David McGregor Rogers (1917–1995) was a British librarian and bibliographer who was Head of Special Collections at the

Bodleian Library The Bodleian Library () is the main research library of the University of Oxford, and is one of the oldest libraries in Europe. It derives its name from its founder, Sir Thomas Bodley. With over 13 million printed items, it is the second- ...

from 1978 until his retirement in 1984.

Life

Rogers was born in India on 29 May 1917, the son of an officer in the Indian Army, and spent his early childhood there. He was educated at

Downside School Downside School is a co-educational Catholic independent boarding and day school in the English public school tradition for pupils aged 11 to 18. It is located between Bath, Frome, Wells and Bruton, and is attached to Downside Abbey. Originall ...

and at

New College, Oxford New College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1379 by William of Wykeham in conjunction with Winchester College as its feeder school, New College is one of the oldest colleges at th ...

. After serving in India and Burma during the Second World War, he returned to

Oxford University Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...

and completed a doctorate with a thesis on clandestine Catholic printing in England during the late 16th and early 17th centuries. This was the first doctorate awarded at Oxford University for a thesis in the field of

bibliography Bibliography (from and ), as a discipline, is traditionally the academic study of books as physical, cultural objects; in this sense, it is also known as bibliology (from ). English author and bibliographer John Carter describes ''bibliography ...

. Rogers began working at the Bodleian while still a graduate student, and remained there throughout his professional life, retiring in 1984. He was instrumental in reviving the Catholic Record Society after the Second World War, together with Antony Allison of the

British Library The British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom and is one of the largest libraries in the world. It is estimated to contain between 170 and 200 million items from many countries. As a legal deposit library, the British ...

and Thomas Birrell of

Nijmegen University Radboud University (abbreviated as RU, nl, Radboud Universiteit , formerly ''Katholieke Universiteit Nijmegen'') is a public research university located in Nijmegen, the Netherlands. The university bears the name of Saint Radboud, a 9th century D ...

. He died at Blewbury, Oxfordshire, on 31 May 1995.

Publications

* with Antony Alison, ''Catalogue of Catholic Books Printed Abroad or Secretly in England, 1558–1640'' (1956) * with P.E. Russell, ''A Catalogue of Hispanic Manuscripts and Books before 1700 from the Bodleian Library and Oxford College Libraries Exhibited at the Taylor Institution 6–11 September 1962'' (1962) * with Antony Alison and W. Lottes, ''The Contemporary Printed Literature of the English Counter-Reformation between 1558 and 1640'' (2 vols, 1989–1994) * ''The Bodleian Library and its Treasures, 1320 to 1700'' (1991)

Life

Publications

References

Further reading