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Ashburne Hall Collection

Date range: 1549-1969

Medium: Printed

Number of items: 3,000 items.

A diverse collection of books belonging formerly to Ashburne Hall, a University of Manchester hall of residence which was originally intended for female students. Many of the items date from the 17th and early 18th centuries and there is a marked emphasis on the history of England, America and Europe, although the subject range is wide. The collection includes three special groups of material: the Morley, Toller and Tootal Broadhurst bequests.

The Morley Bequest was presented to the women of the University in 1923 following the death of John Morley, 1st Viscount Morley of Blackburn (1838-1923). It comprises works on philosophy, theology, political economy and political science, British, European (particularly French) and American history, and literature (Classical, English and European).

The Toller Bequest includes books from the collection of Thomas Northcote Toller (1844-1930), the first Professor of English Language at the Victoria University in Manchester. Following Toller’s death, at his prior request, his widow, Edith (née Rathbone) (1854-1935) donated the books to Ashburne Hall. The collection includes historical texts, foreign-language dictionaries and works on literature and theology.

The Tootal Broadhurst Bequest contains books from the collection of Sir Edward Tootal Broadhurst (1858-1922), a Manchester cotton manufacturer. It includes works of general history, literature, and illustrated books, some with hand-coloured plates.

Further information:

  • Morley and Tootal Broadhurst Bequests are recorded in Library Search.
  • Toller Bequest is uncatalogued.

Location:


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