Devon & Exeter Institution, Cathedral Close

The Devon and Exeter Institution is a

subscription library A subscription library (also membership library or independent library) is a library that is financed by private funds either from membership fees or endowments. Unlike a public library, access is often restricted to members, but access rights c ...

in the City of

Exeter Exeter () is a city in Devon, South West England. It is situated on the River Exe, approximately northeast of Plymouth and southwest of Bristol. In Roman Britain, Exeter was established as the base of Legio II Augusta under the personal c ...

, Devon, founded in 1813 for "The general diffusion of science, literature and the arts". It is situated at 7, Cathedral Close, Exeter, in a building facing the north side of

Exeter Cathedral Exeter Cathedral, properly known as the Cathedral Church of Saint Peter in Exeter, is an Anglican cathedral, and the seat of the Bishop of Exeter, in the city of Exeter, Devon, in South West England. The present building was complete by about 14 ...

which was formerly the Exeter

townhouse A townhouse, townhome, town house, or town home, is a type of terraced housing. A modern townhouse is often one with a small footprint on multiple floors. In a different British usage, the term originally referred to any type of city residence ...

of the

Courtenay family The House of Courtenay is a medieval noble house, with branches in France, England and Crusader states, the Holy Land. One branch of the Capetian House of Courtenay, Courtenays became a Royal House of the Capetian Dynasty, cousins of the House ...

Powderham Castle Powderham Castle is a fortified manor house situated within the parish and former manor of Powderham, within the former hundred of Exminster, Devon, about south of the city of Exeter and mile (0.4 km) north-east of the village o ...

Membership

Membership is by annual subscription, although current students and staff of

Exeter University , mottoeng = "We Follow the Light" , established = 1838 - St Luke's College1855 - Exeter School of Art1863 - Exeter School of Science 1955 - University of Exeter (received royal charter) , type = Public ...

may use it free of charge.

Library

The library houses two marble busts by the sculptor

Edward Bowring Stephens Edward Bowring Stephens (10 December 1815, in Exeter – 10 November 1882, in London), (works signed E B Stephens) was a British sculptor from Devon. He was honorary secretary of the Institute of Sculptors circa 1861.Mapping the Practice and ...

(1815–1882) of Exeter, of Sir William Webb Follett (1796–1845), MP for

and Sir

John Bowring Sir John Bowring , or Phraya Siamanukulkij Siammitrmahayot, , , group=note (17 October 1792 – 23 November 1872) was a British political economist, traveller, writer, literary translator, polyglot and the fourth Governor of Hong Kong. He w ...

(1792–1872), of Exeter,

Governor of Hong Kong The governor of Hong Kong was the representative of the British Crown in Hong Kong from 1843 to 1997. In this capacity, the governor was president of the Executive Council and commander-in-chief of the British Forces Overseas Hong Kong. ...

and President of the Devon and Exeter Institution 1860–61. The library's collection consists of approximately 40,000 printed books in addition to prints, documents, drawings, art and a small number of artefacts.

List of presidents

*Richard Ford, 1855 *Sir

, 1860–61

History of building

The idea for an institution combining a library, reading room, county museum and venue for public lectures was conceived by

William Elford Leach William Elford Leach FRS (2 February 1791 – 25 August 1836) was an English zoologist and marine biologist. Life and work Elford Leach was born at Hoe Gate, Plymouth, the son of an attorney. At the age of twelve he began a medical appren ...

, a young naturalist from

Plymouth Plymouth () is a port city and unitary authority in South West England. It is located on the south coast of Devon, approximately south-west of Exeter and south-west of London. It is bordered by Cornwall to the west and south-west. Plymout ...

. Leach approached the Mayor of Exeter with his proposal in June 1812, and fundraising began shortly after. The Institution's aims were agreed in a meeting on 12 August 1813. Membership required the purchase of a £25 share and an annual subscription of £1, limiting its initial membership to affluent, educated gentlemen. The building in which the Institution is housed at 7, Cathedral Close, was purchased from the Dean and Chapter of Exeter Cathedral and was formerly the Exeter

of the

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government polic ...

