Papers of Reverend John Magens Mello (1836-fl 1903), archaeologist and geologist,c.1876-1903

All items below are the work of Rev. Mello unless otherwise mentioned. The collectioncomprises:

• Exercise book entitled 'Primitive Man: his times and his companions'. The volume contains amanuscript about this subject and is accompanied by watercolour illustrations of stone and ironinstruments used by Stone Age and Iron Age Man, and some printed photographs of the caves atCreswell, Derbyshire. Undated, c.1876 (MS 45/1);
• Manuscript notes about Victoria Cave at Settle, Yorkshire accompanied by a letter to Rev. Melloon the subject and a printed card describing archaeological and geological composition. Undated,c.1876 (MS 45/2);
• Manuscript notes about the cave of La Biche-aux-voches, near Spy, Belgium. Undated (MS 45/3);
• Manuscript draft entitled 'Prehistoric Man'. Undated (MS 45/4);
• Printed article entitled 'Primitive Man II: Neolithic Man'. 1893 (MS 45/5);
• Printed article entitled 'Les Grottes de Creswell', 1882 (MS 45/6);
• Printed article by H.C. March entitled 'Ancestral man or flints and who fashioned them' (London:John Heywood, 1883) (MS 45/7);
• Two drawing books entitled 'Glimpses of English History'. The books contain a history of Englandfrom the prehistoric age to 1903 written by Mello in verse and illustrated with small watercoloursdepicting scenes from English history. 1903 (MS 45/8).

John Magens Mello was the first son of John Arnold Mello of St. George's, London. He passed hismatriculation examination in 1854 at the age of 18 and entered St. John's College, University ofOxford where he attained a BA. (1859) and an MA. (1863). He held the curacy of All Saints, Derbyfrom 1859-1863 and then became rector of St. Thomas's, Brampton, near Chesterfield from 1863-1887.He was the vicar for Mapperley, Derbyshire from 1887 until at least 1900.

Rev. Mello was also a keen geologist and local historian. His Handbook to the Geology ofDerbyshire was published in 1866, and again in revised form in 1891. He wrote a number ofarticles on aspects of geology, including some on the history of the village of Creswell, Derbyshireand its caves. He was also involved in examining finds during archaeological digs for Roman relicsat Duffield, Derbyshire. He was a fellow of the Geological Society, a member of La Societ Scientifique de Bruxelles, an honorary member of both the Chesterfield and Midland Institute ofEngineers and the Buxton Archaeological and Natural History Society, a member of the DerbyshireArchaeological and Natural History Society, and corresponding secretary of the VictoriaInstitute.

No archival arrangement has been necessary.

ACCESS: Accessible to all registered readers.

LANGUAGE: English

This description is the only finding aid available for the collection. Copyright on thedescription belongs to The University of Nottingham.

REPROGRAPHIC: Reprographic copies can be supplied for educational use and private study purposesonly, depending on access status and the condition of the documents.

COPYRIGHT: Permission to make published use of any material from this collection must be soughtin advance in writing from the Keeper of the Department of Manuscripts and Special Collections(email mss-library@nottingham.ac.uk). TheDepartment will try to assist in identifying copyright owners but this can be difficult and theresponsibility for copyright clearance before publication ultimately rests with the person wishingto publish.

The collection was acquired by University College Nottingham (now The University of Nottingham)in the 1930s.

• The University of Nottingham; Department of Manuscripts and Special Collections: Printedcopies of Mello's Handbook of the Geology of Derbyshire (London: Bemrose, 1891) and a boundcollection of scientific, geographical and geological printed papers by him (various publishers,1871-1889) are held in the department's East Midlands printed book collection. Reference: EastMidlands Collection De 1 C16 MEL