by Lisa Di Tommaso | Mar 12, 2022 | Blog
It is with the saddest of hearts that we need to share the news that our much-loved life member, volunteer and former Trustee, Stephen Clark, passed away on the 2nd of March.
It is no exaggeration to say that Steve loved the Morrab Library. Having joined in 2018, he threw himself in at the deep end, volunteering for reception desk duty not once, but twice a week, where he welcomed visitors, suggested all sorts of interesting book titles to borrowers, and practised his language skills with particular members too.
Steve soon became a member of the library’s Book Selection Committee where he made brilliant suggestions to enhance the library’s collections, particularly in the areas of science and poetry. He stuck to his guns when the rest of the Committee occasionally questioned any of his choices, delivering eloquent and passionate arguments in their favour, and more times than not, winning.
When the library started a new Poetry Group, a fortnightly opportunity for members to discuss a different poet, Steve was an active participant. Much to the joy of his colleagues at these meetings, Steve arrived with a freshly baked cake, it’s flavour based on the nationality of the poet who was being discussed that week. Steve’s cakes also made regular appearances at library events – our fairs and fetes, Christmas parties and more. While all of these cakes were delicious, his Simnel cake was out of this world!
Many who attended the Library’s Christmas Party in 2019 will remember Steve’s acting skills too, when he played the role of former Library President, J A Hamilton, in the performance of Camidge & Stringer’s ‘Remembering the Morrab Library in 1919’.
Importantly, Steve’s love for the library ultimately manifested itself when he joined the Management Committee. In his own words:
“When you are in love, you want to do things for the object of your desire. So when, five months after joining the library, I was asked to join that mysterious body, the Management Trustee Committee, as Honorary Secretary I accepted. It has to be said that I agreed with some trepidation at first; I was still very starry-eyed about the Morrab and really had no idea of the responsibilities of the secretary, still less what the Management Trustees actually did. Being a Trustee is a privilege and a responsibility. It is like being behind the scenes with the production team in a theatre. We are there to keep the building in good shape, from the state of the roof to making sure that the plugs and fire alarms are tested, and the Wi-Fi system works. We appoint the staff and work with them to fulfil the current needs and future plans of the library. Overall, it’s been a fascinating and an immensely rewarding experience to feel that I have contributed something to not only keeping the Morrab going but also to shaping its future. I’m still in love.”
Finally, we’d like to share Steve’s reflections on his favourite room in the library – the Hedgeland. Perhaps those who knew Steve may like to pause and reflect when visiting here, and remember him fondly:
“I have a particular affection for the Hedgeland room. I feel it doesn’t have to stand up to the claims that the neighbouring literature room has for the best view and the most comfortable chair. It’s as if the attention is more inward looking to the room’s true purpose – the books and not the distracting view. And what books! The range of subjects in this room is astonishing: from espionage, sociology, through fairy tales to naval history, games, theatre, music. The list could go on for ever. If your work doesn’t hold your attention or you need some distraction, just browse the wondrous shelves. I love the shape of the room too, unlike the literature room you are not there immediately; you pass through the door but there is a short passage giving a sense of mystery and then a surprise as the whole room is laid out before you. “
Steve was a generous and warm friend to so many of us at Morrab Library. His passion and enthusiasm was always evident, and he shared this with all he came into contact with. He had a gentle and ironic sense of humour. He was a true renaissance man – sharing with us his scientific knowledge, and his poetry writing, as well as his profound knowledge and love of literature. And cricket too.
Steve will be sorely missed by so many of us, but we know that a part of Steve’s heart will always remain here in Morrab Library, and his legacy will endure.
by Lisa Di Tommaso | Mar 24, 2026 | Blog, Morrab Library
We are excited to tell you about a special new addition to the library – a purpose built display case. This will allow us to install a rotating exhibition of rare and important treasures from our book and archive collections, which are usually kept locked away in secure and environmentally protected storage. You’ll find it on the first floor at the top of the staircase.
We wanted to find a way to ensure that our members and visitors not only knew about the special collections we hold in the library, but to be able to see and learn about them.
This new display case came to us via a bequest from the late Dr. Stephen Clark, much-loved life member, volunteer and former Trustee, who passed away on the 2nd of March, 2022. Steve loved the Morrab Library, volunteering for reception desk duty, joining the library’s Book Selection Committee, as well as being a founding member of the Library’s Poetry Group. His fresh-baked cakes were legendary. You can read more about Steve here.
Our biggest dilemma was deciding which of our collections we would display first, from a choice of hundreds. We settled on Henry VIII’s Great Bible of 1539. A donation to the library, it is a significant historical work, and asks all sorts of questions about when it came to the library and from whom. It is just one of thousands of historical books held in our special collections. Members and researchers are welcome to view these books, by appointment. And while we wait for them to be listed electronically through our library management system, KOHA, in the next few years, they are currently searchable in our card catalogue, and we also hold a separate listing. Staff will be able to help you discover our holdings.
We look forward to bringing you treasures from the collections in the coming months.
Read on to find out more about this important work.
