Commonplace book of verse and prose, compiled by Benjamin Coles

  • This material is held at
  • Reference
      GB 206 Brotherton Collection MS Lt 53
  • Dates of Creation
      1741
  • Name of Creator
  • Language of Material
      English Latin
  • Physical Description
      1 vol. (73 ff.) Bound in limp green sheepskin. Autograph. Front endpapers bear Biblical and Latin epigraphs and presentation notes of Benjamin Coles, the compiler and author, to his brother John, Epiphany 1741; recto of the front free endpaper has a table of contents. Rear endpapers have notes on composition, 1 October 1741, by Coles, and ownership marks of the Foster family, Derbyshire, 1780s.

Scope and Content

Contains numerous poems in English and Latin, some of them apparently by Benjamin Coles, dated 17 January 1740/41 to 24 July 1740/41; there are also prose pieces on death, atheism, tobacco, witches and other topics; a canting glossary; and "A short account of the life and rambles of B.C. [i.e. Benjamin Coles]"

Administrative / Biographical History

Benjamin Coles was of Great Forster's, Egham, Surrey. An autobiographical account of his life is included in the manuscript.

Access Information

Access is unrestricted

Acquisition Information

Bought at Sotheby's sale, 22 July 1978, lot 75

Note

In English and Latin

Other Finding Aids

The poems are indexed in the BCMSV database http://www.leeds.ac.uk/library/spcoll/bcmsv/intro.html

Related Material

Another compilation of verse and prose by Benjamin Coles is contained in Brotherton Collection MS Lt 24