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THE PASSMORE EDWARDS PUBLIC LIBRARY,
PITFIELD STREET, HOXTON.
OPENED BY THE RT. HON. SIR JOHN LUBBOCK, BART., M P., F.R.S.
INTERESTING CEREMONY.
Shoreditch has been making history rapidly in recent years—social, literary, and
scientific. We have had quite a gamut of opening ceremonies, but none more far reaching in
its effects than the function of Wednesday afternoon, when Mr. J. Passmore Edwards and the
Public Libraries Committee, through Sir John Lubbock, handed over to the people of Hoxton
the classical building equipped for study and research and literary recreation. The Committee
and their indefatigable Librarian, Mr. W. C. Plant, had spared no pains to make the great
event bright and memorable, and the large assembly of citizens attested the interest felt in the
latest municipal possession. The visitors having been courteously received by the Committee
and conducted to the dais in the reference library, Mr. J. J. Trowbridge took the chair, and the
interesting programme was proceeded with.
The Chairman, on behalf of the people of Hoxton and Haggerston, gave the chief guests
a hearty welcome. In Sir John Lubbock they had one of the very first educationists in the
country, who had always taken a great interest in public libraries; and Mr. Passmore Edwards
had been with them so often that they had begun to look upon him as one of themselves.
Since the Public Libraries Act was adopted in Shoreditch seven years ago the libraries had
been much appreciated. They continued 23,958 volumes, and he could assure them there was
room for many more; 1,013 were presented by their benefactor, Mr. Passmore Edwards, and
727 by his colleague on the Committee, Mr. Thos, Errington, whom they wished to publicly
thank for his generosity and also for his good work on the Building and Book Sub-Committees.
There were 12,281 volumes at that library, and in a few weeks they hoped to add another 1,000.
Borrowers' tickets would be available at both libraries. The cost of the new library, with
the site and fittings would probably be about £20,000. As the three-farthing rate would only
produce about £2,000, and the repayment of capital and interest would take about £800 a
year, the Library Committee would have to be very economical to make both ends meet.
The Chairman concluded by handing to Sir John Lubbock and Mr. Passmore Edwards
handsomely bound catalogues of the library as mementos of the occasion, a bouquet of lovely
flowers bsing presented to Lady Lubbock, and another to Mrs. Passmore Edwards.
Sir John Lubbock said he felt great pleasure in accepting the invitation to be present,
because he thought that to take any part in opening a free library was one of the most
pleasant duties that could fall to the lot of a Member of Parliament. They were a little
slow in the Metropolis in availing themselves of the advantages of the Free Library Act, and
in the first 16 years, only one Library was opened, Westminster having had the honour of
taking the lead. In the next ten years not a single public library was started in London,
and from 1877 to 1886 only two were opened, but since 1886 more than 30 had been opened,
and several more were in course of construction. To the wise generosity of Mr. Passmore
Edwards they were indebted for something like 12 of their public libraries in London, and he
had also bestowed a cousiderable number on his own county and other parts of the country.
(Cheers.) Statistics showed how much the local libraries were appreciated, and he felt sure
they would now become much more useful and valuable. It had been said that when a new