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Benjamin Kennicott Collection

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Held at: Princeton University Library: Manuscripts Division [Contact Us]

This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held at the Princeton University Library: Manuscripts Division. Unless otherwise noted, the materials described below are physically available in their reading room, and not digitally available through the web.

Overview and metadata sections

Kennicott

Benjamin Kennicott was born at Totnes in Devon, England, and became a biblical scholar who specialized in the collation, translation, and publication of Hebrew texts. He held positions as Vicar of Culham (1753-1783) and Radcliffe librarian at Oxford (1767-1783).

Consists of selected manuscripts by or related to Kennicott. Included are three original, undated manuscripts--two sermons and a poem entitled "A Poem on Christmas Day"--and a commonplace book kept by John Cooke (b. 1742), also of Totnes (lass of 1760, Christ Church, Oxford), which contains copies of eleven poems by Kennicott, most of which are unpublished. Some of the poems concern people or events in Totnes, and one is a humorous parody of Hamlet's soliloquy "To be or not to be."

Purchased from Julian Browning in 1998.

For preservation reasons, original analog and digital media may not be read or played back in the reading room. Users may visually inspect physical media but may not remove it from its enclosure. All analog audiovisual media must be digitized to preservation-quality standards prior to use. Audiovisual digitization requests are processed by an approved third-party vendor. Please note, the transfer time required can be as little as several weeks to as long as several months and there may be financial costs associated with the process. Requests should be directed through the Ask Us Form.

This collection was processed in 2000. Finding aid written in 2000.

No appraisal information is available.

Publisher
Manuscripts Division
Finding Aid Date
2000
Access Restrictions

Collection is open for research use.

Use Restrictions

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Collection Inventory

Scope and Contents

Inscribed by, and with bookplate of John Cooke, born 1742 in Totnes, Devon, class of 1760, Christ Church, Oxford, B.A. 1764, M.A. 1767. Also bears the signature of Edward Windeatt of Totnes who supplied information for the Kennicott Dictionary of National Biography entry. Contains copies of eleven poems by Benjamin Kennicott, 82 pp.;

Physical Description

1 box

"A Poem on the Usefulness of Natural Philosophy", dates not examined. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

"A Poem on the Usefulness of Mathematical Literature", dates not examined. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

"A Poem on the Recovery of the Honble. Mrs. Courtenay, From her late Dangerous Illness humbly inscrib'd to Kellond Courtenay of Painsford, Esq. & his Lady", dates not examined. 1 folder.
Scope and Contents

(Written in the year 1743 by Benj. Kennicott, afterward Dr. Kennicott)

Physical Description

1 folder

"A Pastoral, Thyrsis, Strephon, Daphnis", dates not examined. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

"Verses: To Myra, being Presented with Pamela", dates not examined. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

"The Greyhound, a Fable", dates not examined. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

"An Ode, In the manner of Collin's Ode to Evening", dates not examined. 1 folder.
Scope and Contents

(An Ode in Memory of Miss Betsy Payne of Totnes, Devon)

Physical Description

1 folder

"Bidwell, An Epistolary Poem to Mr. Richard Hicks, by Benj. Kennicott", dates not examined. 1 folder.
Scope and Contents

(A Poem on Bidwell, a Bower near Totnes)

Physical Description

1 folder

"Nundinum Totonense", dates not examined. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

"Disciplina Academica", dates not examined. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

"A Parody on ye Celebrated Soliloquy in Hamlet", dates not examined. 1 folder.
Scope and Contents

(A Parody on "To be or not to be" in Hamlet)

Physical Description

1 folder

Physical Description

1 box

"30th of January, The guilt of blood...," AMsS, 4 pp., dates not examined. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

"On the disadvantage of riches," AMsS (initialed), 2 pp., dates not examined. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Physical Description

1 box

"A Poem on Christmas Day," AMs, 4 pp., dates not examined. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

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