Book Description
The well known English philhellene Frederick North, 5th Earl of Guilford, founder of the first Greek University in Corfu, the Ionian Academy (1824), endowed the institution with a library. Himself a renowned collector of books and manuscripts, he brought over his library from London by stages, with the intention of donating it to the Academy, whilst continuing to enrich it with fresh purchases and acquisitions. As, however, the terms of his Will, drawn up shortly before his death were not fulfilled by the government of the Ionian Islands, the library reverted to his heir, Lord Sheffield. The collection was subsequently sold at several auctions by the well-known house of Evans in London (1830-1835). This study presents the surviving manuscript catalogues of the library, which are the sole evidence of its contents. It records the titles (some 8,000) and provides annotation for each book: bibliography, names of purchasers at the auctions and the books’ sale price. The introduction focuses on the life of Guilford in Corfu and his efforts and sacrifices that resulted in the establishment of the University.
