Stamford Library Rules and Regulations 1906

By Chris Hunt

Stamford Free Library was formally opened on January 25^th 1906 by the Lord-Lieutenant of Lincolnshire, Adelbert Brownlow-Cust, 3^rd Earl Brownlow; also present on the day were other members of the local aristocracy and their wives, the Mayor, Mr George Higgs; members of the Council, their Officials, and members of the public. Although at first there was some opposition on the Borough Council to a Public Library in the town, the actions of Major Henry Hart swayed its members along with the gift of £2,500 from Mr Andrew Carnegie, the Scottish-American industrialist and philanthropist.

The Library was funded by the Borough Council providing the site, a small addition to the town rates, and by public donations, after which borrowing was free to those on the Borough Burgess Roll. The rules and regulations that established Free Libraries were governed by Acts of Parliament. The most different ones to us here in the 21^st century are the punishments laid down in statute, which are repeated in the Rules and Regulations which were drawn up by the town’s Library

Committee in August 1905.

Which are: -

“Whosoever shall unlawfully and maliciously destroy or damage any Book, Manuscript, Picture, Print, Statue, Bust, or Vase, or any other article or thing kept for the purposes of Art, Science, or Literature, or as an object of Curiosity in any Museum, Gallery, Cabinet, Library, or other repository, which is either at all times or from time to time open for admission of the Public, shall be guilty of a misdemeanour, and being convicted thereof, shall be liable to be imprisoned for any term not exceeding six months, with or without hard labour, and if a male under the age of sixteen years, with or without whipping”

And that:-

“Any person who in any Library or Reading Room to which this Act applies (Libraries Offences Act 1898), to the annoyance or disturbance of any person using the same: -

(1)   behaves in a disorderly manner:

(2)   uses violent, abusive, or obscene language:

(3)   bets or gambles:

(4) or who, after proper warning, persists in remaining therein beyond the hours fixed for the closing of such Library or Reading Room.

“shall be liable on summary conviction to a penalty not exceeding forty shillings.”

Chris Hunt

January 2026

Notes

The opening days of the week and times vary between the Reading Room and the Free Lending Library.

The following document is reproduced by kind permission of Lincolnshire Libraries.

The original was printed by Dolby Brothers in 1907, and is part of the local studies reference collection at Stamford Library, www.better.org.uk/library/lincolnshire/stamford-library

A print version can be downloaded HERE