Dr Williams's Library

Dr Williams's Library is a major research library. Its collections include about 300,000 titles from the earliest years of printing to the present, and many thousands of manuscripts from the thirteenth to the twenty-first century. Although the Library’s strengths are in Protestant nonconformity, its collections include printed works and manuscripts of international significance.

The archive collections include the original minutes of the Westminster Assembly (1643-1652); the historical collections made by Roger Morrice, including the late sixteenth century manuscript ‘The Second parte of a register’, of which a calendar was published by Dr. Albert Peel in 1916, and Morrice's own 'Entring Book', an invaluable political account covering the years 1677-1691 and the subject of a major international scholarly project; the lives of English and Continental divines compiled by John Quick; the list of Dissenting congregations in England and Wales, 1715-1729, compiled by John Evans; the similar lists compiled in the 1770s by Josiah Thompson; the early minute books of the Three Denominations; and the papers and correspondence of Richard Baxter.

Other collections of letters include correspondence of Joseph Priestley (together with a large collection of his published works), Theophilus Lindsey, Francis Blackburne, Thomas Belsham, and others associated with them; of John Seddon (1725-1770); and of the Jennings family.

Parts of the collection of Henry papers are here, and a collection from the Blackmore family with which came the minutes of the Fourth London Classis (1646-1659). From New College, London, has come the correspondence of Philip Doddridge and much material relating to that institution and its predecessors. A listing of this collection can now be viewed on the National Register of Archives.

The King's Weigh House Church and Lyndhurst Road Church, Hampstead, presented their archives when they closed. The manuscript of George Herbert's English and Latin poems, partly in his own hand, is the most important item in the miscellaneous collection of manuscripts bequeathed by the Rev. John Jones in 1770.

Thomas Brand Hollis presented one of the manuscripts of Civil War colours made by Jonathan Turmile in 1803.

Henry Crabb Robinson was both a trustee of Dr. Williams's Charity and a subscriber to the building of University Hall, its present home. His extensive archive, which came in 1877 includes his diary (1811-1867), reminiscences, correspondence and other papers, and is of great literary significance along with the letters of his friends, amongst them Coleridge, Lamb and Wordsworth.

The Library also holds a number of manuscripts on deposit. Chief amongst these are the records of the Presbyterian Fund, the Congregational Fund, the General Baptist Assembly, the Widows Fund, and the later minutes of the Three Denominations.

An appointment must be made at least one week in advance to view manuscripts and access is made at the discretion of the Director. Materials may be restricted or closed due to their conservation requirements. Contact the Library to make an appointment: