The titles below have been identified as those included in the Topsfield Library Society collection that was established on March 20, 1794.  The titles are listed by the classification similar those assigned to them in the original collection.  Many of the titles may be accessed online and read as e-books.  The links to the e-books are provided.  (Dow p.437-443)

The original bookcase housing the collection is on display in the Periodicals Room of the Topsfield Town Library (on loan from the Topsfield Historical Society).

 

The 1794 library was the subject of an article written by Anne Barrett, Vice-President of the Topsfield Historical Society, and published in the TriTown Transcript on January 9, 2015.

 

Civil History

Belknap's History of New Hampshire, Jeremy Belknap

• Volume 1: https://archive.org/details/historyofnewhamp84belk
• Volume 2: https://archive.org/details/historyofnewhamp002belk

 

History of England, Oliver Goldsmith

• https://archive.org/details/historyengland00goldgoog

 

History of England, Volume 2 (of 8), David Hume

• http://oll.libertyfund.org/titles/hume-the-history-of-england-vol-2

 

The History of the Province of Massachusetts-Bay, Thomas Hutchinson

• https://archive.org/details/historyofprovinc02hutc

 

The History of the Colony of Massachusetts Bay, Thomas Hutchinson

• http://books.google.com/books?id=uNdI3RuVqn4C&pg=PP5#v=onepage&q&f=false

 

The History of America, Vols. I & II (of 3), William Robertson

• Complete edition: https://archive.org/details/historyofamerica00robeiala

 

History of Rome, Vols, I & II (of 6), Edward Gibbon

• Volume 1: http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/731
• Volume 2: http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/732

 

Historic Massachusetts

• Not yet located online

 

Natural and Civil History of Vermont

• https://archive.org/details/naturalcivilhist00

 

History of Destruction of Helvetic Union

• https://books.google.com/books?id=95NIAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA9&lpg=PA9&dq=history+of+destruction+of+helvetic+union&source=bl&ots=blsoRmgTlp&sig=7GcaDGEHQXMJVCVqeuWrOEyZNjs&hl=en&sa=X&ei=Y_i3VMymPIecgwT6m4TABg&ved=0CCwQ6AEwAw#v=onepage&q=history%20of%20destruction%20of%20helvetic%20union&f=false

 

Ancient History, Vol. I (of 10)

• https://archive.org/details/ancienthistoryof0168roll

 

Josephus’s History of the Jews, Vols. 3, 4, 5, 6 (of 6)

• Not yet located online

 

Geographical, Historical and Commercial History of the World

• https://archive.org/details/newhistoricalcom00manc

 

History of the Carthaginians, Vols 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, (of 8)

• Volume 1: https://archive.org/details/ancienthistorye30rollgoog
• Volume 2: https://archive.org/details/ancienthistorye09lynagoog
• Volume 4: https://archive.org/details/ancienthistorye05lynagoog
• Volume 6: https://archive.org/details/ancienthistorye07unkngoog
• Volume 8: https://archive.org/details/ancienthistorye21rollgoog

 

Insurrection in Massachusetts

• https://archive.org/details/historyofinsurre1788mino

 

 

Sacred History

New History of the Bible, Vols, II & III (of 6)

• https://archive.org/details/historyofholybib00stac

 

 

Natural History

Animated Nature, Vol. IV (of 4)

• https://archive.org/details/ahistoryearthan02goldgoog

 

 

Ecclesiastical History

History of Redemption

• https://archive.org/details/historyofworkofr00edwa

 

Ecclesiastical History, Vols. 1 – VI (of 6)

• MDCCXC
• https://archive.org/details/instituteseccle08murdgoog      

 

History of the Patriarchs

• https://archive.org/details/sacredbiographyo01hunt

 

Calvinistic & Socinian Systems

• https://archive.org/details/calvinisticands00fullgoog

 

History of the Work of Redemption

• https://archive.org/details/historyofworkof00edwa

 

Genuine Works of Flavious Joseph, Vols. 3, 4, 5, 6 (of 6)

• https://archive.org/details/genuineworksoffl18251jose

 

History of the New Testament, Vol. 1

• Not yet located online

 

 

Sermons

Blair’s Sermons, First American Edition

• https://archive.org/details/sermonsbyhughbl00conggoog

 

Burder’s Village Sermons, Vol. II (of 2)

• https://archive.org/details/villagesermons01burdgoog

 

Davies’s Sermons, Vols. II &III (of 3)

• Not yet located online

 

Edward’s Sermons on Various Important Subjects

• Not yet located online

 

Enfield’s Sermons

• Not yet located online

 

Lathrop’s Sermons

• https://archive.org/details/sermonsonvarious01lath

 

Ethics and Moral Philosophy

Butler’s Analogy of Religion

• https://archive.org/details/analogyofreligio025829mbp

 

Edwards on Affections

• https://archive.org/details/religiousaffections00edwarich

 

Mason on Self Knowledge

• https://archive.org/details/atreatiseonself02masogoog

 

