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Bibliographies and catalogues

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Bibliographies and catalogues
Bibliographies and catalogues of collections are the point of departure for all local studies research in Devon. They detail work previously undertaken and can avoid unnecessary duplication of research. Most titles listed here are available in the main libraries in the county and record offices and museums often hold reference copies.

Brockett, Allan. The Devon Union List (D.U.L.): a collection of written material relating to the county of Devon (1977). This is the first place to check for most local studies searches. It lists some 8300 books to 1975 and is arranged alphabetically by author giving locations in six major collections in Exeter, Plymouth and Torquay. There is an alphabetical index in one sequence of places, subjects and persons. The compiler relied on records from contributing libraries, which were not always accurate, so the work should be treated with some caution. An annotated copy is kept in WSL.

The Devon bibliography published by Devon History Society 1980-1984 and by Devon Library Services 1985 to date aims to continue the Devon Union List but, while the detail of entries is fuller, it does not give locations. However most titles can be found in WSL, whose accessions form the basis of the list. To 1985 the arrangement was alphabetically by author, since 1986 it has been arranged by place subdivided by subject with author indexes. The period 1976-1979 is still to be covered.

Hoskins, W.G. Devon (1954) has an invaluable survey of the main sources consulted for this important work in his "Bibliography" on pp.554-571. This has been updated in the commemorative edition of 1992 which also contains a list of Hoskins's own writings.

Davidson, James. Bibliotheca Devoniensis: a catalogue of the printed books relating to the county of Devon (1852). Supplement (1861). The earliest bibliography of the county and still the best for the early period as it lists many items which were lost in the World War 2. Arranged in broad subject groupings with an author index, it gives some locations but WSL has Davidson's own annotated copy with fuller references. Most of Davidson's own collection, the Secktor Library, passed after his son's death to the Plymouth Athenaeum where it was destroyed in the blitz in 1942.

Plymouth Athenaeum. Catalogue of the Davidson collection of pamphlets (1894). Lists many items not included in Davidson's Bibliotheca Devoniensis.

Maxted, Ian. Books with Devon imprints: a handlist to 1800 (1989). Lists about 1,200 books, pamphlets and single sheet items. Includes items now lost and hence not in the Eighteenth Century Short Title Catalogue as well as incorporating works listed in J.Ingle Dredge A few sheaves of Devon bibliography (1889).

1. NEWSPAPERS

Bibliography of British newspapers. Cornwall, edited by Jean Rowles; Devon, edited by Ian Maxted (1991). A comprehensive listing of several hundred titles from 1704 to date with detailed lists of files in collections throughout the British Isles and abroad. There are notes of the local availability of microfilm and of indexes. This replaces Lorna Smith's Devon newspapers: a finding list (1975) which is more widely held and still a useful guide.

2. PERIODICAL ARTICLES

There is no consolidated index of periodical articles relating to Devon although many libraries maintain partial card indexes and the Burnet Morris Index in the WSL covers many periodicals up to 1940. The Transactions of the Devonshire Association have a series of four indexes covering the first hundred volumes, The Devon Historian has indexes to nos 1-15 and 16-30. The Library Association's county volumes of the Subject index to periodicals cover books and periodical articles for the years 1954-61 continued by the regional lists of their British humanities index 1962-66. More general indexes will have to be consulted, such as the British Humanities Index after 1966, or the Local Studies Index. E.C.L.Mullins A guide to the historical and archaeological publications of societies in England and Wales, 1901-1933 is also useful. The lack of a general index of periodical articles relating to Devon something which should be addressed by a cooperative effort. A start has been made with a computerised index to major periodicals available in the larger local studies collections. This is available on the web with hard copy printouts in about twenty of the larger branch libraries and can also be searched as part of the local studies database.

3. THESES

Listings are to be found in The Devon historian no. 8 (1974), p.3-12, no. 9 (1974), p. 28-33 and no 16 (1978), p.27-30. Many local theses are held in the library of the University of Exeter or in departments. National listings include the ASLIB index to theses.

