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 collection comprises:

• Exercise book entitled 'Primitive Man: his times and his companions'. The volume contains a manuscript about this subject and is accompanied by watercolour illustrations of stone and iron instruments used by Stone Age and Iron Age Man, and some printed photographs of the caves at Creswell, Derbyshire. Undated, c.1876 (MS 45/1);
• Manuscript notes about Victoria Cave at Settle, Yorkshire accompanied by a letter to Rev. Mello on 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 England from the prehistoric age to 1903 written by Mello in verse and illustrated with small watercolours depicting 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 his matriculation examination in 1854 at the age of 18 and entered St. John's College, University of Oxford where he attained a BA. (1859) and an MA. (1863). He held the curacy of All Saints, Derby from 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 of Derbyshire was published in 1866, and again in revised form in 1891. He wrote a number of articles on aspects of geology, including some on the history of the village of Creswell, Derbyshire and its caves. He was also involved in examining finds during archaeological digs for Roman relics at 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 of Engineers and the Buxton Archaeological and Natural History Society, a member of the Derbyshire Archaeological and Natural History Society, and corresponding secretary of the Victoria Institute.

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 the description belongs to The University of Nottingham.

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

COPYRIGHT: Permission to make published use of any material from this collection must be sought in advance in writing from the Keeper of the Department of Manuscripts and Special Collections (email mss-library@nottingham.ac.uk). The Department will try to assist in identifying copyright owners but this can be difficult and the responsibility for copyright clearance before publication ultimately rests with the person wishing to 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: Printed copies of Mello's Handbook of the Geology of Derbyshire (London: Bemrose, 1891) and a bound collection 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: East Midlands Collection De 1 C16 MEL