Kent Kingdon Trust

A charity for Exeter's heritage

The purpose of the trust

The Kent Kingdon Trust exists to purchase books for Exeter Central Library and works of art for the Royal Albert Memorial Museum in Exeter.

Some historical background

The Trust was established under the will of Kent Kingdon, an Exeter cabinet maker who died on 2 April 1889. The will laid down detailed instructions for the administration of his generous bequest. The Trustees were to meet on his birthday, 24 April to select books for the Library. Every third year no books were to selected but "a good work of art" was to be chosen for the Museum. Kent Kingdon had fixed ideas on what he preferred: "if a painting I prefer a good landscape", and as far as books were concerned "no theological works or works of fiction of any sort or kind". In the early part of the twentieth century the funds facilitated the purchase of many items but over the years they were eroded by inflation. From the 1970s the fund became dormant but in 1994 the Trust was revived and the income which had accrued over the previous twenty years reinvested. Some of the earlier stipulations of the will have been dropped, for example the limitation of trustees to "gentlemen" and the requirement that every seven years the interior of the Museum be decorated in "grey and black but no gilding as I consider that exhibition rooms should be kept in very quiet good taste". Nevertheless the intention of the present trustees is to continue the spirit of Kent Kingdon's wishes and the Trust is now once more able to assist the Library and Museum with purchases, although on a much more modest scale than at the start of the century.

Examples of grants

Since the re-establishment of the Trust grants have included assistance in the purchase of the following items:

Earlier grants have assisted in the purchase of the following:

Miss C. Jane Baker, Mr Peter Thursby, Dr Jonathan Barry, Dr Michael Pidgley, Mr Ian Maxted (Chairman, tel: 01392-384224, e-mail ian.maxted@devon.gov.uk)

Libraries and museums aim to preserve the written and visual heritage of their community and region but funds are not always available for them to acquire everything that is desirable to carry out this duty comprehensively. By making a donation to the Trust you will be recognising and assisting the work of Exeter's Public Library and Museum in this field. Under the terms of the Trust all income must be applied to the acquisition of books and works of art and not added to the original endowment, so your contribution will be made immediately available to assist in the purchase of suitable items as they come on the market. All items proposed for purchase are considered by the trustees to ensure that they are appropriate to the collecting policy of the two institutions. The work that the Trust can undertake has been progressively eroded by inflation so your contribution would help to restore the level of pride and investment in Exeter's heritage that characterised earlier generations.

If you wish to make a donation, please make it payable to the Kent Kingdon Bequest and forward it to Exeter Central Library, Castle Street, Exeter EX4 3PQ for the attention of Ian Maxted. If you wish you can highlight copy and use the form below to submit your donation. All donations received will be acknowledged and noted in the annual report to the trustees. Acquisitions for the Library will bear a special bookplate.