Buckland Parish Library

A parish library collection from St Mary the Virgin, Buckland, Oxfordshire (formerly Berkshire), searchable via the catalogue. Theological and ecclesiastical works, mostly English from the 1700s, with a selection of earlier European titles.

Includes a copy of the ‘Breeches Bible’ (Geneva, 1560), and various editions of the works of John Rogers, DD, sometime curate of Buckland. Also present is an Oxford binding, probably by John Westall, on Casaubon De rebus sacris (1614).

The early history of the library is not known. It is listed by T. Kelly in Early public libraries (1966, p. 245) as an endowed library, probably founded in the 1600s. Three books have the plate of the Bray Trustees, and at least one other is uniformly bound. Other volumes were donated at various times. The collection was transferred to the Old Manor House, Buckland, in 1951, and to the University Library in 1969 on permanent deposit.

More information

• Directory of parochial libraries: England and Wales. Bibliographical Society, 2004

Associated collections

• Abingdon Parish Library
• Didcot Parish Library
• Henley Parish Library