Lost by Dr Dickson

As mentioned in a previous blog post, National Library Week takes place between the 11 and 15 November this year. In the run up to National Library Week we will be celebrating some of RCPI’s former librarians. This post focuses on Dr Stephen Dickson, the first Librarian appointed by the College.

Sir Patrick Dun was President of the College 13 times during his lifetime and when he died in 1713 he left his substantial property in trust for his wife during her life and, on her death, to the College. The funds were used to establish professorships, known as the King’s Professor.  He also bequeathed his personal library to the College, which formed the core of the College’s own library.  

Up until 1785 when an Act of Parliament was passed, stating that one of the King’s Professors would take up the post of Librarian, the library was without an appointed custodian.  However following this Act, and as a King’s Professor of the Institutes of Medicine Dr Stephen Dickson was appointed by the College with power “to fix up a Library” on September 19, 1787.

Dr Dickson (born 1761) was 26 years old at the time of his appointment and remained in the post for ten years, until May 1797.

Up to this point the library had been kept in a series of private houses.  However, as a result of the 1785 Act the library had a more permanent home, for the first time, in a medical lecture room at Trinity College, where lectures given by the King’s Professor were delivered. The library remained there for the next 27 years.  

Books could be loaned to Fellows of the College and Matriculated Medical Students once a deposit was given of “at least equivalent to the value of the books lent”. The Librarian was to be in attendance twice a week during the winter session and one day a week during the summer session.  Dr Dickson also produced a list of books he felt should be purchased and sub-committees were appointed to look after the running of the library. The first printed catalogue for the library was produced in 1794, which listed a total of 1,169 books.  Of the fifty copies of this catalogue that were printed, only one copy of the catalogue survives to this day and is preserved in RCPI’s archive.

Unfortunately, Dr Dickson’s term as Librarian did not have an illustrious end, in 1797, after receiving a reprimand by the College, he was replaced as Librarian and was deprived of his Professorship.  He seems to have disappeared from Dublin, and by 1799 having been absent from the College for two years without leave, his name was removed from the list of Fellows.

An investigation into the management of the Dun’s estates exposed irregularities in payments from the Library and mismanaged of the books themselves. In a manuscript catalogue of the library prepared in 1800 it is noted that many of the books had been ‘Lost by Dr. Dickson’.

Dr Dickson may have been the first Librarian ever appointed to Dun’s Library, but unfortunately his term of office didn’t have a happy ending.  However this is only one chapter in the story of Dun’s Library and the dedication of subsequent Librarians has contributed to making Dun’s Library what it is today.

Jenny O’Neill, 

Library Intern