Simpson Collection

The Simpson Collection was purchased at auction in 2007 through the generous donation of Maaike Knottenblat.

This small but diverse collection contains books dated from 1533 to 1887. Many of the works relate to the family of Pearsson Simpson who was appointed Curate in Brigham Parish in Cumberland in 1791. These include a 1714 Book of Common Prayer printed in Dublin by Andrew Crooke and annotated with extensive family genealogies dated from 1681 to 1837.

Other works include Caesar's Commentaries published in Paris in 1533; the Eikon basilike: the pourtraicture of His Sacred Majestie in his solitudes and sufferings ... (1648) attributed to Charles I, King of England; and Hoyle's Games Improved ... revised by Charles Jones and published in 1820.

Two of the works, Museum for Young Gentlemen and Ladies, or, Private Tutor for Little Masters and Misses (Salisbury, 1793) and Thomas Cotterill's Selection of psalms and hymns for public worship, dedicated by permission to the Lord Bishop of Chester (London, 1831), had been used as aides memoires by the Pastor F.M. Marbury ca 1834. These have been extensively notated with Greek, French, Latin and Hebrew texts, quotes from the Bible, music, and scientific information.

Several children's books include Thomas Day's The Children's Miscellany: in which is included the history of Little Jack (London, 1760), Rev. J. Goldsmith's A Grammar of Geography for Schools and Young Persons ... (London, 1816) with a moveable geographical ‘clock'; and Uncle Philip's Conversations with the Children about Tools and Trades among Inferior Animals (Leeds, 1845).