Necker on Religion

• https://archive.org/details/onimportancerel00neckgoog

 

Owen on Sin (Indwelling Sin in Believers)

• https://archive.org/details/onnaturepowerde00owengoog

 

Paley’s Moral Philosophy

• https://archive.org/details/paleysmoralphilo025153mbp

 

Principles of Moral and Political Philosophy

• http://books.google.com/books/about/The_Principles_of_Moral_and_Political_Ph.html?id=SrQ8AAAAYAAJ

 

Elements of Morality, First American Edition

• https://archive.org/details/elementsofmorali01salz

 

 

Voyages and Travels

Mariti’s Travels thru Cyprus, Syria & Palestine, Vols. I &II

• https://archive.org/details/travelsthroughc00marigoog

 

Moore’s Travels in France, Switzerland & Germany, Vols. I & II

• https://archive.org/details/aviewsocietyand05moorgoog

 

Moore’s Travels in Italy, Vols. I & II

• Not yet located online

 

Travels to the Interior of Africa

• https://archive.org/details/travelsininteri01unkngoog

 

Tour Thru Sicily & Malta

• https://archive.org/details/atourthroughsic01beckgoog

 

John Howard’s Life & Travel

• https://archive.org/details/2541022R.nlm.nih.gov

 

Society & Manners in France, Switzerland & Germany

• https://archive.org/details/aviewsocietyand05moorgoog

 

Park’s Travels

• http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/5266

 

 

Miscellaneous

Miscellaneous Works of Dr. Goldsmith

• https://archive.org/details/miscellaneouswo00irvigoog

 

Knox’s Essays, Vols. I & II

• https://archive.org/details/essaysmoralandl02knoxgoog

 

Ladies Pocket Library, Vols. I & II

• https://archive.org/stream/ladyspocketlibr00swifgoog/ladyspocketlibr00swifgoog_djvu.txt

 

New England Farmer

• https://archive.org/details/newenglandfarmer00dean

 

Old South

• Not yet located online

 

Robinson’s Proof of Conspiracy

• https://archive.org/details/proofsofconspira00robi

 

Journal During Residence in France, Vol. I & II

• Not yet located online

 

Siamese Tales, Translated from Siam

• https://archive.org/details/siamesetalesbei00corbgoog

 

Human Nature

• Not yet located online

 

Thomson’s Seasons, First American Edition

• https://archive.org/stream/seasonsbyjamest00thomgoog/seasonsbyjamest00thomgoog_djvu.txt

 

The Centaur

• Not yet located online

 

 

Biography

Life of Hon. Colonel James Gardner

• http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/11253

 

Howard’s Life

• https://archive.org/details/2541023R.nlm.nih.gov

 

 

Letters

Complete Letter Writer

• Not yet located online

 

Letters to a Young Lady, Vol. I (of 2)

• https://archive.org/details/letterstoyoung0102benn

 

Omicron’s Letters on Religious Subjects

• http://books.google.com/books/about/Forty_one_letters_on_religious_subjects.html?id=wh4sAAAAYAAJ

 

Official Letters to Congress, Vol. 1 (of 2)

• https://archive.org/details/officiallettersamcont01washrich

 

William’s Letters, Vol. 1 (of 2)

• Not yet located online

 

 

Novel

Centaur Not Fabulous

• https://archive.org/details/centaurnotfabulo00younuoft

 

Paul and Mary, An Indian Story

• http://books.google.com/books/about/Paul_and_Mary.html?id=RqDoQwAACAAJ

 

 

Geography

Guthrie’s Geography/Kingdoms of the World

• https://archive.org/details/cihm_37755

 

Morse’s Geography abridged

• https://archive.org/details/geographymadeeas00morsiala

 

 

Poetry

The Complaint of Night Thoughts on Life, Death & Immortality

• https://archive.org/details/complaintconsola00youn

 

 

Slavery

Voyage to the Coast of Africa, Slave Trade, 2nd Edition

• https://archive.org/details/ahistoryavoyage00conggoog

 

Channing on Slavery, 4th Edition

• https://archive.org/details/slaverya00chanuoft

 

 

 

Bibliography

Dow, G. F. (1940). History of Topsfield Massachusetts. Topsfield, Mass. : The Topsfield Historical Society. Reprinted 1982.  View Library Catalog record; read online at the Internet Archive.

 

Further Reading

Barrett, A. (2015). A Look at Topsfield's First Library. TriTown Transcript. 57(45). p. A2. http://topsfield.wickedlocal.com/article/20150113/ENTERTAINMENTLIFE/150119886

 

Panella, J. & Groblewski, H. (2001). The History of the Topsfield Town Library. [MA] : E. T. Johnson & Associates. View in the Library Catalog

 

External Links

Barrett, A. (2015). A Look at Topsfield's First Library. TriTown Transcript. 57(45). p. A2. http://topsfield.wickedlocal.com/article/20150113/ENTERTAINMENTLIFE/150119886

 

Topsfield Town Library

 

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Contents

Topsfield Times: A Community and Local History Resource

NR/WKT