1957 Sotheby Auction - Bibliotheca Lindesiana

Bibliotheca Lindesiana refers to the vast and historically significant library collected by the Lindsay family at Haigh Hall, specifically the Earls of Crawford and Balcarres. The most prominent figure in assembling this collection was Alexander William Crawford Lindsay, who lived from 1812 to 1880 and continued by his son.

Features of the Bibliotheca Lindesiana:

1. Extensive Collection: The library was known for its enormous and diverse collection, which included rare books, manuscripts, early printed books (incunabula), oriental manuscripts, and other valuable documents. It became one of the largest private libraries in Europe by the late 19th century.
2. Areas of Specialisation: The collection was particularly rich in certain areas, such as oriental manuscripts (Arabic, Persian, Turkish, and Sanskrit), early printed books, music, and genealogy.
3. Significance: The Bibliotheca Lindesiana was highly regarded by scholars for its rare and valuable holdings. It was a centre for academic research and contributed significantly to various fields, including history, literature, and linguistics.
4. Dispersal: In the 20th century, much of the collection was sold off or donated to institutions. Some of the most important portions of the collection, such as the oriental manuscripts, were sold to libraries like the John Rylands Library in Manchester. Other parts were dispersed to various other libraries and private collectors.
5. The residue of the collection was sold at an auction by Sotheby's in May 1947 at the time when the Haigh Hall estate was purchased by Wigan Council.

A large quantity of the books were purchased by Maggs, we stumbled across this reference to Maggs from the Liverpool Daily Post.