Collection of British literary treasures from Littleborough's Honresfeld library saved by national libraries charity

Date published: 17 December 2021

A collection of over 500 historic manuscripts, exceptional first editions, intimate letters and beautiful bindings from Littleborough's Honresfeld House have been purchased by Friends of the National Libraries (FNL) after the charity raised over £15 million to acquire the collection for the nation.

The collection includes manuscripts by the Brontës, Jane Austen, Robert Burns and Sir Walter Scott and FNL will donate every manuscript and printed book to libraries and writers’ houses across the UK so that they are accessible to everyone.

The collection, assembled by self-made Victorian industrialists William and Alfred Law at the turn of the 20th century - were to be offered at auction in a series of three sales starting in July 2021. Working together with FNL, Sotheby’s then agreed to postpone the commencement of the auctions to allow for negotiations for the entirety of the library to be acquired by a consortium of institutions for the nation.
 

Read more: Auctions of English literature from Littleborough's Honresfeld library postponed as a UK charity bids to save collectionPublished: 17 June 2021

Following the appeal to public and private donors over the course of the past few months, FNL has successfully raised over £15 million to purchase the library for the nation. FNL will donate all of the manuscripts and printed books to the relevant national, university and specialist collecting institutions, ensuring that as many people as possible can enjoy this treasure trove of English and Scottish literature.

Assembled in the golden age of book collecting, the literature found in Honresfeld library tells some of the most fabled stories in history, opening a window onto the short but amazing lives of Charlotte, Emily, Anne and even Branwell Brontë.

Treasures include an extremely rare handwritten copy of Emily’s poems, with revisions from Charlotte and the well-loved Brontë family copy of Bewick’s History of British Birds, the book made famous in the opening pages of Jane Eyre, brimming with entertaining annotations from their father Patrick.

At the library’s heart lies an astonishing set of manuscripts in the hands of the Brontë siblings, much of which has been unseen for 80 years and never properly examined. It includes seven of Charlotte Brontë’s famous ‘little books’, each of which is a work of art; a manuscript collection of poems by Anne Brontë; some 25 letters by Charlotte Brontë; and a small but exquisite autograph manuscript diary note shared by Emily and Anne Brontë.

The absolute jewel of the Brontë collection is Emily Brontë’s holograph notebook of 31 poems, believed by many scholars to have been lost. This poetry notebook carries annotations in Charlotte’s hand. The printed treasures of the sisters include Emily Brontë’s own annotated copy of their first publication, the exceptionally rare Poems of 1846, and fine presentation copies of first editions of their novels in their original cloth bindings.

Jane Austen is represented by two hugely significant letters to her sister Cassandra (only three early such autograph letters are held in any UK national collection, the bulk being in the Morgan Library, New York).

One is a very early letter, written on the eve of a ball where she anticipated the end of a love affair; the second dates from 1813 and discusses the reception of both Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility.

The collection also includes first editions of Pride and Prejudice, Emma, Northanger Abbey and Persuasion in their original condition.

Dr Gabriel Heaton, Sotheby’s English Literature & Historical Manuscripts Specialist, said: “This is a collection like no other that has come to market in recent decades. It preserves the original words of some of our greatest writers, from Robert Burns finding his poetic voice, to Jane Austen anticipating a proposal at a ball, to powerful romantic verses by Emily Brontë.

"It has been a great privilege to represent the family who have been careful custodians of these remarkable treasures ever since they were collected in the late 19th century. We were amazed and delighted at the incredible ambition of the FNL’s plan to acquire the whole library, and they deserve every credit for bringing their campaign to a successful conclusion. Their success is a testament to what can be achieved by the collaboration of public institutions and private collectors.”

The family of the original collectors, who had been the custodians of the library prior to the acquisition, said: "We are delighted that the Library is to remain in the UK and as the property of the nation with many of the books and manuscripts returning to their birthplaces for all to see and enjoy.”

FNL, and its consortium of libraries and writers’ houses, are profoundly grateful to their lead donor Sir Leonard Blavatnik who has match-funded the sum raised by FNL and the consortium institutions. He has donated half the purchase price. In recognition of his great generosity the collection will henceforth be known as the Blavatnik Honresfeld Library. It is an extraordinary donation, the largest ever given to the UK  by an individual for a literary treasure.

This acquisition has also been made possible thanks to the vital and generous support of the National Heritage Memorial Fund (NHMF). The NHMF’s grant of £4 million is the largest it has ever awarded towards the acquisition of literary manuscripts since its foundation in 1980.

Success would also not have been possible without the hugely generous support of each of the consortium institutions and of very many funders including The Prince of Wales Charitable Foundation, The Murray Family, Camelot Group, The Foyle Foundation, The David Cock Foundation, The T S Eliot Foundation, Hugh and Catherine Stevenson; Berkeley Foundation; British Library Collections Trust; American Trust for the British Library; B. H. Breslauer Fund of the American Trust for the British Library; The Ardeola Trust; The Vogel-Denebeim Family, and the Penchant Foundation.