A unique Welsh collection from the library of Sir Thomas Phillipps of Middle Hill

[Welsh authors]. Collection of Welsh-printed books and pamphlets in 100 volumes (96 works).

€ 75,000.00

The Welsh library of nineteenth-century Britain's most prolific bibliophile, nearly half of them from the library of the poet Thomas Price, a leading figure in the revival of the Eisteddfod. Over half the collection are first editions, and many are rarities found in few other collections. Embracing language, poetry, history and other topics, together they represent a unique find of great significance both for Welsh culture and for the history of collecting.

All but one of the 100 volumes contain the ownership inscriptions ("MHC") and hand-inked shelf-marks from the famous library of Sir Thomas Phillipps (1792-1896) at Middle Hill, and seventeen are bound in Middle Hill boards or wrappers. Sir Thomas was the most notable book and manuscript collector of the nineteenth century, amassing a library of around 100,000 volumes, probably the largest ever belonging to a private individual. His country residence of Middle Hill, in Worcestershire, was reported to be almost filled to the rafters with books and manuscripts. In 1863, he transferred his collection to Thirlstaine House in Cheltenham. Although some of Phillipps' volumes later entered major national collections such as the British Museum and the Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin, many of the reputed 105 wagon-loads of books remained in place until 1946, when they were sold en masse, many unexamined by anyone since Phillipps himself, and their importance unrecognised.

These 100 volumes represent a significant collection relating to Welsh culture, with the library of an Eisteddfod poet at their core. Proud of his Welsh heritage, Phillipps purchased a sizeable portion of the library of the poet Thomas Price, also known under his Bardic name, Carnhuanawc (1787-1848). Several of the volumes consist of poetry from the Eisteddfod, which Price was instrumental in reviving, and where he debuted as a writer and won a prize in 1824. As Price's magnum opus was the monumental Hanes Cymru (History of Wales, 1836), much of the collection is historical in nature. Language, literature, grammar and theology are among the other subjects present.

A unique Welsh library with a leading cultural figure at its heart, and a monument in this history of book-collecting. A detailed list of the collection is available on request.