James Heard Pulman (1821 – 22 April 1900) was an English barrister and librarian who was the second librarian at the

House of Lords Library The House of Lords Library is the library and information resource of the House of Lords, the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It provides Members of the House and their staff with books, Parliamentary material and reference ...

, serving from 1861–97. Pulman was born in

Westminster Westminster is the main settlement of the City of Westminster in Central London, Central London, England. It extends from the River Thames to Oxford Street and has many famous landmarks, including the Palace of Westminster, Buckingham Palace, ...

, the eldest son of officer-at-arms

James Pulman James Pulman (bapt. 4 June 1783 – 29 October 1859) was an English officer of arms. Pulman was born in Ottery St Mary, Devon, the son of Thomas and Susannah Pulman. In 1820, married Harriet May Walker, who died 22 April 1828. They had two so ...

. He was educated at

Eton College Eton College ( ) is a Public school (United Kingdom), public school providing boarding school, boarding education for boys aged 13–18, in the small town of Eton, Berkshire, Eton, in Berkshire, in the United Kingdom. It has educated Prime Mini ...

and

Lincoln's Inn The Honourable Society of Lincoln's Inn, commonly known as Lincoln's Inn, is one of the four Inns of Court (professional associations for Barrister, barristers and judges) in London. To be called to the bar in order to practise as a barrister ...

. He was called to the bar in 1849. He was assistant librarian to John Frederic Leary, 1852–61, and succeeded Leary after his death in August 1861. A barrister by training, Pulman's tenure as Lords librarian was marked by his lack of interest in historical collections. He was notably "reluctant" to acquire any works that were not legal volumes or Parliamentary papers." His assistant librarian, writer

William Thoms William John Thoms (16 November 1803 – 15 August 1885) was a British writer credited with coining the term "folklore" in 1846. Thoms' investigation of folklore and myth led to a later career of debunking longevity myths, and he was a pioneer ...

, the founder of founded ''

Notes and Queries ''Notes and Queries'', also styled ''Notes & Queries'', is a long-running quarterly scholarly journal that publishes short articles related to " English language and literature, lexicography, history, and scholarly antiquarianism".From the inner ...

'', was much more eager to acquire valuable historical manuscripts, but was discouraged by Pulman. Pulman's reluctance to expand the collection beyond the law and Parliamentary books was so great that in 1875 "he had to be ordered to resume the purchasing of important historical works." Pulman retired in 1897 and was succeeded by

Sandford Arthur Strong Sandford Arthur Strong (10 April 1863 – 18 January 1904) was an English orientalist, art historian and librarian. Life Born in Kensington in 1863, he was the second son of Thomas Banks Strong of the War Office, and his wife, Anna Lawson; his ...

. He died in

Wandsworth Wandsworth Town () is a district of south London, within the London Borough of Wandsworth southwest of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London. Toponymy Wandsworth takes its name ...

, aged 79.

References

1821 births 1900 deaths People from Westminster People educated at Eton College English librarians English barristers Members of Lincoln's Inn 19th-century English lawyers {{Library-bio-stub