Roundhead Roundheads were the supporters of the Parliament of England during the English Civil War (1642–1651). Also known as Parliamentarians, they fought against King Charles I of England and his supporters, known as the Cavaliers or Royalists, who ...

General Sir

William Waller Sir William Waller JP (c. 159719 September 1668) was an English soldier and politician, who commanded Parliamentarian armies during the First English Civil War, before relinquishing his commission under the 1645 Self-denying Ordinance. ...

(c.1597-1668) of Forde, Wolborough, Devon. Following the death of his son, his eventual heiress was his daughter Margaret Waller (d.1694), who married Sir William Courtenay, 1st Baronet (1628–1702), of Powderham, Devon, to which family she brought the Waller estates including the Exeter townhouse. Her descendants became Viscounts Courtenay and Earls of Devon.

Overmantel in Exeter townhouse

An heraldic overmantel ''circa'' 1750, survives in a back room of 7 Cathedral Close, Exeter, the former town house of the Courtenay family of Powderham, now home of the Devon and Exeter Institution. The left hand painted panel shows the arms of

William Courtenay, 1st Viscount Courtenay William Courtenay, 1st Viscount Courtenay (11 February 1709 – 16 May 1762), also ''de jure'' 7th Earl of Devon, was a British peer. He was the son of William Courtenay, 6th Earl of Devon and 2nd Baronet Courtenay, and Lady Anne Bertie. Life Sir ...

(1711-1762): ''

Quarterly A magazine is a periodical literature, periodical publication, generally published on a regular schedule (often weekly or monthly), containing a variety of content (media), content. They are generally financed by advertising, newsagent's shop, ...

1st & 4th: Or, three

torteaux A roundel is a circular charge in heraldry. Roundels are among the oldest charges used in coats of arms, dating from the start of the age of heraldry in Europe, ''circa'' 1200–1215. Roundels are typically a solid colour but may be charged with ...

'' (Courtenay); ''2 & 3: Or, a lion rampant azure'' (de Redvers,

Earl of Devon Earl of Devon was created several times in the English peerage, and was possessed first (after the Norman Conquest of 1066) by the de Redvers (''alias'' de Reviers, Revieres, etc.) family, and later by the Courtenay family. It is not to be c ...

) impaling ''Argent, a chevron between three griffins passant sable'', the arms of Finch, Earl of Aylesford, the family of his wife. The sinister supporter is one of the Finch heraldic griffins, the dexter one is the Courtenay boar. The Courtenay Latin motto is shown underneath: ''Ubi lapsus quid feci'' ("Where did I slip what have I done"). The panel on the right shows the arms of Bishop Peter Courtenay (1432–1492), Bishop of Exeter and Winchester, of the Powderham family. His arms (Courtenay, with a label of three points azure each point of the label charged with three plates for difference) are impaled by the arms of the See of Winchester, which are very similar to the arms of the

See of Exeter The Diocese of Exeter is a Church of England diocese covering the county of Devon. It is one of the largest dioceses in England. The Cathedral Church of St Peter in Exeter is the seat of the diocesan Bishop of Exeter. It is part of the Prov ...

. The whole is circumscribed by the

Garter A garter is an article of clothing comprising a narrow band of fabric fastened about the leg to keep up stockings. In the eighteenth to twentieth centuries, they were tied just below the knee, where the leg is most slender, to keep the stocking f ...

. The supporters are: dexter, the Courtenay dolphin, sinister, the Courtenay boar. The motto beneath is: ''Quod verum tutum'' ("What is true is safe").framed typed note in situ

Sources

Devon and Exeter Institution website
*''Devon and Exeter Institution Library and Reading Rooms'', leaflet available on site * Pevsner, Nikolaus & Cherry, Bridget, ''Buildings of England: Devon'', London, 2004, p. 413 *

References

{{coord, 50.7231, -3.5293, type:landmark_region:GB-DEV, display=title Libraries in Exeter 1813 establishments in England Organisations based in Devon Grade II* listed buildings in Devon Subscription libraries in England Private libraries in the United Kingdom