Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 June 2014
Despite the revision of the statutes, it remained the norm throughout the eighteenth century for the Librarian to be elected along with the other College officers on 20 November each year. Some, like Thomas Leland, held office for several consecutive years, but annual changes of office-holder were still common. In the 1760s the lack of clarity between the old ways and the new led to a dispute about who actually was the Librarian. Theaker Wilder, Regius Professor of Greek, was elected in November 1762 and again the following November. In March 1764 he was given leave of absence for 3 years and relinquished his Chair, but continued to be paid as Librarian until November 1765. At that point, no doubt preferring to have a Librarian who was actually present in the College, the Board elected one of the Junior Fellows, Thomas Wilson. Wilson was in turn replaced by William Andrews a year later. In March 1767 Wilder's leave of absence was extended for a further 3 years but, undaunted by the fact that he would have been an absentee Librarian for 6 years, he protested to the Board that the election of Wilson and Andrews had been in contravention of the statutes, which stated that an election should not take place each year, but only when the post was vacant. He argued that he had not resigned and was therefore still in post, and would not resign unless found guilty of breaches specified in the statutes. The Board ignored his objection, but he insisted that a note to its effect was inserted into the register. Given the lack of commitment to the post by many of the office-holders, it is hardly surprising that there is little evidence of much activity in the Library during this period except when an energetic and enthusiastic Librarian such as Hudson or Leland held office.
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