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Gough Collection

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Collections of Richard Gough, consisting of:
  1. Topographical collections
  2. Maps and engravings
  3. Books on Saxon and Northern literature
  4. A collection of more than 100 early printed liturgical books (chiefly of Sarum or York use, and therefore considered by Gough as part of Wiltshire and Yorkshire topography)
  5. Sixteen volumes of Gaignières' valuable drawings of Church monuments in France.

A feature of Gough's printed books is the large number which bear manuscript notes and additions.

Dates

  • Creation: 12th-19th century

Extent

96.03 Linear metres (873 boxes)

Language of Materials

  • English
  • Latin
  • French
  • Cornish
  • English, Old (ca.450-1100)

Preferred Citation

Oxford, Bodleian Libraries [followed by shelfmark and folio or page reference, e.g. MS. Gough Maps 1a.]
Please see our help page for further guidance on citing archives and manuscripts.

Full range of shelfmarks:

MSS. Bodl. Or. 794; Gough Misc. antiq. 1-17; Gough Drawings a. 1-4; Gough Gen. Top. 1-24, 28-37; Gough Nat. Hist. 1-3; Gough Eccl. Top. 1-7; Gough Bedf. 1-3; Gough Berks. 1-28; Gough Bucks. 1-8; Gough Camb. 1-76; Gough Cheshire 1-8; Gough Cornwall 1-5; Gough Cumberland 1; Gough Derby 1, 4; Gough Devon 1-6; Gough Dorset 1-37; Gough Durham 1-2; Gough Essex 1-4; Gough Glouc. 1-3; Gough Hamps. 1-2; Gough Heref. 1-2; Gough Herts. 1-5; Gough Hunts. 1-4; Gough Kent 1-29; Gough Lanc. 1; Gough Leic. 1-2; Gough Linc. 1-16; Gough Middlesex 1-7; Gough London 1-14; Gough Westminster 1-3; Gough Norfolk 1-43, 46-50; Gough Northants. 1-6; Gough Northumb. 1; Gough Notts. 1; Gough Oxon. 1-11, 18-37, 41-54; Gough Rutland 1; Gough Shropshire 1-21; Gough Somerset 1-9; Gough Staffs. 1-7; Gough Suffolk 1-8, 10-11; Gough Surrey 1-8, 10; Gough Sussex 1-4; Gough Warwick 1-3; Gough Westmoreland 1; Gough Wilts. 1-4; Gough Worcester 1-3; Gough Yorks. 1-24; Gough Wales 1-8; Gough Islands 1-3; Gough Scotland 1-4; Gough Ireland 1-3; Gough Sax. Lit. 1-2; Gough Liturg. 1-19; Gough Missals 83; Gough Drawings-Gaignières 1-16

Printed Books: Gough Maps. 1*-41d, 41f-41o, 43-46, 201-204, 221-228*, 229-231; Gen. Top. 3, 17, 22-33, 51, 53, 55-56, 60-61, 71-72, 74, 104, 106, 108, 120, 128, 130-134, 137, 140-143, 150-152, 157, 193, 195-198, 210, 372-373; Eccl. Top. 19, 27, 31, 38, 41, 47-50, 52, 54, 62-64, 67b, 71, 71a-b, 75, 77, 86, 90-92; Nat. Hist. 10; Camb. 7, 13, 39-40, 48, 76, 80-81, 83, 94, 98-99, 101-102, 105; Cheshire 21; Devonshire 6, 25; Dorset 3-6; Durham 10, 12; Essex 7, 22, 30-32, 35; Hamps. 14; Herts. 11, 13-18; Kent. 3-5, 8, 11, 17, 19, 23, 30, 34-38, 44, 54, 58, 70; Leic. 1; Linc. 19; Middlesex 12, 16, 35; London 52, 54, 125-128, 139-141, 225, 264; Westminster 27; Norfolk 7, 43-44, 49, 57; Northants. 1, 3; Oxon. 4, 15-16, 22, 33-34, 57, 73-74, 76, 86-87, 92-94, 105, 108, 117, 119, 135-136; Rutland 1-2; Somersetshire 10; Staffordshire 1, 4; Surrey 15; Warwickshire 23-24; Wilts. 23; Yorkshire 44, 61*; Wales 7*, 67, 30; Scotland 182, 185; Ireland 133; Sax. Lit. 7, 93, 175

