printing. His Fables has not been identified. Bewick follows his mention of it with a (reversed) question mark, and fails to give it a price. Perhaps a book of Fables (? Gay's) was to be supplied to Savage in London by Major. There is no certainty that the promised book, published about 5 years after TB sent the Birds and Fables, was ever received. Indeed the later-pencilled “Failed” suggests that at some point Bewick gave up hope of receiving it. It was however published in two parts, the first in 1819 the second in 1822. An apology, dated 25 Nov 1818, and issued by the author with Part 1, expressed the hope that Part 2 would appear before the end of 1819. It may eventually have been received, presumably in 1822, in settlement of the old debt. TB's apprentice Charlton Nesbit contributed two engravings after Thurston (ex inf. Iain Bain). He, Edward Willis and Luke Clennell, and many other Newcastle men, all appear on the List of Subscribers, in addition to Bewick.)]

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Anderton, B, Gibson, WH.  Catalogue of the Bewick Collection (Pease Bequest) (Newcastle: Public Libraries Committee, 1904).

Angus, A. (1993) ‘Bewick's apprentices' Cherryburn Times, Vol. 1, No. 9: 2-3. (One of a series of articles on the apprentices extending from Vol.1, No.8 (1990) to Vol.2 No.9 (1995).)

Ashraf PM.  The life and times of Thomas Spence, (Newcastle: F. Graham, 1983).

Bain, I. “Bewick: a second gleaning”, The Book Collector, 21:95-105 (1972).

Bain, I. A memoir of Thomas Bewick written by himself, Edited with an introduction by Iain Bain. London: Oxford U.P., 1975.

Bain, I. Thomas Bewick Vignettes, being tail-pieces engraved principally for his General History of Quadrupeds & History of British Birds, (London: Scolar Press, 1979).

[Barnes, 1894] Catalogue of the valuable Books, Silver, and Water-Colour Sketches, belonging to the late J.W. Barnes, Esq., F.S.A. of the Bank, Durham ... Messrs R. & W. Mack auctioneers ... to sell by auction ... May 10th & 11th, 1894, at the Art Gallery, Grainger Street, Newcastle upon Tyne.

[Bell, 1860] Catalogue of the books forming the library of the late Thos. Bell, Esq which will be sold by auction, commencing on Monday, Oct. 15, 1860, Newcastle: JG Forster, 1860.

[Bewick Exhibition 1886] Methodist New Connexion Conference, Newcastle 1886. Programme of Conversazione and Bewick Exhibition to be held in the Assembly Rooms, Westgate, Newcastle on Monday, June 21st 1886 commencing at 6 o’clock. Illustrated with Bewick cuts. Newcastle: Printed by Andrew Reid, 1886

Bewick Memento: with an introduction by Robert Robinson (London: Field and Tuer, The Leadenhall Press, n.d. [c1884].

[Bewick Sale, 1884.] Catalogue of a scarce and curious collection of books and engravings, formerly belonging to Thomas Bewick, the eminent wood engraver, ... to be sold by auction, ... by Messrs. Davison and Son, within the Academy of Arts, Blackett Street, Newcastle-upon-Tyne (1884).

Boyd, Julia. Bewick Gleanings: being impressions from copperplates and wood blocks, engraved in the Bewick workshop, remaining in possession of the family until the death of the last Miss Bewick ... (Newcastle: Andrew Reid, 1886).

[Boyd, 1892] Catalogue of the “Julia Boyd” Collection, sold by Davison and Son at the Academy of Arts, Newcastle upon Tyne, October, 1892.

de Smet, J. Thomas Bewick: extending the range of vision, Thesis for the Degree of MA in Literary Studies, University of Wales at Aberystwyth, 2001.

Dobson, Austin. Thomas Bewick and his pupils, 2nd edition, (London: Chatto & Windus, 1899).

Egerer, J.W. A Bibliography of Robert Burns, (Edinburgh and London: Oliver and Boyd, 1964).

Fox, G.T. Synopsis of the Newcastle Museum, Newcastle: Printed by T. & J. Hodgson and sold by E. Charnley, [Newcastle] and W. Wood, London, 1827.

Gardner-Medwin, D. ‘Thomas Bewick's Library', in Bewick Studies: Essays in Celebration of the 250^th Anniversary of Thomas Bewick, 1753-1828, (Newcastle upon Tyne: The Bewick Society, The British Library and Oak Knoll Press, 2003).

