Westerkirk

westerkirk

Also known as Jamestown. Located in Bentpath. Founded in 1793-01-20. Type of library: Subscription. Collection: Still in situ.
Address: Bentpath, Langholm, Dumfries & Galloway DG13 0PB
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This bar chart shows total borrowings by year, for the period 1813-1822. All data for these years from the Westerkirk Kalendar have been fully transcribed.

["1813","1814","1815","1816","1817","1818","1819","1820","1821","1822"]

[{"name":"Borrowings per year","data":[1340,1080,1050,1164,935,714,1093,902,951,1010]}]

Library description

Westerkirk traces it origins to a library founded in 1793 for the 'improvement' of miners employed by the Westerhall mining company at Jamestown, Eskdale. The library survived the closure of the antimony mine in the early 1800s, and by the 1810s had become a subscription library with a membership of around ninety borrowers. Borrowing records survive from 1813 onward; a minute book records the initial foundation of the library, with a lacuna of approximately two decades between the closure of the mine and the resumption of minutes in the late 1820s. In 1834, the library received a bequest of L 1000 on behalf of the engineer and road builder Thomas Telford, who was born nearby.

Borrower description

The library was initially founded for the benefit of miners employed by the Westerhall mining company's antimony mine at Jamestown. After the closure of the mine, the library was laid open to subscription, and had a regular membership of around ninety individuals from the local area.

Holding description

The library was founded on a collection of around 25 titles, steadily augmented by works selected for purchase by the members. By 1820, the library held nearly 300 works.

Sources

Other: Minute Book
Other: Catalogue

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Aberdeen Theological Library

Location: Aberdeen
Foundation date: 1700
Type of library: Institutional
Number of library registers: 7
Number of books: 360
Number of borrowers: 278
Number of library records: 3333

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Advocates Library

Also known as Advocates' Library

Location: Edinburgh
Foundation date: 1682
Type of library: Institutional
Number of library registers: 54
Number of books: 5928
Number of borrowers: 934
Number of library records: 11905

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Chambers' Circulating Library

Also known as Robert Chambers' Circulating Library

Location: Edinburgh
Foundation date: 1828
Type of library: Other
Number of library registers: 1
Number of books: 919
Number of borrowers: 311
Number of library records: 7319

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Craigston Castle Library

Location: Craigston
Foundation date: 1604
Type of library: Other
Number of library registers: 1
Number of books: 396
Number of borrowers: 189
Number of library records: 684

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Dumfries Presbytery Library

Location: Dumfries
Foundation date: c.1706
Type of library: Other
Number of library registers: 1
Number of books: 636
Number of borrowers: 249
Number of library records: 3475

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Edinburgh University Library

Also known as University of Edinburgh Library

Location: Edinburgh
Foundation date: 1582
Type of library: Institutional
Number of library registers: 36
Number of books: 2339
Number of borrowers: 2069
Number of library records: 14638

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Glasgow University Library

Also known as University of Glasgow Library

Location: Glasgow
Foundation date: 1451
Type of library: Institutional
Number of library registers: 8
Number of books: 3476
Number of borrowers: 1013
Number of library records: 15372

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Haddington Library

Also known as John Gray Library

Location: Haddington
Foundation date: 1717
Type of library: Other
Number of library registers: 2
Number of books: 462
Number of borrowers: 743
Number of library records: 5187

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Hunterian Museum Library

Location: Glasgow
Foundation date: 1807
Type of library: Institutional
Number of library registers: 1
Number of books: 244
Number of borrowers: 42
Number of library records: 368

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Innerpeffray Library

Also known as The Library of Innerpeffray

Location: Innerpeffray
Foundation date: 1680
Type of library: Other
Number of library registers: 1
Number of books: 793
Number of borrowers: 1182
Number of library records: 5393

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Inverness Kirk Sessions Library

Also known as Inverness Presbyterial Library

Location: Inverness
Foundation date: 1706
Type of library: Institutional
Number of library registers: 1
Number of books: 38
Number of borrowers: 20
Number of library records: 61

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Leighton Library

Also known as Bibliotheca Leightoniana
Leightonian Library
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Location: Dunblane
Foundation date: 1688
Type of library: Subscription
Number of library registers: 5
Number of books: 809
Number of borrowers: 306
Number of library records: 6737

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Orkney Library

Also known as Kirkwall Library, Orkney Subscription Library

Location: Kirkwall
Foundation date: 1683
Type of library: Subscription
Number of library registers: 5
Number of books: 603
Number of borrowers: 266
Number of library records: 14495

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Royal High School of Edinburgh

Also known as High School of Edinburgh

Location: Edinburgh
Foundation date: 1658
Type of library: Institutional
Number of library registers: 5
Number of books: 1966
Number of borrowers: 2410
Number of library records: 19968

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Selkirk Library

Also known as Selkirk Subscription Library

Location: Selkirk
Foundation date: 1772
Type of library: Subscription
Number of library registers: 2
Number of books: 859
Number of borrowers: 243
Number of library records: 15521

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St Andrews University Library

Location: St Andrews
Foundation date: 1612
Type of library: Institutional
Number of library registers: 25
Number of books: 7560
Number of borrowers: 673
Number of library records: 21578

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Wigtown Subscription Library

Location: Wigtown
Foundation date: 1795
Type of library: Subscription
Number of library registers: 4
Number of books: 345
Number of borrowers: 103
Number of library records: 6230

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Books and Borrowing 1750-1830