Collection ID (for staff)

CMD ID 12979

Additional Description

Abstract

Richard Gough Collection

Biographical / Historical

Richard Gough (1735-1809), antiquary, was born in London, received a private education, and was admitted a fellow-commoner of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, in July 1752, but left in 1756 without taking a degree. From the age of eleven he was a prolific writer, but after his Cambridge days devoted himself almost exclusively to British topography and antiquities, making annual tours through different parts of Britian, often in company with John Nichols, his printer and publisher, and employing artists such as Jacob Schnebbelie and James Basire to illustrate his notes. In 1767 he became FSA and from 1771-97 was Director of the Society of Antiquaries. In 1774, on the death of his mother, extensive estates fell to him, which his father (who died in 1751) had bequeathed to him in reversion.

Gough's chief works were his British Topography (1768, and 2 vols. 1780, an account of the literature of the subject), the Sepulchral Monuments of Great Britain (1786-99), and a greatly augmented edition of Camden's Britannia (3 vols. 1789; 4 vols. 1806; a third edition was begun in 1806, but not finished and never published). His numerous minor publications on classical, antiquarian and topographical subjects evince immense industry and activity, while his independent means enabled him to devote himself to his chosen pursuits. In the course of his life he amassed a large library of books and engravings, chiefly topographical, which included many volumes from the libraries of Ducarel, Lort, Blomefield, Peter Le Neve, Hutchins, West and others.

Further details are given in the Dictionary of National Biography.

Arrangement

The collections are arranged as follows:
  1. Maps
  2. General topography
  3. Ecclesiastical topography
  4. Natural history
  5. Bedfordshire
  6. Berkshire
  7. Buckinghamshire
  8. Cambridgeshire
  9. Cheshire
  10. Cornwall
  11. Cumberland
  12. Derbyshire
  13. Devonshire
  14. Dorset
  15. Durham
  16. Essex
  17. Gloucestershire
  18. Hampshire
  19. Herefordshire
  20. Hertfordshire
  21. Huntingdonshire
  22. Kent
  23. Lancashire
  24. Leicestershire
  25. Lincolnshire
  26. Middlesex (including London and Westminster)
  27. Norfolk
  28. Northamptonshire
  29. Northumberland
  30. Nottinghamshire
  31. Oxfordshire
  32. Rutland
  33. Shropshire
  34. Somersetshire
  35. Staffordshire
  36. Suffolk
  37. Surrey
  38. Sussex
  39. Warwickshire
  40. Westmoreland
  41. Wiltshire
  42. Worcestershire
  43. Yorkshire
  44. Wales
  45. Islands
  46. Scotland
  47. Ireland
  48. Saxon and Northern literature
  49. Liturgies
  50. Gaignières drawings

A reference of the type 'Gough London 239' refers to a series of printed books, and only references preceded by 'MS.' (as 'MS. Gough London 14') to manuscript volumes. In each of the following sub-divisions the manuscripts are first treated, and then the printed books with important manuscript notes, and finally mention is made of the occurrence of other manuscript notes of interest which occur in printed volumes

Other Finding Aids

Falconer Madan, et al., A summary catalogue of western manuscripts in the Bodleian Library at Oxford which have not hitherto been catalogued in the Quarto series (7 vols. in 8 [vol. II in 2 parts], Oxford, 1895-1953; reprinted, with corrections in vols. I and VII, Munich, 1980), vol. IV, nos. 17497-18362.

Our best descriptions for medieval items in this collection are in Medieval Manuscripts in Oxford Libraries under MSS. Gough.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

The collections were left to the Library by Gough in 1809.

Related Materials

See also MSS. Gough gen. top. 39-44 for the correspondence of Richard Gough.

See also MSS. Gough Middlesex 8-12 for Enfield Collections of Richard Gough.

Fols. 15-26 of MS. Rawl. D. 809 probably belonged to Gough.

Subjects

Related Names

Finding Aid & Administrative Information

Title
Gough Collections
Status
Published
Author
Collection Level Description by Emily Tarrant; EAD version 2020 by Alice Whichelow
Date
EAD version 2020
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin

Repository Details

Repository Details

Part of the Bodleian Libraries Repository

https://www.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/weston
Contact:
Weston Library
Broad Street
Oxford OX1 3BG United Kingdom

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