Project Update 13 - Sydney University and witchcraft

This week I have been working through 9 boxes of files from previous Rare books and special collections activities which have been stored in Rare book stack for years - probably since the move in 1988! One of the boxes contained records from exhibitions held at the Library through the 1970s and 1980s. In 1973 the Special Collections Librarian was also the Exhibitions Officer at the Library.
On Wednesday I went to Sydney University to speak to the Rare Books Librarian, Neil Boness. Neil was the Rare Books Librarian at the State Library before moving to the University in 1991.
The Sydney University Rare books website includes details on access, treasures and research guides. One of the interesting electronic exhibitions is Witchcraft, Demonology and the Inquisition.

There are a number of witchcraft books in the SRL rare books collection. A Confirmation and Discovery of witchcraft was written by John Stearne and published in 1648 ( RB/1900). John Stearne was an assistant to Matthew Hopkins, the self titled "Witch-Finder General". In one year,between 1645 -6, the pair were responsible for over 200 deaths in witch hunts carried out throughout the eastern counties of England. This copy is extremely rare as it includes a hand-written note by the author, John Stearne.