The Great Bible (London), 1539
E220.5201
The Great Bible, so called because of its size, was the first royally commissioned printed Bible in English. The title page shows Henry VIII, seated on his throne, presenting a Bible in either hand to clerics on the one side and laymen on the other. Below to the left and right are Thomas Cranmer, Archbishop of Canterbury, and Thomas Cromwell distributing Bibles. This picture conveyed an important political message: that the Pope’s authority over the Church in England had been replaced by Henry VIII’s royal supremacy, and that the Bible should be accessible to the poorest subjects in the realm.
Despite the best efforts of one of our volunteers, we weren’t able to establish the complete provenance of the copy we hold, although we do know it belonged to the Borlase family, with a George Borlase of Penzance signing his name in it in 1758, near to what appears to be a calculation of the age of the Bible at the time of ownership (1758-1539 = 219). George’s signature appears again with a date beginning “175”, but during later conservation the recto side of the page was severed, cutting off the last number.
The most likely George Borlase of Penzance is the son of John Borlase of Pendeen (1666-1755). The latter was also the father of Walter Borlase of Castle Horneck and William Borlase of Ludgvan. George was born in St Just in 1697, lived in Penzance, and died in Kent in 1769.
The frontispiece of the Bible has the arms of the Borlase family with ‘John Borlase of Helston’ written below. There are two possible owners of this bookplate . One, John Borlase (1764-1844), was an attorney, the son of George Borlase b. 1725. The latter was the son of the aforementioned George Borlase.
The second was John Borlase (1795-1879), a surgeon in Helston. He was the son of John Bingham Borlase (1753-1813), whose father was Walter Borlase, who was the son of the aforementioned George who signed the Bible.
All available copies of the Borlase family’s Wills have been examined but no mention of the Great Bible is made in any of them.
Information courtesy of Kay Line, Library volunteer, March 2026.
by admin | Apr 14, 2020 | Newsletter
2019 is flying by and the library continues to flourish. We have hosted some great talks and workshops, including some wonderful children’s events, and enjoyed hosting our Spring and Summer Fairs. We bid a sad farewell to our Assistant Librarian, Katie Lennon in April, and welcomed Sue Garwood in her place, who has settled in wonderfully. The Library has also upgraded the wifi and introduced other processes to help make the running of the library more efficient. Check the end of this newsletter for a list of remaining events this year, and in particular, don’t forget the Library’s annual Book Fair on 21st September.
From the Chair
Penzance’s new Mayor, Nicole Broadhurst, visited the Library on August 15th, accompanied by Hester Hunt, Town Clerk, and Paula Smith, the Council’s Support Services Manager/Responsible Financial Officer. The visited was instigated by Trustee Tina Clark (who also made the delicious scones we ate at the end of the visit!). Lisa and I showed the councilors around the Library’s rooms where they were very impressed with both the range and age of the books on our shelves. They also met Sandie, Pamela and Hilary from the book restoration and repairing team, hard at work in the basement, before visiting the Photo Archive where Glyn and David explained the archive’s work and shared some of its images. The tour ended in the reading room where Lisa had arranged an impressive display of items from the Library’s Archives. The Mayor’s visit was an opportunity to bring the Town Council up to date on where the Library currently stands, and it’s plans going forward, including digitization and alignment with the National Archives.
As you know only too well we’ve been plagued with roof leaks over the past few years. These have all been patched up, but on a temporary basis. This is clearly not a satisfactory solution and we are now going ahead with permanent repairs to the roof. We are very grateful to the Tanner Trust who are helping us with the cost of these repairs, which we hope will be completed before the end of the year.
Peter Chapman – Chair
News from the Photo Archive
The Photo Archive has created a calendar using some of the historic photos from the Archive, ‘MORRAB LIBRARY 2020’. As we go to press it is in the hands of the printers and will be on sale in the library very soon! A perfect Christmas present for all your friends and relations at home and abroad.
We have a great team of volunteers in the Photo Archive. We are a friendly bunch with a range of skills that we have learned ‘on the job’. Would you like to join us? At present we need more people to scan prints and negatives and save them on the database. We will show you how to do everything, so as long as you aren’t computer-phobic you will be able to contribute. Training sessions will be on Thursday mornings but after that you can choose a time to suit you to continue the good work. Come and talk to us any Thursday morning or email: photoarchive@morrablibrary.org.uk or dave.puddifoot.trustee@gmail.com
David Puddifoot – Photo Archive Manager
A new way of paying…..
Some members may have noticed we have very recently installed a new electronic till system at the reception desk. This means we can now accept payments by card, alongside cash and cheque – an exciting development for the library.This will help to streamline the way we work and help us manage those precious pennies we receive from members and visitors.
