Sunderland Friends' Manuscripts

This small group of manuscripts includes rules for the library, catalogues, a borrowing register, and a book of suggestions for purchase, 19th-early 20th century, together with a two-volume manuscript anthology of poems and hymns compiled ca.1862-9, probably by members of the Barnard family.

The Sunderland Meeting is among those listed in the earliest record of Friends' particular meetings in Co. Durham, in 1679. References in the Meeting's own records show that it was purchasing books at least by 1710 and had an established library by 1725.

Arranged by document type.

Open for consultation.

Deposited, with its library, by the Sunderland Preparative Meeting of the Society of Friends, 1974.

Part of : Sunderland Society of Friends Library

Online catalogue available at online catalogue

The other records of the Sunderland Preparative Meeting of the Society of Friends, including both some library records and references to library matters in the more general records, are deposited in Durham County Record Office.

Permission to make any published use of material from the collection must be sought in advance from the Sub-Librarian, Special Collections (e-mail PG.Library@durham.ac.uk) and, where appropriate, from the copyright owner. The Library will assist where possible with identifying copyright owners, but responsibility for ensuring copyright clearance rests with the user of the material.

The major part of the surviving library of the Sunderland Preparative meeting of the Society of Friends was also deposited in the University Library in 1972. The deposit, amounting to ca. 880 items, includes all the surviving early books from the Sunderland Friends’ library.