St John’s College W.25

William Whytehead, Commonplace Book. English, Latin and Greek, 1800.

[William Whytehead]: Commercially-produced commonplace book, containing autograph manuscript entries. The front endpaper states the name of the author and an address for Grey’s Inn Square, London, 1800. Typescript title page reads: “Common place book, formed generally upon the principles recommended and practised by John Locke”. Printed for the booksellers, Hamilton and Co., London (1797). Consists of a six-page typescript-introduction on the utility and usage of a commonplace book, and entries in the hand of William Whytehead on various subjects, including architecture, death, error, freedom,  jus civile, natural history, politics, travelling, and wit. Also contains literary quotations in Latin and English; a list of paintings and pictures; numerical tables; dog Latin phrases; a list of recommended English and European historians; Greek memoranda; Latin componenda; legenda; bon mots; epigrams and miscellaneous sentences; aphorisms on man; rustic Yorkshire words; riddles; hymns; and etymology. Several pages have been removed. William Whytehead was admitted to St John’s College in 1788; LL.B. 1794. He entered Grey’s Inn in 1795. 

Manuscript extra information

185x120 mm. Folio approx. [275] pages, plus additional blanks. Paper. Marbled endpapers. Includes College bookplate. Given by Robert Yates Whytehead, 1938. Possibility of some later alteration to the boards; the front board is embossed with the initials “R.Y.W.”