The library was a large collection of Methodist material formed by George Alexander Kilham Hobill (1842/3-1912), a schoolmaster at Pensnett, who later retired to London. A lifelong member of the MNC, in 1894 he presented the collection to the MNC and it was housed until 1917 at Ranmoor College and then at the nearby Nether Green UM Church. The books later went to Hartley Victoria College, but the associated manuscripts remained forgotten at Nether Green for over 30 years. When Hartley Victoria closed in 1973 the books went to the John Rylands Library, Manchester, where they were later reunited with the manuscripts recovered from Sheffield. The collection's special value lies in its rare and sometimes unique MNC pamphlets and tracts. In 1921 it was said to include John Wesley's Greek NT and Alexander Kilham's ordination certificate (now at Wesley's Chapel).

Entry written by: EAR and WL
Category: Subject
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