Foundation Collections

In 1807 it was announced that any contributions towards the new college of St David’s would be gratefully received.

The first books were received in 1809, to be stored at the Bishop’s Palace in Abergwili until the library room was ready. By 1833 ‘about 4000 volumes had been previously collected by Bishop Burgess, from various friends to the Institution.’ Most of these gifts came from members of the clergy.

The most significant was a bequest from Dr Charles Poyntz, Prebendary of Llandaff and Durham, of ‘a very valuable library of theological, and other useful books.’ Revd. Edward Berens of Shrivenham gave a unique copy of Jeremy Taylor’s A vindication of the sacred order and offices: divine institution, apostolical tradition, and Catholick practice of episcopacy (1660).

St Edmund Hall, Oxford, gave a small but valuable group of twenty-five volumes from their own library. The donation includes a copy of Sir Walter Ralegh’s The history of the world (1614), with hand-coloured frontispiece and maps. In 1832, Lord Cawdor donated a copy of the Aldine Greek Bible (1518).

The first catalogue of the library’s holdings was printed in 1836.