Glendinning, D., Flowers, A. and Flowers, A. Thomas Bewick, 1753-1828. Newcastle upon Tyne: Tyne Bridge Publishing, 2003.

Horsley, P.M. Eighteenth Century Newcastle, (Newcastle: Oriel Press, 1971).

Hugo, T. The Bewick Collector: A descriptive catalogue of the works of Thomas and John Bewick including ... contained in the largest and most perfect collection ever formed ..., and Supplement ..., (London: Lovell & Reeve & Co, 1866, 1868).

[Hugo, 1877.] Catalogue of the choice and valuable collection of books, woood engravings, and engraved woodcut blocks ... relating to Thomas & John Bewick and their pupils, gleaned from every available source by the late Rev. Thomas Hugo ... sold by .. Sotheby, Wilkinson & Hodge ... on 8th & 9th August 1877.

Hunt, CJ. The Book Trade in Northumberland and Durham to 1860, (Newcastle: Thorne's Students' Bookshop Ltd for the History of the Book Trade in the North, 1975).

Kerslake, T. “Bewick's Masters”, Notes and Queries 5th Series, IX: 43-4 (1878).

Mackenzie, E. A Descriptive and Historical Account of the Town and County of Newcastle upon Tyne, including the Borough of Gateshead. 2^nd Edition, 2 volumes (Newcastle: Mackenzie and Dent, 1827).

[Marshall, 1909.] Catalogue of the valuable library of John Mitchell Marshall, Esq. (Deceased) of Wallingford comprising an important and valuable collection of works, chiefly illustrated by Thomas and John Bewick, also ... which will be sold by auction by Messers. Sotheby, Wilkinson & Hodge, ... 25th November 1909.

Memoir. See Bain (1975).

Parish, C.  The Literary and Philosophical Society of Newcastle upon Tyne: the building and development of the Library 1793-1986. Newcastle: for the Society, 1987.

[Robinson, R.] Bewick Memento: with an introduction by Robert Robinson (London: Field and Tuer, The Leadenhall Press, n.d. c.1884)

Robinson, R. Thomas Bewick, his Life and Times, (Newcastle: Robinson, 1887)

[Robinson 1890] Catalogue of the very extensive and valuable collection of books forming the library of the late T.W.U. Robinson, Esq., of Hardwick Hall, in the County of Durham ... sold by ... R. & W. Mack at 73 Pilgrim Street, Newcastle upon Tyne on 24-28th February 1890, (Newcastle: J. Bell, 1890).

Rush, J. A Beilby Odyssey, Olney, Buckinghamshire: Nelson & Saunders, 1987; pp 156-8.

Tattersfield, N. “Bewick as an investment: some sign posts for collectors,” Cherryburn Times, Vol.2, No.4: 2-6, (1993).

Tattersfield, N. Bookplates by Beilby & Bewick, London: British Library and Knoll Press, 1999.

Tattersfield, N. John Bewick: engraver on wood 1760-1795. An appreciation of his life together with an annotated catalogue of his illustrations and designs, (London: The British Library and Knoll Press, 2001).

Welford, R. Men of Mark 'twixt Tyne and Tweed, (London: Walter Scott, 1895).

[Whitehead, 1877] Catalogue of a valuable and unique collection of books, illustrated by Thomas and John Bewick; including Bewick's Quadrupeds, first edition, large and thick paper (only 4 copies printed), Bewick's own copy ... collected during a period of nearly Thirty Years by Thomas Miller Whitehead; sold by Auction by Christie, Manson and Woods, June 25, 1877.

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The compiler is grateful to Ms Janine de Smet whose MA thesis introduced him to Bewick's library, and whose comments on an early draft were crucially helpful; to Iain Bain and June Holmes for many valuable suggestions; Mr Hugh Dixon, Mr Stewart Thirkell and The National Trust for access to the bookroom at Cherryburn, Northumberland and the library at Wallington Hall; Mr Rodney Ingram  for information about item 32; Mrs Felicity Stimpson for information about item 55; several owners of private collections who here remain anonymous; Mrs Dilys Harding at Newcastle City Library; Ms. Helen Arkwright at the Robinson Library, the University of Newcastle; the many archivists and librarians at these libraries, and at the Literary and Philosophical Society of Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne & Wear Archives, and the Northumberland Record Office who have been unfailingly helpful. The use of the microfilm version of their manuscript material made available to Newcastle City Library by the Huntington Library, San Marino, California, is gratefully acknowledged.

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