Papers of Dr. Edward Rigby

The papers comprise:

• holograph letters of Dr. Edward Rigby to his wife and daughters, 3 July - 31 Aug. 1789, written in France. The letters describe events in Paris at this time, and touch on the French peasantry and their agricultural practices amongst other subjects
• a printed poem to Edward Rigby, esq., 1805, and a poetical epistle to him as mayor of Norwich about his dissent from proposed celebrations of Trafalgar
• Rigby's diary, 3 July-7 Aug. 1789, describing his journey through France to Turin.

Dr. Edward Rigby (1747-1821) was a physician. Rigby's daughter, Lady Eastlake, describes him as a 'practical and enthusiastic farmer' who wrote on agriculture, and translated the works of others on the subject. He also held several offices in Norwich; he was a member of the corporation of guardians, 1783-4, alderman of Norwich, 1802, the city's sheriff, 1803, and mayor of Norwich in 1805. See the Dictionary of National Biography for further details.

Entry to read in the Library is permitted only on presentation of a valid reader's card (for admissions procedures see http://www.bodley.ox.ac.uk).

Deposited in the Library in 1952.

Collection level description created by Susan Thomas, Department of Special Collections and Western Manuscripts.

A description is available in the Library, where there is also a card index to unpublished catalogues.

The letters were edited by Edward Rigby's daughter, Elizabeth, Lady Eastlake, in 1880. See Dr Rigby's letters from France &c. in 1789, ed. by Lady Eastlake (London: 1800).