33t) TRANSACTIONS OF THE CANADIAN INSTITUTE. [VoL. IV. 



NIAGARA LIBRARY, 1800- 1820. 



By Janet Carnochan. 



{Read 6ih January ^ ^Sg^.) 



It says much for the members of any community when we find them 

 providing reading of a high literary order, and especially would this be 

 the case, at the beginning of this century, among a band of refugees just 

 emerged from a great struggle, with the forest around them and every- 

 thing speaking of a new country and all that is implied in this. 



When by the merest chance, some months ago, I laid my hands upon 

 an old, brown, leather-covered Record Book, I had no idea of the 

 rich treat it was to prove. To my astonishment, by dint of much 

 patient study of its thick, yellow pages covered with writing, though 

 large yet very difficult to read, it was shown that in this old town of 

 Niagara in those early days there was a most valuable public library 

 well supported, the accounts showing regular payments and much 

 interest, as evidenced by the money contributed and the regular records. 

 To the boast made by Niagarians that here was held the first parliament 

 for Upper Canada, that here was published the first newspaper, that it 

 contains almost the oldest church records in Ontario, must now be added 

 the honour of having had the first public library, and the first agricul- 

 tural society. The varied information to be gleaned from this book 

 may be thus classified : ist, a list of proprietors through the years from 

 1800 to 1820; 2nd, list of their payments and those of non-subscribers ; 

 3rd, catalogue of library with prices of books ; 4th, money expended ; 

 5th, rules and regulations ; 6th, account of annual meetings, contingent 

 meetings, etc.; 7th, list of books taken out and date of return ; 8th, 

 alphabetical list of subscribers with separate page for entries for each 

 during these years. When we think of the vicissitudes of the years 

 18 1 2, 18 1 3, 1 8 14, and of the stirring events which took place here, 

 military occupation by friend and foe, of fire and sword alternately doing 

 their cruel work, we wonder how this library was preserved, for preserved 

 in part at least it was, for the issue of books goes on, a new catalogue 

 with spaces left perhaps for books missing, and in the accounts sums are 

 paid to replace particular books. It is interesting to follow up the period 

 of the war and in all these divisions note the latest entry, and then follow- 

 ing an interval of two years without the break of a line even left as space 



