Lucy Toulmin Smith (1838–1911) was an Anglo-American antiquarian and librarian, known for her first publication of the

York Mystery Plays The York Mystery Plays, more properly the York Corpus Christi Plays, are a Middle English cycle of 48 mystery plays or pageants covering sacred history from the creation to the Last Judgment. They were traditionally presented on the feast day ...

and other early works.

Life

Toulmin Smith was born at

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

, Massachusetts, USA, on 21 November 1838, of English parents, Joshua Toulmin Smith and his wife Martha. She was the eldest child of a family of three daughters and two sons. In 1842 the Toulmin Smiths returned to England and settled in

Highgate Highgate ( ) is a suburban area of north London at the northeastern corner of Hampstead Heath, north-northwest of Charing Cross. Highgate is one of the most expensive London suburbs in which to live. It has two active conservation organisat ...

, Middlesex. She was educated at home, and went on to assist her father in editing his journal the ''Parliamentary Remembrancer'' (1857–65). After his death she completed his volume ''English Gilds'', adding her own introduction.Cambridge Orlando article
/ref> Subsequently she edited many other important early documents, in some cases also translating from the French. She was a close friend of

Mary Kingsley Mary Henrietta Kingsley (13 October 1862 – 3 June 1900) was an English ethnographer, scientific writer, and explorer whose travels throughout West Africa and resulting work helped shape European perceptions of both African cultures and ...

and helped her in her literary work. She collaborated with many scholars of all nationalities, such as

James Gairdner James Gairdner (22 March 1828 – 4 November 1912) was a British historian. He specialised in 15th-century and early Tudor history, and among other tasks edited the '' Letters and Papers of the Reign of Henry VIII'' series. Son of John Gairdn ...

. She also contributed to the girls' magazine ''

Atalanta Atalanta (; grc-gre, Ἀταλάντη, Atalantē) meaning "equal in weight", is a heroine in Greek mythology. There are two versions of the huntress Atalanta: one from Arcadia (region), Arcadia, whose parents were Iasus and Clymene (mythology ...

'', edited by

L. T. Meade L. T. Meade was the pseudonym of Elizabeth Thomasina Meade Smith (1844–1914), a prolific writer of girls' stories. She was born in Bandon, County Cork, Ireland, daughter of Rev. R. T. Meade, of Nohoval, County Cork. Stephen Brown: A Reader's ...

, who was the wife of her brother Alfred. In 1893 Manchester College opened new buildings in

Oxford 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 ...

. The library housed valuable collections of books, but had no librarian, until in September 1894 Toulmin Smith was appointed. In addition to the ordinary running of the library, she took pains to build up collections of special relevance to the college's nonconformist heritage. Thus she completed

James Martineau James Martineau (; 21 April 1805 – 11 January 1900) was a British religious philosopher influential in the history of Unitarianism. For 45 years he was Professor of Mental and Moral Philosophy and Political Economy in Manchester New College ( ...

's set of the papers of the

Metaphysical Society The Metaphysical Society was a famous British debating society, founded in 1869 by James Knowles, who acted as Secretary. Membership was by invitation only, and was exclusively male. Many of its members were prominent clergymen, philosophers, and ...

(1869–80). Likewise she built up almost complete runs of periodicals of interest to Unitarians as the annual reports of the British and Foreign Unitarian Association, and the unitarian journal ''The Inquirer''. Meanwhile, her own scholarly work continued with numerous publications. She died in Oxford on 18 December 1911.

Works

* * * * * * The "religious play" referred to is

The Brome play of Abraham and Isaac ''The Brome play of Abraham and Isaac'' (also known as ''The Brome “Abraham and Isaac”'', ''The Brome Abraham'', and ''The Sacrifice of Isaac'') is a fifteenth-century play of unknown authorship, written in an East Anglian dialect of Middle ...

, which LTS first published. * * * * * (four volumes)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Toulmin Smith, Lucy 1838 births 1911 deaths People from Boston English antiquarians English librarians British women librarians British women historians