Papers of Percy Simpson

The papers of Percy Simpson including:

• material concerning the history of the English Faculty Library containing: Percy Simpson's notes on the subject; printed regulations for the English School; some letters; lists of readers, new members, books and fines; a notice about missing books, etc., 1915-29, n.d.
• photographic reproductions of printed books, early 20th century
• printed items, some annotated, including articles, proofs, reviews, etc., early 20th century
• transcripts of manuscripts and early printed books, etc., late 19th-early 20th century
• papers relating to Simpson's work on Ben Jonson, 1934-7, n.d.

Percy Simpson (1865-1962) was educated ar Selwyn College, Cambridge, and after a career as a schoolmaster, came to Oxford in 1913 to work for the Clarendon Press and to lecture in the School of English. From 1914 to 1934 he was also the School's first Librarian. His monumental edition of Ben Jonson was published by the Clarendon Press, 1925-52. See the Dictionary of National Biography and A list of the published writings of Percy Simpson (Oxford, 1950) for further details.

Access to special collections is permitted at any time by prior arrangement with the Librarian (for admissions procedures see http://www.efl.ox.ac.uk).

The papers were bequeathed to the Library by Percy Simpson.

Collection level description created by Susan Thomas, Department of Special Collections and Western Manuscripts, Bodleian Library.

A manuscript list is available in the Library.

Percy Simpson also donated his collection of editions of the works of Ben Jonson to the Library.