Nostalgia: The history of Chesham’s Lending Library

Mechanics’ Institute

The first lending library in Chesham started about 1847, at the Mechanics’ Institute, which met in a room at the Town Hall in Market Square. It had a reading room with daily national and local newspapers, and a lending library. Originally it was only open to men and boys over the age of 13, and you paid an annual membership to join.

After about 25 years, the Institute moved to the premises of the former Fox and Hounds pub at 18-20 Market Square (now Beijing Chinese take away). This opened on November 18, 1872. Many reference books were donated by William Lowndes.

Circulating Library

In 1843, Charles Mudie opened a lending library in London and soon it opened branches elsewhere. In January 1895, T. J. Peacock came to Chesham from Watford and took over the printer, publisher, stationer and bookseller at 60 Broadway, (now Helen & Douglas House). In June 1895, he started Chesham Circulating Library, connected to Mudie’s. You could borrow upto two books per week, for a penny each, or pay an annual subscription of a guinea. These were mainly popular fiction books. Mr Peacock left Chesham in late 1897, and from June 1898, it was attached to Smith Brothers Stationers at 7, Market Square (now JPS Stationers).

Literary Institute

From May 21, 1914, the Mechanics’ Institute moved to the former Temperance Hotel premises over 57 High Street, (now Lebanese Village restaurant), on the corner of The Broadway and Station Road. It was renamed as Chesham Literary Institute and women were then also allowed to join. The reading room with its lending library was at the front overlooking the High Street. The Literary Institute closed down in 1935, and the premises were taken over by the Conservative Club. Many of the books were transferred to the Unemployment Centre in Broad Street.

Free Lending Library

Chesham Urban District Council started Chesham Free Lending Library on September 28, 1923 with 600 books. Its first premises were at the council offices at Cemetery Lodge, 174A Berkhampstead Road, and was run by volunteers. By October 1924, there were 541 members. The original fine was a penny per week on overdue books. The library was a great success, but the premises were cramped.

In November 1927, the library moved when Chesham Urban District Council moved to new offices at 33, High Street (now the Elements Herbal Medicine Centre and Shaw Trust charity shop). The library continued during the war, but evening openings had to be stopped due to the blackout.

The Broadway

In 1946, Chesham Urban District Council moved to offices above 80 and 82 The Broadway (now Lennon’s solicitors), former home of the Co-operative Society. The new library opened in two rooms on February 20, 1948 at 80 The Broadway, next to the Food Office at number 82. Chesham Library was now integrated into the Bucks County library service, with an employed full-time county librarian, Miss H.A. Harvey. It opened with 4,000 books, but now you could now also borrow books from elsewhere in the county. It opened daytime Monday to Saturday 10am until 5pm, closed for lunch, but opened until 8pm on Fridays. By the end of May 1948, it had 2,641 members. From 1956, the library first closed one day a week to enable staff to do administrative duties.

Children’s Library

From April 15, 1952, the Food Office was moved to Church Street, and 82 Broadway (to the left of what is now Oxfam), was taken over by the library, to create more space. A children’s section was then opened in May 1952. Children aged over 8 could now register in their own right.

Eleanor Phillips recalled “I was nine years old and we were told about it by our school teacher – in my case Miss Reynolds at Townsend Road School. She handed out some cardboard tickets, instructed us to write our names and addresses on them, and explained that if we took them to this newly opened library, we would be allowed to take books home. Unfortunately for the librarians, however, every teacher... in Chesham did the same, so that afternoon, after school was finished, the library was mobbed. I remember arriving there to find a queue stretching up Blucher Street which was three or four children deep, all shouting, laughing, and pushing and shoving with excitement. The library was so full we were only allowed inside when someone came out and it was so crowded you couldn’t get anywhere near the books. I eventually managed to grab three books which I took home in triumph.”

New Library 1972

In 1965, as part of changes to modernise Chesham, three cottages were bought at the top of Blucher Street, which were demolished in 1968. This 1,443 square yards of land was sold to Bucks County Council for £25,000 by Chesham Council. A new road called Elgiva Lane was put in, for access to Sainsbury’s, the new council offices, theatre and library. The new library was built there in 1971, at a cost of £55,570.

The old library in the Broadway last opened on Saturday, January 1, 1972, and the new Elgiva Lane library opened on Tuesday, January 11, 1972. It had 10,000 books on its shelves on the ground floor, and a reference library opened upstairs. In 1993, it was reported that Chesham library had 46,000 books and the reference section had dealt with 23,311 enquiries.

Latest news 2024

Earlier this year, the library was closed for three months, to allow the facilities to be concentrated on the ground floor, and a new glass front porch added. The upstairs floor is now local offices for Buckinghamshire Council. There was a grand re-opening on Saturday, August 17, 2024 with free fun family entertainment.

Chesham has had a free lending library for just over a century, and it is still very popular.