RCB Library Notes18 Jan 18

The RCB Library and Rosamond Stephen

August 2017’s commemorative feature on the Irish Convention of 1917, with a particular focus on the reaction of the Church of Ireland and members of its community, included reference to Rosamond Stephen (1868–1951), a member of the Church of Ireland, and founder of the Guild of Witness, along with her picture, which is inscribed on the reverse “Rosamond Emily Stephen in her 24th year, 1892” by a member of the Stephen family. The image of Rosamond, which was posted on Twitter to highlight this piece elicited some followers to wonder who this enigmatic woman was and how she came to be the founder of what would become the RCB Library.

Rosamond Stephen was born in London in 1868, the ninth of ten children of Sir James Fitzjames Stephen, judge of the High Court of Justice in England, and Mary Richenda Cunningham. Stephen had a strong connection with Ireland, spending her summers in Ravensdale, county Louth, between 1875 and 1892. Stephen was raised as a theist, but her formal religious instruction began as an adult, when she joined the Church of Ireland, and was confirmed by Archbishop of Dublin, the Most Revd William Plunket, in 1896.

In 1901, Stephen founded the Guild of Witness, a prayer union intended to promote the Irish dimension of the Church of Ireland. The Guild contained a substantial library of some 5,000 items, primarily from the books left by her father. In 1912, Stephen moved permanently to Ireland, first to Belfast before moving to Dublin in 1918. The library soon grew in its scope and size, eventually requiring more time, resources, and space than were at her disposal. In 1931, Stephen donated her library to the Representative Church Body, the charitable trust that has managed the Church of Ireland since 1871. This would form the nucleus of what would become the RCB Library in its original location, at 52 St Stephen’s Green. Stephen’s connection did not end here, of course: she continued to support it through financial donations and gifts of books, including the Dictionary of National Biography collection in memory of her brother, Sir Harry Stephen.

In 1932, Stephen retired to Carlingford, county Louth, where she stayed until finally returning to England in September 1950 to live with her sister. She passed away in February 1951, aged 82, bequeathing the residue of her estate to the Representative Church Body for the benefit of its Library.

The RCB Library still holds the items which Rosamond Stephen donated from the Guild of Witness – these items bearing original bookplates and annotations – as well as a significant amount of correspondence. The Stephen papers (RCB Library MS 253) contain a wealth of original documents of Rosamond’s, including correspondence with family members, letters to the RCB Librarian, Geraldine Fitzgerald, and general correspondence to members of the Church of Ireland community. Of particular importance is the transcript titled ‘The Record’, consisting of extracts from letters, her journals and recollections of events in her life. These papers are available for consultation in the Library.

The BBC recently commissioned a series highlighting differing attitudes to the 1916 Rising called 16 Voices. Among the varied people featured, you can read about what Rosamond Stephen wrote about the events in Ireland by clicking here. You can read more about Rosamond Stephen’s views on the Irish Convention of 1917 by clicking here. The RCB Library has a brief biography of Rosamond Stephen and her contribution to the formation of the Library here.