Gough Collection

Collections of Richard Gough, consisting of topographical collections, maps and engravings, books on Saxon and Northern literature, a collection of more than 100 early printed liturgical books (chiefly of Sarum or York use, and therefore considered by Gough as part of Wiltshire and Yorkshire topography), and sixteen volumes of Gaignires' valuable drawings of Church monuments in France. A feature of Gough's printed books is the large number which bear manuscript notes and additions. The collections are arranged as follows:

• Maps
• General topography
• Ecclesiastical topography
• Natural history
• Bedfordshire
• Berkshire
• Buckinghamshire
• Cambridgeshire
• Cheshire
• Cornwall
• Cumberland
• Derbyshire
• Devonshire
• Dorset
• Durham
• Essex
• Gloucestershire
• Hampshire
• Herefordshire
• Hertfordshire
• Huntingdonshire
• Kent
• Lancashire
• Leicestershire
• Lincolnshire
• Middlesex (including London and Westminster)
• Norfolk
• Northamptonshire
• Northumberland
• Nottinghamshire
• Oxfordshire
• Rutland
• Shropshire
• Somersetshire
• Staffordshire
• Suffolk
• Surrey
• Sussex
• Warwickshire
• Westmoreland
• Wiltshire
• Worcestershire
• Yorkshire
• Wales
• Islands
• Scotland
• Ireland
• Saxon and Northern literature
• Liturgies
• Gaignires drawings

The shelfmarks of this collection are as follows: Gough Camb. 7, 13, 39-40, 48, 76, 80-1, 83, 94, 98-9, 101-2, 105; Cheshire 21; Devonshire 6, 25; Dorset 3-6; Durham 10, 12; Eccl. Top. 19, 27, 31, 38, 41, 47-50, 52, 54, 62-4, 67b, 71, 71a, 71b, 75, 77, 86, 90-2; Essex 7, 22, 30-2, 35; Gen. Top. 3, 17, 22-33, 51, 53, 55-6, 60-1, 71-2, 74, 104, 106, 108, 120, 128, 130-3, 133, 134, 137, 140-3, 150-2, 157, 193, 195-8, 210, 372-3; Hants. 14; Herts. 11, 13-14, 16-18; Ireland 133; Kent 3-5, 8, 11, 17, 19, 23, 30, 34-8, 44, 54, 58, 70; Leic. 1; Linc. 19; London 52, 54, 125-8, 139-41, 225, 264; Maps 1a, 1, 2-40, 41a-41o, 43-6, 201, 201, 202-4, 204, 221-8, 228, 229-31; Middlesex 12, 16, 35; Missals 83; Nat. Hist. 10; Norfolk 7, 43-4, 49, 57; Northants. 1, 3; Oxfordshire 4, 15-16, 22, 33-4, 57, 73-4, 76, 86-7, 92-4, 105, 108, 117, 119, 135, 136; Rutland 1-2; Saxon Literature 7, 93, 175; Scotland 182, 185; Somersetshire 10; Staffordshire 1, 4; Surrey 15; Wales 7, 30, 67; Warwickshire 24; Westminster 27; Wilts. 23; Yorkshire 44, 61; MSS. Gough Bedf. 1-3; Berks. 1-28; Bucks. 1-8; Camb. 1-76; Cheshire 1-8; Cornwall 1-5; Cumbersland 1; Derbyshire 1, 4; Devonshire 1-6; Dorset 1-34, 35/1-2, 36/1-2, 37; Drawings a. 4; drawings-Gaignires 1-16; Durham 1-2; Eccl. Top. 1-7; Essex 1-4; Gen. Top. 1-24, 28-37; Glouc. 1-3; Hants. 1-2; Heref. 1-2; Herts. 1-5; Hunts. 1-4; Ireland 1-3; Islands 1-3; Kent 1-25, 26.1, 26.2, 27-9; Lanc. 1; Leic. 1-2; Linc. 1-16; Liturg. 1-19; London 1-14; Middlesex 1-7; Misc. antiq. 1-17; Nat. Hist. 1-3; Norfolk 1-43, 46-50; Northants. 1-6; Northumberland 1; Nottinghamshire 1; Oxfordshire 1, 1, 2-11, 18-32, 32, 33-7, 41-54; Rutland 1; Sax. Lit. 1-2; Scotland 1-4; Shropshire 1-17, 17b, 18-21; Somersetshire 1-9; Staffordshire 1-7; Suffolk 1-8, 10-11; Surrey 1-8, 10; Sussex 1-4; Wales 1-8; Warwickshire 1-3; Westminster 1-3; Westmoreland 1; Wilts. 1-4; Worcestershire 1-3; Yorkshire 1-24

Richard Gough (1735-1809), antiquary, was born in London, received a private education, and was admitted a fellow-commoner of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, in July 1752, but left in 1756 without taking a degree. From the age of eleven he was a prolific writer, but after his Cambridge days devoted himself almost exclusively to British topography and antiquities, making annual tours through different parts of Britain, often in company with John Nichols, his printer and publisher, and employing artists such as Jacob Schnebbelie and James Basire to illustrate his notes. In 1767 he became FSA and from 1771-97 was Director of the Society of Antiquaries. In 1774, on the death of his mother, extensive estates fell to him, which his father (who died in 1751) had bequeathed to him in reversion.

Gough's chief works were his British Topography (1768, and 2 vols. 1780, an account of the literature of the subject), the Sepulchral Monuments of Great Britain (1786-99), and a greatly augmented edition of Camden's Britannia (3 vols. 1789; 4 vols. 1806; a third edition was begun in 1806, but not finished and never published). His numerous minor publications on classical, antiquarian and topographical subjects evince immense industry and activity, while his independent means enabled him to devote himself to his chosen pursuits. In the course of his life he amassed a large library of books and engravings, chiefly topographical, which included many volumes from the libraries of Ducarel, Lort, Blomefield, Peter Le Neve, Hutchins, West and others.

Further details are given in the Dictionary of National Biography.

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

The collections were left to the Library by Gough in 1809.

Collection level description created by Emily Tarrant, Department of Special Collections and Western Manuscripts.

Falconer Madan, et al., A summary catalogue of western manuscripts in the Bodleian Library at Oxford which have not hitherto been catalogued in the Quarto series (7 vols. in 8 [vol. II in 2 parts], Oxford, 1895-1953; reprinted, with corrections in vols. I and VII, Munich, 1980), vol. IV, nos. 17497-18362.

See also Correspondence of Richard Gough (MSS. Gough gen. top. 39-44) and Enfield Collections of Richard Gough (MSS. Gough Middlesex 8-12).