Saving Staffordshire's Heritage

The Rotary Club of Stafford Knot Rotary has donated £1000 so that The William Salt Library can conserve six matching volumes of letters by Anna Seward, the romantic poet and prolific correspondent of the late eighteenth century, known as “The Swan of Lichfield”. The letters were published in 1810 and the condition of the volumes has badly deteriorated over the years.

This publication of Anna Seward’s letters was important to Staffordshire, written when Lichfield was a significant literary centre and at the time of Samuel Johnson. The volumes are now very fragile and the high cost reflects the level of skill that will be needed to make them fit again for use by the public. After the work is finished these volumes will be presented finally with a specially designed 135 Appeal inscribed bookplate and in a bespoke clamshell box.

Club President Peter Plant, presented the cheque to Sir Robin Manners, Chairman of The William Salt Library Trust, at a photo opportunity at the Library on Wednesday 27th February.

Peter Plant says “The Rotary Club of Stafford Knot is very pleased to be able to assist the Trust in its 135 Appeal. An important role within Rotary is to help and support the local community wherever possible and The William Salt Library is a unique asset available to all of the people of Stafford. A great deal of our Rotary efforts are geared towards making a difference, changing things both now and in the future for those less fortunate than ourselves,
it is good in this case to also remember the importance of the past and just how, without such preservation projects, it can so easily be lost.’’

Picture shows President Peter Plant, Sir Robin Manners, Rotarian Lynne Deavin, and Rotarian David Sandy