‘What constitutes the strength of the collection is the great number of works relating to the history, principles, and work of the Congregational Churches. Here are Marpelate and Separatist tracts, the writings of the Ejected ministers and their successors, down to the present day. Complementing the printed books is the large accumulation of manuscripts historical from the earlier periods and in the correspondence of and papers of Joshua Wilson a primary source for the expansion of Congregationalism in the nineteenth century and the concerns which occupied it.’
The Congregational Library, the Congregational Lecture for 1992, by John Creasey.
The collections of the Congregational Library include the following
- Printed Books
- 70,000 books, pamphlets and periodicals dealing with Congregationalism, Puritanism and Dissent, mainly from 19th century collectors
- Hymns and sacred music
- Year books of Congregational Federation, URC and EFCC
- Transactions of the Congregational History Society, Journals of the URC History Society
- Manuscripts
- Representative material for many key figures in Congregationalism including diaries, correspondence, local history, sermons, lecture notes
- Includes manuscripts and archives with a special interest for Women’s Studies
- Archives
- URC archives, telling the story of the national URC from 1972 to the present day
- Congregational Union archives, records of the central institutions of the Congregational Union / Congregational Church from 1831 to 1972
- Archives of the Unaffiliated Congregational Churches Charities and Evangelical Fellowship of Congregational Churches from 1972 to the present
- Memorial Hall Trust archives, including subscribers to the original fund, deeds, leases, building contracts, minutes and accounts
- Photographs of Bombed Churches
- Not a complete record – covers some 30 churches, mainly in London, augmented by a loan from the Congregational History Society, many of which depict churches outside London
- Portraits
- 84 portraits of significant preachers, benefactors and leaders of the reformed church movement
A detailed guide to our collections can be found here
Detailed Guide to Congregational Library Collections Aug 23
See the Collections pages for more detailed lists