Edward Augustus Bond

Sir Edward Augustus Bond KCB (31 December 1815 – 2 January 1898) was an English librarian.[1][2]

Edward Augustus Bond
Born31 December 1815
Hanwell, London, England
Died2 January 1898(1898-01-02) (aged 82)
Paddington, London, England
Known forPrincipal librarian, British Museum

Biography

Bond was born at Hanwell, London, England, the son of a schoolmaster. He was educated at Merchant Taylors' School, Northwood, and in 1832 obtained a post in the Public Record Office. In 1838, he became an assistant in the manuscript department of the British Museum, where he attracted the notice of his chief, Sir Frederic Madden, a leading paleographer of his day, and in 1852 he was made Egerton librarian. In 1856, he became assistant keeper of manuscripts, and in 1867 was promoted to the post of keeper.[3]

His work in reorganising the manuscript department was of lasting value, and to him is due the classified catalogue of manuscripts, and the improved efficiency and punctuality of publication of the department. In 1873, he was appointed principal librarian of the British Museum. Under his supervision, the new buildings of the White Wing were erected, to accommodate prints, drawings, manuscripts and newspapers. The purchase of the Stowe manuscripts was concluded while he was in office. He founded, in conjunction with Sir Edward Maunde Thompson, the Palaeographical Society, and made scientific improvements to classical palaeography.[3]

He was made LL.D. of Cambridge in 1879, created CB in 1885, and KCB the day before his death in January 1898.[3]

Bond published little, but he was the editor of four volumes of facsimiles of Anglo-Saxon charters from 679 to the Conquest, The Speeches in the Trial of Warren Hastings (1859–1861),[3] and a number of other historic documents.[4]

He married Caroline Frances Barham (22 July 1823 – 1 August 1912), second daughter of the Reverend Richard Harris Dalton Barham.[4]

References
  1. Richard Garnett, s:Essays in librarianship and bibliography, The Library: Transactions of the Bibliographical Society, s1-X(1):112–114, 1898. doi:10.1093/library/s1-X.1.112
  2. "Bond, Edward Augustus" . Dictionary of National Biography (1st supplement). London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1901.
  3.  One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Bond, Sir Edward Augustus". Encyclopædia Britannica. 4 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. pp. 198–199.
  4. s:Essays in librarianship and bibliography/The Late Sir Edward A. Bond, K.C.B., accessed 30 September 2010
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