Story of The Athenaeum p.3

The Roscoe Myth

In 1797, at the time of the foundation of the Athenaeum, William Roscoe was the most famous man  in Liverpool.  A largely self educated polymath, he was reputed as a poet, a historian, a biographer, an artist, a collector of art works, a politician, an educationalist  and an innovator of any and all cultural and intellectual activities in the town.  His recently published biography of Lorenzo da Medici had won him international acclaim.  His efforts to create in Liverpool a new version of Renaissance Florence, where the wealth of commerce would be used for artistic patronage had enjoyed limited success. According to myth Roscoe was the founder of the Athenaeum.

It was only to be expected that when the proposal was made by Rogers and Taylor for the creation of a Newsroom and Library that Roscoe should have been seen as an obvious patron, the celebrity member of the board, the big name.  He seems to have been gratified to take on this role and became the front man for the infant organisation.

There is a widespread belief, substantiated by the portraits, busts and items that abound in the Athenaeum that Roscoe was its founder.  This is a misinterpretation.  As we know it was a visit to the Newcastle Literary and Philosophical Society that gave the idea of a similar institution on Merseyside to his friend Edward Rogers.  He, together with Thomas Taylor, circulated the idea but it was met with some scepticism.  After a time these two together, with Dr John Rutter, who twenty years earlier had  set up the Liverpool Medical Library, shared the resolution to make Liverpool a centre of scholarship and to create the best modern reference facilities. The story was related by Rutter when providing information for William Currie’s biography of his father.  Rutter goes on to say the idea continued to circulate gaining such support that a plan to establish a newsroom with a library was considered and a place was sought for the building.  The Church Street site was selected.  The preparation of an architect’s plan was prosecuted by Mr Taylor and the services of John Foster secured. 

While this was being done Rutter was engaged in publicity “I drew up a prospectus and 500 copies were printed and circulated.”  [Bickerton p56 -58].  To initiated the plan a meeting of four of the leading lights in Liverpool’s intellectual world, Roscoe, Dr Currie, William Clarke, and Joshua Lace, met in the Theatre Tavern, to discuss the next step. The decision was made to hold a general meeting five days later on 27th November at the council rooms in Brunswick Street.  The Athenaeum was born.

That Roscoe’s part in its creation was confined to general encouragement is verified by the biography of William Roscoe written by his son Henry, who writes, after repeating in broad terms Rutter’s  account “Such is the origin of an institution which has served as a model for many similar establishments in different parts of the country.  It has frequently been supposed that the idea of it originated with Mr. Roscoe ….. he was indeed a very active member of the committee and devoted much time to the selection and arrangement of the library…. he could not claim for himself the honourable title of its founder.” [Roscoe p228- 30]. Further corroboration of the part played by Roscoe comes from a source which is not liable to bias or prejudice, the Minute Book of the Main Committee.  This details meetings between November 1797 and July 1809.  In the period between 1798 and 1802 Roscoe’s presence is recorded at the meetings on 30 occasions, only six in the first twelve months.  In contrast in the first year Rutter attended 24 times.  In the following year Rutter was present 25 times while Roscoe was only present on 11 occasions.  Hardly the record of a founder anxious for the growth of his creation.

Roscoe was such a dominant figure, so involved in the setting up of the Liverpool Literature and Philosophical Society, the Botanic Gardens, the Royal Institution, the Liverpool Academy that he seems to have established himself in the popular mind as the instigator of every Liverpool cultural organisation and so acquired vicarious but undeserved credit for the founding of the  Athenaeum. 

Bibliography

Manuscript

Minute Book of the Athenaeum vol.1   1797 -1809

Printed sources

 Bickerton T. H. (1910) Biographical Sketch of Dr. John Rutter [Liverpool Medical and Chirurgical Journal appendix III ].   P56-58

 W.W. Currie  Life of Dr Currie vol. 1

The Life of William Roscoe by his son Henry Roscoe 1833 vol.1 p28 – 30 Boston Russell Oddicorne & Co