National Archives
We are excited to announce that work has now commenced on the project to digitise our Archives catalogue. A small team of volunteers are now transcribing the paper records of our holdings, which allows us to upload our records on to the National Archives catalogue. The DISCOVERY catalogue is available via the web and searchable by anybody throughout the world. It means that Penwith’s history and culture is, deservedly, being shared with an audience beyond the region. The first 92 records created by one of our volunteers are those of the archaeologist J.T. Blight – you can view them on the catalogue via this link: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/results/r?_q=morrab+library+blight
Other cataloguing news
By the end of this year, the library will have acquired a new library management system called KOHA. This will allow us to start the very long process of cataloguing all of the books in the library into a searchable online catalogue. The index cards we presently use are not going anywhere for a long time, but the ultimate aim is to create a system where all of the books we hold can be searched for by author, title, dewey number and subject, so we all have a far better idea about the treasures on the Morrab’s shelves (including those high ones!). We’ll keep you updated on progress.
Book suggestions
Don’t forget, if you would like the library to consider purchasing any new titles, we have a Book Suggestion list where you can add your thoughts. You’ll find this at the library front desk. Our Book Selection Committee meets three times per year where all suggestions are considered.
Volunteers
A big thank you as always to our amazing team of volunteers who keep the doors to the library open, and for embracing the continual change which is unfolding here. We have welcomed some new faces in the last few months, as well as said goodbye to old friends. Please know that current or past, we are so grateful to all who volunteer in the library in any capacity. A thank you tea for our volunteers will be held on Saturday 23rd November – save the date!
Penwith Local History Group
The Penwith Local History Group (PLHG) has enjoyed a strong relationship with Morrab Library for many years. The group undertake important and fascinating research into West Cornwall and are based here at the library, meeting regularly and making use of our collections. Their latest book, Growing up in West Cornwall, brings to life the experience of childhood in West Cornwall, from as far back as the seventeenth century, taking us up to the 1960’s. Copies of the volume are available to purchase for £10 directly from the PLHG at: https://bit.ly/2ZrnhSt , or at the library front desk.
Public Access Defibrillator – a message from Martin Crosfill, Library Member
Owing to the exigencies of the Data Protection Act, this appeal has been delayed until it can
be incorporated in this newsletter. The Library, the Friends of the Gardens and Pengarth
Day Centre have agreed to support an appeal for the provision of a public access
defibrillator in the Morrab Gardens.The Gardens are used by people of all ages and it is
hardly necessary these days to point out the value. £2000 is the target, of which we already have over £500. This covers the cost of the apparatus, installation and training. Cash or cheques can be given in at the Library. Cheques should be made out to `Hypatia Trust defibrillator account’. Please support us – it might be you!
Committee News
Comings and goings
We have welcomed a number of new Trustees to the Library Committee this year. Following is a complete list of current Trustees:
Chair: Peter Chapman Vice-Chair: Jak Stringer
Honorary Secretary: Stephen Clark Honorary Treasurer: Julian Little
Honorary Librarian: Ashley Axten Hon. Health & Safety Officer: Tim Kendall-Carpenter
George Care
Tina Clark
Sue Nebesnuick
David Puddifoot
Susan Soyinka
Harry Spry-Leverton
Custodial Trustees: Mary Ellery; David Mann; Jenni Pozzi
Tom Arkell 17 April 2019
We were sad to hear of the passing of Tom Arkell in April. Tom was Chairman of Morrab Library from 1996 to 1999, and helped introduce a number of changes to the library, including its change of name from Penzance Library to Morrab Library.
Annual General Meeting
The date is set for next year’s Annual General Meeting – it will be held on Monday 4th March 2020, venue to be confirmed. We will pass on more information about this meeting in the coming months.
Lisa Di Tommaso
Librarian
September 2019
Upcoming events at the Morrab Library
Please don’t try and book until the event has been advertised by the Library.
September
Saturday 21st September 10.30am – 2.00pm
Event: Morrab Library Annual Book Fair
Tuesday 24th September 2.00pm
Talk: Victoria Osborne-Broad
Guardian of the Stones Book Launch (PLACES STILL AVAILABLE)
October
Wednesday 9th October 2.00pm
Talk: Martin Crosfill
The Tragic Tale of J.T. Blight
Saturday 12th October 11.00am
Talk: Sue Astles
Harry Ousey
Saturday 19th October
Study Day: Mark Cottle – “When England Had Hardly Begun” (FULLY BOOKED)
Saturday 26th October
Talk: Friends of Morrab Gardens – the Red Squirrel Project
November
Wednesday 6th November
Talk: Sharon Wright
Balloonomania Belles: Daredevil Divas Who First Took to the Sky
Saturday 9th November
Book launch: Melissa Hardie – Bronte Territories: Cornwall and the Unexplored Maternal Legacy, 1760-1870
Tuesday 12th November 1-4pm
Film Screening:Severn and Somme – The Life of Ivor Gurney
Wednesday 13 November 2.00pm
Talk: Cornish Records Office
An overview of Kresen Kernow and the Archives and Cornish Studies Service
Saturday 16th November 10.30 – 2.00pm
Event: Morrab Library Christmas Craft Fair
December
Saturday 7th December 11.00am
Talk: Mark Cottle
Shackleton (reprised)
Wednesday 11th December 2.00pm
Talk: Suzy Williams
Once Upon A Christmas – a talk on all things Christmas: legend, how other countries celebrate, and the origins of the day.
Saturday 14th December 1.30pm – 4.30pm
Event: Morrab Library Christmas Party
