Old Rectory Museum Parish Library Exhibition

A couple of weeks ago I was lucky enough to be invited along to the opening of what proved to be an exciting exhibition! This event was held at the Old Rectory in Loughborough, down on Rectory Place.

When the Home Front 1939-1945 Exhibition, held from late April until 15th June, closed, the Old Rectory travelled back in time, to the period when the Reverend James Bickham was rector of Loughborough, 1761 to 1785. 

If you’re a regular reader of this blog, you will have heard of the Revd. Bickham featured here back in early 2023, when we investigated who he was, and where he lived.

What was special about the Revd. Bickham was that he was an avid reader and a collector of, and subscriber to many books, and he left his vast collection (originally amounting to nearly 650 volumes) to subsequent rectors of Loughborough. Indeed, the collection did remain with the rectors of Loughborough, although at some point, and until 1950, the collection was housed in a small room above the porch of the parish church, and virtually inaccessible. Subsequent to this, and by 1975, the collection had moved to Loughborough Technical College, which ran a librarianship course, although it appears they arrived here via a stay in a nearby hall. Anyway, the library moved from the technical college to the university (possibly when the librarianship at the tech college closed), before being transferred to the University of Nottingham Manuscripts and Special Collections department.

The current exhibition at the Old Rectory, curated by Ursula Ackrill one of the librarians at Nottingham Manuscripts and Special Collections, is a result of work done by Ursula and the department to catalogue the books that remain today in Bickham’s library. Sadly, some items have been lost, and the collection has been added to by subsequent rectors, and now amounts to around 540 volumes. The exhibition serves to showcase some of the items from the collection (with the help of facsimiles) and to put the collection in the context of the time, focussing on contemporaneous literary works, religious works, and those showing developments in science. In addition, there is information about the circles in which Bickham moved, as well as artefacts like Wedgewood pottery, and toile de Jouy printed fabric.

So, I will stop here, as if I tell you any more of the exhibition, there will be no need for you to visit and!! But, you must go along and experience the exhibition, the Old Rectory, and the atmosphere for yourself!!! And remember to go upstairs, too! Hurry, as you only have a few Saturdays left in which to do this!

As I spent the whole time chatting to friends, or people I was introduced to, I didn't actually take any photographs of the event myself, so here's a selection taken by a member of the Loughborough Archaeological and Historical Society, which is the organisation that runs the Old Rectory Museum. Enjoy!

About the Reverend Bickham

The display of classics!

The case of elegies!

The science of the day

Printed Toile de Jouy

Part of the archive held at Nottingham University Manuscripts and Special Collections

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Posted by lynneaboutloughborough

With apologies for typos which are all mine!

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