4. ILLUSTRATIONS

Somers Cocks, J.V. Devon topographical prints 1660-1870 : a catalogue and guide (1977). Lists 3,500 engravings and lithographs, arranged by place with a supplement listing in chronological order the sources from which many of the individual prints came. There are indexes of artists and engravers, a very selective subject index and an excellent introduction. Locations are not given but many libraries keep copies annotated with their own holdings.

5. ARCHIVES

A useful guide to the main collections is DRO's Brief guide, part 1: official and ecclesiastical (1969). This is supplemented by annual reports and special lists on such subjects as Parish, non-parochial and civil registers and Parish poor law records. See section 3.3 below for details of other listings.

6. LOCAL BIBLIOGRAPHIES

Only a selection for the major regions and towns are given here. A useful bibliography of parish and town histories, based on the holdings of WSL is: Abbots Bickington to Zeal Monachorum (Devon Libraries, 1994)

Dartmoor: Hamilton-Leggett, Peter. The Dartmoor bibliography (1992). Seven thousand entries in two main sequences, each arranged alphabetically by author, one for books and the other for periodical articles. Locations are not given. The subject index is to broad subjects and places, making items on specific topics difficult to locate. About ten times the size of J.V.Somers Cocks The Dartmoor bibliography: non-fiction (1970-79).

Exmoor: The Exmoor bibliography: revised up to 31 December 1989 (1990). Replaces earlier editions of 1959 and 1965.

Exeter: Adams, Maxwell. "An index to the printed literature relating to the antiquities, history and topography of the city of Exeter" Trans. Dev. Assoc. 33 (1901) p.270-308

Plymouth: Worth, R.N. The three towns bibliotheca (1872-80). The three towns are Plymouth, Devonport and East Stonehouse.

Torbay: Pike, John R. Torquay, Torbay: a bibliographical guide (1994), also his Paignton, Torbay : a biliographical guide (1993) and Brixham, Torbay: a bibliographical guide (1993).

7. SUBJECT BIBLIOGRAPHIES

These have been compiled on a wide range of topics or form part of works on specific subjects. Two examples for genealogical sources must suffice:
Raymond, S.A. Devon: a genealogical bibliography (1990). Vol. 1: Sources; vol. 2: Family history. Includes much background information of general interest to local historians.
Peskett, Hugh. Guide to the parish and non-parochial registers of Devon and Cornwall 1538-1837 (1977). An extremely full listing covering originals, transcripts and published versions, although many of the locations are out of date since the implementation of the Parochial Record Measure and the DRO's own list should also be referred to. See also section 8 below.

8. LIBRARY CATALOGUES.

Some early catalogues have been published and may list items which have since disappeared from local collections although they may still be available nationally in such locations as the British Library. Examples include:
Devon and Exeter Institution. A catalogue of the library (1850)
Royal Albert Memorial Museum, Exeter. Catalogue of the reference library (1901)
North Devon Athenaeum, Barnstaple. Catalogue of the circulating and reference departments (1898)
Plymouth Free Public Library. Index catalogue of the reference department (1892)

The current general catalogues of Devon Library Services and the Universities of Exeter and Plymouth are held on computer, sometimes with microfiche printouts of all or part of the catalogues available. The University of Exeter's library catalogue includes works in the Devon and Exeter Institution and Cathedral libraries. Large sections of the local studies collections are still only covered by card catalogues. Work on computerisation of the local studies collections is well advanced and a recent version of the file can be interrogated on the Internet. Most libraries also have special information indexes. For example the card index in Plymouth Library covers a wide range of newspapers and periodicals. The most extensive card index in Devon local studies collections is the work of one man, the Recorder in Bibliography of the Devonshire Association: the Burnet Morris Index was compiled between 1915 and 1940 and contains over one million cards with detailed references to Devon persons, places and subjects. The arrangement is complex and a recent guide to the index is produced by Devon Library Services: The Burnet Morris index ... : a guide (1990).

Creator: Devon Library and Information Services
Title: Bibliographies and catalogues
Imprint: : Devon Library Services
Date: 2003
Format: Web page : HTML
Series: Local studies source guide ; S11
Ref. no.: WEB BIBLIOG
Coverage: Devon . Bibliographies . Historical sources
Last Updated: 06/05/2005


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